Bánh bò


Bánh bò is a sweet, chewy sponge cake from Vietnam. It is made from rice flour, water, sugar, and yeast, and has a honeycomb-like appearance on the inside due to the presence of numerous small air bubbles. Coconut milk is also usually a part of the batter, imparting a slight flavor and aroma of coconut. The cake is of Southern Chinese origin, although the Chinese version, called bái táng gāo, does not contain coconut milk. Bánh bò are generally eaten as a dessert, although they may also be consumed as an accompaniment to a meal.

Etymology

In the Vietnamese language, bánh means "cake", and can either mean "cow" or "to crawl". According to the entry for "?" in Paulus Huỳnh Tịnh Của's 1895 dictionary Đại Nam quấc âm tự vị, the dessert is named for its resemblance to a cow's udder, implying that the name was shortened from bánh vú bò. However, according to a popular folk etymology, bò refers to how the cake "crawls" up to the rim of the bowl when steamed to completion.
Bánh bò is to be distinguished from the less common bánh bó, a fruit cake found in Quảng Ngãi Province; bò is pronounced with a falling tone, whereas bó has a rising tone.

Varieties

Traditional varieties of bánh bò are available in Vietnam as well as in Asian grocery stores in countries with substantial overseas Vietnamese populations, such as the United States and France:Bánh bò nướng – This variety of bánh bò is cooked by baking in a pan in an oven. It is generally off-white or yellowish-white in color on the inside and golden on the outside by caramelized coconut milk. Individual cakes are often large in size, in which case a serving will consist of a slice rather than the whole cake.Bánh bò hấp is similar in appearance to the baked version. These cakes are often small in size, ball-shaped and cooked from the liquid. Bánh bò hấp may be white in color, green, pink or pale purple. There are three ways to serve this variety. Like bánh bò nướng, it can be used alone. It can be put in the middle of bánh tiêu and served. Also, people enjoy them in a small dish with coconut milk sauce including tapioca starch on top and a little bit muối mè or muối đậu phộng.