In addition to shallot cake which is a very famous dish, Tan Chau and An Giang also have dumplings, Banh Khot, and sticky rice that are equally attractive.
Tan Chau town (An Giang) is the headwater point of the Tien River when flowing into Vietnam, with an international border gate on the Vinh Xuong river. This place has a typical life of the Southern river region. And the cuisine also has many typical and rustic dishes. The 5 dishes below are suggestions when you have the opportunity to visit Tan Chau.
Banh Khot at Tan Chau market is a Khmer type of Banh khot, made from rice flour diluted with coconut milk and chopped scallions, without adding turmeric powder to have a yellow color like Banh khot commonly found in the South. Also not served with raw vegetables. Rice flour is poured into earthenware molds that have been lightly oiled and fried until golden brown. The cake has no filling when eaten with dipping fish sauce and coconut milk. Some shops at the market add cooked green beans mixed with grated coconut to add more flavor to the cake.
Shallot cake is a Chinese dish, widely sold in areas where Chinese people live. Having the opportunity to visit Tan Chau market, diners can order a portion of shallot cake to make a very tasty side dish. The cake is made from diluted rice flour, mixed with finely chopped shallots, added a little seasoning and then poured into a steamed mold. Sellers often cut the cake into small pieces of diamond shape to eat and then fry until golden brown on both sides, add chicken eggs and fry until just cooked. The crispy shallot cake is soft inside, crispy on the outside, mixed with the fat of our eggs, dipped in soy sauce mixed with vinegar.
Dumplings only have a small shape, different from the usual hot steamed flour dumplings, the cake is made from glutinous rice flour filled with green beans, peanuts, coconut or black sesame. The crust is thin, soft and smooth, ivory white, outside soaked in grated coconut, when eating, you can feel the aroma of sticky rice and the flesh of the soft pastry.
Sticky rice is a popular delicacy in rural markets in the West and Tan Chau market, An Giang. Sticky rice is made from young sticky rice, coconut milk, pandan leaves, sugar, sesame seeds, and golden roasted peanuts. Different from other types of sticky rice, sticky rice contains a unique spice called anise, when eating sticky rice, you can still smell the faint aroma. The soft, fatty sticky rice of coconut milk, adding the green color of pandan leaves, is delicious while eating and sipping with hot tea.
Porridge with pandan leaves, porridge with beans is a frugal dish of Westerners, cooked from whole grain rice, adding pandan leaves to create turquoise color and mild aroma. Porridge has more black beans, red beans cooked soft, adding fleshy flavor to the dish. A delicious bowl of porridge can not be without thick coconut milk mixed with a little sugar, a little salt evenly on the surface of the bowl, you can mix well or scoop each small spoon of porridge and coconut milk to eat gradually. Diners can choose more savory dishes with porridge such as fried shrimp, pickled fish, salted duck eggs, salted peanuts… for a variety of flavors. Follow vnexpress
Photo: Thanh Bui
