About Banh Ep Hue
Whether you are a Hue citizen or a tourist coming to Hue, it will be very easy to find pressed cake shops on every street of the ancient capital. Every afternoon, the bakers will start their work. This is considered as a childhood cake of many Hue people of the 8x generation and later. Especially the school age, students often “pass through” the intestines to eat delicious pressed cakes.
At a glance, many people will probably say that Hue pressed cake is very similar to baked rice paper. But in fact, the taste or the way of processing is very different. A pressed cake is created all by hand. The worker will press the cake with a cast iron mold on a hot coal stove. The reason people call it pressed cake is also because the baking process is different and creative.
In Hue, the place that is considered as the cradle to create pressed cake, that is Thuan An. Also because it is the birthplace of the first batch of cakes, Thuan An pressed cakes is especially popular with many tourists.
Learn how to make traditional Banh Ep Hue
Ingredients to make Banh Ep Hue
It can be said that the pressed cake, once enjoyed, is very easy to make people “addicted”. Because the cake is a passionate blend, full of flavors are greasy, chewy, sour and crispy. Such a delicious cake is only made from familiar and easy-to-find ingredients.
Initially, Hue pressed cake was simply made from filtered flour with pork, eggs, green onions, served with raw vegetables and sweet sauce. However, now many shops have modified many other versions of pressed cakes. To be able to suit the taste as well as the tastes of many guests. You will easily see many kinds of pressed cakes such as pressed cakes with meat, shrimp, sausages, dried beef, eggs, … Basically, the ingredients of pressed cakes are also very simple. Just filter powder, eggs, pork, shrimp, scallions, herbs, cucumber, fish sauce, lemongrass, chili,…
Note the selection of baking ingredients
Although the ingredients are easy to find, to ensure the quality of pressed cakes. Then the worker should pay attention to the selection of materials as follows:
- When choosing pork, it must be clean, so choose meat with both lean and fat so that the filling does not dry out.
- In return, the cake will be softer and easier to eat.
- Choose eggs that must be fresh and of clear origin. Such eggs, the egg color will be natural and beautiful.
- The flour is well stuffed, so add salt to make the dough richer and more fragrant.
- Served with raw vegetables: laksa leaves, lettuce, cucumber, green mango, papaya and sweet and sour pickled carrots,…
Read More: Vietnamese Bread
The process of making delicious Banh Ep Hue
The process of making Hue pressed cakes is very creative and different from other cakes. To make this cake, there will be 2 main steps. Specifically:
Stage 1: Squeeze the cake
- First, mix the meat with some green onions and peppers.
- The filter dough will be molded into many small lumps, then put the prepared meat filling on top.
Stage 2: Pressing the cake
- Oil the cast iron mold, then put it on the hot coals.
- Cook until the fire has heated up the cast iron mold, then put the dough in the middle. Squeeze down tightly and hold for 5-6 seconds. Then, open the mold, add eggs and continue pressing for a few more seconds. Flip it over by hand about 2-3 more times so that the cake is cooked evenly.
- The pressing of the cake will determine whether the cake is delicious or not. Therefore, when pressing the cake, it is necessary to watch the time when the mold is hot, and the pressure should be enough. If you know how to flip the cake at the right time, the cake will be even, the aroma will blow your nose.
Make delicious dipping sauce
Although Hue pressed cake is delicious, it is not enough. Accompanied with pressed cakes, there must be a cup of sweet and sour fish sauce. Roll the cake with raw vegetables and dip it in a cup of fish sauce, it must be said that it is the best.
You can mix fish sauce according to your taste. However, there are 2 popular ways of making dipping sauce that Hue people often make:
- The pressed cake dipping sauce is mixed with sweet and sour fish sauce with chili and garlic.
- Fish sauce dipping cake mixed with fish sauce and chili sauce or fresh chili.
Thus, the process of making Hue pressed cake has been completed. Now is the time for you to enjoy the cake. The greasy taste lies in the meat and eggs and the crispy taste of the filter powder. Then mix with the strong aroma of raw vegetables. Dip into the spicy and sour fish sauce. It is certain that whoever has eaten will not be able to stop eating.
Usually each pressed cake is about the size of an adult’s hand. Therefore, to eat to your heart’s content, you should breed about 9-10 new ones. Each time a customer calls, the owner will stack many plates of cake together for you to eat to your heart’s content. When it comes to billing, just count the plates and multiply by the price.
