Bloating-fern-shaped cake (Banh beo, Bánh bèo in Vietnamese) is a traditional cake made from rice flour in Vietnam. There are many versions of this cake around the country. Banh beo in Hue style is thin, topped with ground dried shrimp and dipped in fish sauce dip. In South Vietnam, they serve this kind of cake with mung bean, pork skin, fried cubic bread, pickles, vegetables, herbs, and sweet-sour fish sauce dip. Sweet Banh beo in South Vietnam is served with coconut milk sauce. Bloating-fern-shaped cake in Phan Thiet is thicker and smaller than the others. The cake in Phan Thiet style has a hole in the middle. There are 2 kinds of Banh beo in Phan Thiet: sweet and savory.
The savory Bloating-fern-shaped cake (or White bloating-fern-shaped cake) in Phan Thiet is served with tender steamed peeled mung bean, greasy and crispy deep-fried pork fat, crispy deep-fried bread, and a special sauce. The sauce is made from shrimp, pork, tomato, fish sauce. Not similar to other versions of Banh beo, the sauce and Banh beo in Phan Thiet are not served separately. They pour a lot of the sauce into the plate of Bloating-fern-shaped cake and toppings. When eating, diner put toppings into the hole and eat.
The sweet Bloating-fern-shaped cake (or Green bloating-fern-shaped cake) in Phan Thiet includes pandan leaf juice so that it has a typical smell and green color. It is served with a mixture of crushed toasted peanuts, toasted sesame and salt. This kind of cake is packed in plastic bags for selling.
In Phan Thiet, you can see Bloating-fern-shaped cake everywhere at shoulder street food poles, at local markets or on the streets.
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