Bánh Ít

Fact: In Vietnam, legend has it that during the Hung’s king period, one of the king’s youngest daughters created bánh ít by wrapping the dough of bánh giày around the filling of bánh chưng.

Bánh Ít: Basic Information

Pronunciation

/bahn eet/

Alternative Name(s)

Bánh ích

Dish Type

Glutinous rice dishes, dumplings

Course

Dessert

Mealtime

Anytime

Bánh Ít: Origin and Region

Origin

Vietnam

Continent’s Region

Southeast Asia

Country’s Region

Nationwide Origin

Associated Region

Unspecified

Popular Bánh Ít Variations

Bánh Ít Ngọt

Sweet filling, often wrapped in banana leaves, can contain coconut or sesame seeds

Bánh Ít Mặn

Savory filling, typically served with scallion oil and fish sauce

Bánh Ít Trần

Bánh ít trần is a Vietnamese steamed glutinous rice cake hailing from the central and southern regions, usually filled with savory ingredients.

Bánh Ít Lá Gai

A signature black color

Bánh ít, or bánh ích, is a type of Vietnamese steamed glutinous rice cake with a traditionally sweet mung bean filling. Alternatively, there’s also a savory filling that is often cooked before being encased in raw dough.

Aside from the glutinous rice, bánh ít also requires lá gai (ramie leaves), with various filling options like mung beans, black beans, and coconut meat. The savory version of bánh ít often calls for shrimp stir-fried with meat.

Interestingly, different regions also use various banana leaves, with the North often preferring dry leaves while the Central area utilizes fresh ones.

Ideally, these street-side cakes have an average size with a transparent profile. For serving, savory bánh ít is often enjoyed with scallion oil or nước mắm tỏi ớt.

Make sure to stick around to find out about the many versions of bánh ít along with the way of making bánh ít đậu xanh and the good and bad features of eating this treat.

Later on, explore some of the inquiries that many often have about bánh ít and know more about specialties that are like it.

Bánh Ít Images

Banana leaves are an essential part of making bánh ít.

Bánh ít dừa has a lovely sweet flavor of coconut filling.

Bánh ít trần is one of the favorite variations of many.

Bánh ít is often wrapped in banana leaves for cooking.

What Are the Variants of Bánh Ít?

Bánh ít in Vietnam often comes in a savory or sweet version that utilizes different fillings. To add to that, bánh ít trần is also a favorite version of this steamed glutinous rice cake:

Bánh Ít Lá Gai

A signature black color

Bánh Ít Mặn

Savory filling, typically served with scallion oil and fish sauce

Bánh Ít Ngọt

Sweet filling, often wrapped in banana leaves, can contain coconut or sesame seeds

Bánh Ít Trần

Glutinous rice dumplings filled with shrimp, pork, and mushrooms or mung beans

Remember, aside from these specialties, you can even discover the method of creating bánh ít with mung bean as the main filling.

How to Make Bánh Ít Đậu Xanh?

Bánh ít đậu xanh is simply bánh ít filled with a sweet mung bean filling for a soft texture. To make bánh ít đậu xanh, here are what the locals often do:

Step 1: Preparing the Dough

Mix glutinous rice flour (and sometimes a bit of rice flour) with water to form a pliable dough.

Step 2: Preparing the Filling

Mix beans or coconut with sugar until it forms a paste or thick consistency. As for the savory filling, saute the meat of pork or shrimp with wood ear mushroom and seasonings.

Step 3: Forming the Cake

Use a small amount of filling that is wrapped using the formed dough.

Step 4: Wrapping

Wrapping the dough using banana leaves and tying them using strings.

Step 5: Cooking

Steam the cake until they’re translucent.

When your bánh ít đậu xanh is cooking, spend your free time learning about the pros and cons of eating this glutinous rice cake.

Pros and Cons of Eating Bánh Ít

Here are some features that people need to weigh up before eating bánh ít:

Let’s dive into some frequent concerns to help clarify any lingering curiosities or concerns you may have.

Bánh Ít FAQs

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Bánh xu xê, also known as Bánh Phu Thê, is a traditional Vietnamese dessert made from tapioca flour, mung bean paste, and coconut milk, symbolizing marital fidelity.

Bánh Ú

Bánh ú is a Vietnamese glutinous rice dumpling, savored in sweet or savory varieties and significant in Tết Đoan Ngọ.