Banana and coconut are everywhere in Mekong Delta. Coming to this beautiful and peaceful land, you can see small cottages under green gardens of many fruit trees, including banana trees, coconut trees. Local people have created various delicious dishes from these fruits: Sweet soup with banana and coconut cream, Grilled banana in glutinous rice which is dipped in a gelatinous sauce from coconut cream, Banana cake made from banana, coconut cream and rice flour, etc. Banana mixed with shredded coconut meat (or Chuoi quet dua) is one of the most impressive recipes from sticky and sweet-smelling banana and greasy coconut meat. Although the dish is simple from ingredients to the way to make, Chuoi quet dua has been one of the most favorite food in Mekong Delta and become a specialty of the region.
Banana mixed with shredded coconut meat is usually eaten as a snack. It has won the hearts of all ages for its great taste, fulfillment, comfort, and rich-nutrition. It is a perfect blend of sticky banana, sweet sugar, greasy and buttery coconut meat and crunchy crushed peanuts. You may think it is a sweet dish, but it is a savory one. The banana should be green apple banana which is going to be ripening. It should be full and plump and have smooth skin. The coconut should have brown skin is the best because it has sweet and not too hard meat.
Bananas are soaked in water to remove banana sap. Then the bananas are boiled, cooled down, mixed with shredded coconut meat, sugar, salt and well-kneaded. The food is served on a plate and topped with crushed peanuts which make the dish crunchier, butterier and more smelling. They usually eat Chuoi quet dua with herbs, rice papers and sweet-sour dipping fish sauce made from fish sauce, lime, garlic, chili pepper. To eat, dinner uses a rice paper to wrap the others into a square, then dip in the fish sauce dip.
Chuoi quet dua is not only a food, but also a part of the unique culture in Mekong Delta. To Mekong Delta people who live far away from their hometown, this food reminds them of their beautiful childhood memories.
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