Do you have a sweet tooth? Every autumn, bakers across Vietnam turn
out special cakes and pastries. For children, the Mid-Autumn festival is
arguably the most exciting event of the year. As well as being given
toys and lanterns, kids enjoy special fruits, sweets and cakes during
this traditional festival. Sticky cakes and grilled cakes are essential,
but each region has its own recipe. Here,
Vietnam airlines introduces some of the tastiest
Mid-Autumn cakes on offer in Vietnam’s three regions.
The North:
-Green bean-filled sticky cake (bánh dẻo nhân đậu xanh):
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Green bean-filled sticky cake |
The most popular Mid-Autumn cake across all regions, sticky cakes are
circular in form-just like a full moon. Sometimes, sticky cakes are
designed to resemble cats, dogs or fish, which adds to kid’s excitement.
Covered in dough made from sticky rice flour, sticky cakes are stuffed with a mix of ingredients, including salty eggs, meat, lotus seeds and whatever else takes the chef’s liking.
-Vietnamese sausage cake (bánh chả):
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Sausage cake |
Available everywhere, sausage cakes are a simple but appealing gift
for people of all ages. Ingredients include rice dough for the outer
cover and a stuffing of ground chicken and lime leaves. Sausage cakes
are often served at tea parties and at family meals. They often
accompany a plate of autumn fruits, such as sugar apples, and
grapefruits.
The Central Region:
Green tea- filled grilled cake (bánh nướng nhân trà xanh):
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Green tea-filled grilled cake |
All over Vietnam, grilled cakes are essential during the Mid-Autumn
Festival. Filling may include meat, salty egg, green bean paste, red
bean paste, or whatever is on hand. A green tea-filling give these cakes
a special scent and flavor. There is nothing like a green-tea grilled cake washed down with a cup of tea on a crisp autumn morning.
The South:
Pia cake filled with durian and salty egg (bánh pía sầu riêng trứng mặn):
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Pia cake filled with durian and salty egg |
Along with sticky cakes and grilled cakes, pia cakes are popular in
the South, where they are often given as presents. These cakes feature a
soft doughy shell stuffed with a mix of sweet durians and fatty salty
egg. Pia cakes are made in many different regions, yet those from Soc Trang province are said to be the most delicious.
Foreign travelers can take flights with Vietnam Airlines to go around Vietnam and enjoy all the specialties.