Banh troi tau (warm Chinese floating cake) features a sugar sauce and a hint of ginger. It is a well known dish for local people through many generations. Visitors can tour around Hang Giay, Quan Thanh and Bach Mai Streets to enjoy specific delicious delicacies. Bowls of pork chop (Chao suon) are popular among young people throughout Hanoi. The dish can be enjoyed with quay (bread sticks) and ruoc (salted shredded meat). The dish is famous in Dong Xuan market, Hang Bo and Doi Can Streets. Banh Gio (rice dough dumpling with minced pork and mushrooms inside) is an attractive dish to have during the winter months. The cake can be eaten with cucumber and Cha Com (Vietnamese rice sausage), making them even more delicious. Nem Chua Ran (fried pork) is a favourite dish among food lovers. Chan Ga Nuong (grilled chicken feet) is a speciality of the winter months in Hanoi. Visitors should not miss out on tasting Banh Goi (rice doughnuts), dipped in sweet-and-sour sauces during the cold … [Read more...] about Unmissable street food in Hanoi this winter
Salt dough handprints
Many moons ago, mooncakes were a dark secret – VnExpress International
Back to English Comments Culture & Arts - September 23, 2018 | 11:16 am GMT+7 One experienced mooncake-maker in Hanoi has seen the art and craft wax and wane, and do it again.Dung’s hands move with practiced ease.He has been doing this for 50 years and the dough is like putty in his hands. After some kneading he cuts the dough into smaller pieces and uses the mold to shape them. A thin layer of white flour flies into the air every time he taps one piece of dough out of the wooden mold.Flour is everywhere. On the table. On his apron. On his sweaty, chef’s hat. And from the cloud of dough dust, a moon emerges. A white, sticky rice mooncake is ready to be baked and keep its tryst with the fullest, biggest moon of the year – the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, celebrated as the “Mid-Autumn Festival.”About 20 people are busy in the “workshop,” mixing fillings, shaping dough and baking new batches of cakes. They are focused and … [Read more...] about Many moons ago, mooncakes were a dark secret – VnExpress International
French baguettes and techniques for making the bread from natural yeast leaven
(VOVworld) - Bread baguettes are very common in France as well as in Vietnam. The secret behind a scrumptious baguette with a perfect crispy crust and soft interior is a natural yeast leaven, the traditional French technique for making baguettes which has been handed down from generation to generation in France. Today we’ll introduce to you this special type of French bread and techniques for making it. The baguette is a French specialty. The bread was initially served only for royal meals and was considered a very sophisticated dish. Baguettes were one of the main demand of the French Revolution, which stated that everyone has bread to eat. Ms. Nguyen Thanh Van, Executive Sous Chef at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, who has 22 years of experience in the hotel’s French kitchen, talked to us about baguettes: "The word baguette, in French, means ‘chopstick’, which originates from the bread’s oblong shape. The size of the baguettes can vary according to … [Read more...] about French baguettes and techniques for making the bread from natural yeast leaven
Hot Cross Buns
For the upcoming Easter Sunday, chef Eric Fettke would like to share a typical, yet special Easter treat - Hot Cross Buns, which are available at the hotel's Cafe du Lac in the two weeks leading up to the occasion. Ingredients: makes 2 dozen Hot Cross Bun Mixture 300g unsalted butter, melted 1/2 cup white sugar 2 packages Active dry yeast 1 cup milk 1tbsp salt zest of 1 lemon zest of 1 orange 6 cups plain flour 2 tsp cinnamon 2 tsp allspice 1 cup currants 1 cup sultanas 4 large eggs, lightly beaten For the topping 30ml vegetable oil 1 cup flour Pinch of salt Water In a bowl, whisk together the oil and 1/2 the flour plus 1tbsp of water. Add the remaining flour and salt, and whisk until well combined with no lumps. Let the mixture rest for 30 minutes before using. Directions Generously butter a large bowl. Heat the milk until just below simmering point. Pour the milk into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. With the machine on a low … [Read more...] about Hot Cross Buns
King Cake
Sofitel Saigon Plaza will mark the French tradition of La Galette des Rois, or King Cake, this New Year. La Galette des Rois, which has been celebrated in the first month of the year since 1870, requires each member of a family attending a party to take a piece from a cake inside which is hidden a bric-a-brac. Whoever gets it is "crowned" king or queen for the day and has to host the next year's party. In Sofitel's version - at the Special King Cake Buffet Brunch on Sunday, January 9 at Cafe Rivoli - the guest getting the hidden object will get a gift. The traditional frangipani-filled tart used for La Galette des Rois will be made this year by the hotel's award-winning pastry team, and will be available at the Gourmand Shop at Sofitel Saigon Plaza from January 2-23. Chef Tran Ngo Lam Khanh, winner of the 2009 Viet Nam Pastry Cup and the "a la carte dessert" category at the 2010 Viet Nam Pastry Competition, tells us how to make this almond-filled cake. Ingredients: serves 8 Puff … [Read more...] about King Cake