Thanh Tri stuffed pancakes

Being used to eating stuffed pancake in Hanoi, you may find yourself a demanding customer when eating it somewhere else. 

Even by a prejudice judgment, you must admit that “banh cuon" from Hanoi, especially those made in Thanh Tri, are the best. The Hanoians are connoisseurs in eating, so the making of the pancake should be carefully prepared. 
The powder for the pancake must be made from high quality rice to ensure the whiteness and good appearance. The cake itself must be very thin and covered with fat to have the right taste. The stuffing of pancakes also requires the skill and art. 

When ready, the pancakes are laid in layers on emerald-green banana leaves in a bamboo basket. The white color of the cake, the dark-pink color of meat and the brown color of the cat’s-ears create a soft and peaceful look. To serve pancakes, the vendor removes each layer of the cake, then roles them on a plate. The shiny look of the cake makes you feel as if you wanted to put down the chopsticks and to eat the cake with your fingers to feel the tenderness of them. The soft and flavored cakes are dipped into a cup of sauce before they are served. You now can enjoy the harmonious mixture. The taste of the pancakes is improved if some drops of mangdana essence were added to the sauce. 

The vendors of Thanh Tri pancakes carry the baskets on their heads along the streets crying their wares. They are ready to stop on any call at any place. A simple way of selling and serving can not reduce the taste of the pancakes. Thanh Tri pancakes have a very distinctive taste that no other pancake could have. 

In the past, the Thanh Tri pancakes were served with hot fried tofu. Nowadays, some people may prefer to add some fried meat pie or grilled bacon. The softness of the pancake and the crispness of the meat create a rather different taste.
 
In Hanoi, pancakes have become a cheap and tasty breakfast made and sold at stands. There are many kinds of pancake: onion pancake, cool pancake, hot pancake always served with meat.
 
Although there are so many kinds of pancakes, Thanh Tri pancakes remain the most popular ones./.Hanoi Times

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