Hue Specialty: Authentic Royal-Style Banh Beo (Steamed Rice Cakes in Small Bowls)!

Ladies and gentlemen bon bio is one of the traditional dishes of the people of Hue. With a history of hundreds of years, the name bon bio might be derived from its shape resembling a duckweed leaf. There is also another theory that these small cute cakes are very simple. So people named them bio meaning simple and rustic. Hue bon bio has a unique flavor and is very refined in its preparation. Today we invite you to experience how to make hue bon bio with Diem Hai. Along with culinary expert Thong Phuong Quang. This hue bon bio dish has been very well received by everyone. In the hue bon bio competition organized by the department of tourism. All of these dishes I find that people enjoy and find delicious. And they also bring health to everyone. My main field is in the field of spiritual healing. But I also preserve the dishes of. My heritage preserving the traditional dishes. People spread the word about these hue dishes. Dishes that carry the culinary culture of hue to nourish everyone. And that's the reason why I got into this culinary field. The happiest thing for me is when people come to my home. They eat they enjoy they savor they feel delighted. And they recommend it further spreading the word about this hue bon bio dish to nourish everyone. That's truly what I chose to pursue in this culinary path. Hue cuisine is one of the things that brings. Happiness and joy to guests. It can be said to be a tourist attraction. Hello Mr. Quang. Hello Diem Mai. Yes ladies and gentlemen as you can see Mr. Quang has prepared all the ingredients. To make hue bon bio. Let's find out how Mr. Quang chooses the ingredients. Mr. Quang for hue bon bio what ingredients do you choose? Hue bon bio is also very simple. For hue bon bio the most important ingredient is the rice flour. Rice flour to make bon bio. This is glutinous rice flour. When cooked it will be more elastic and make the cake chewy and soft. When steamed the bon bio looks very beautiful and delicious. The second ingredient is indispensable. That is hue bon bio with shrimp. Here we have shrimp. There are many types of shrimp in hue. But among them is the type of shrimp from Tam Giang lagoon. This type of shrimp is called Tom Rao. When you buy Tom Rao early in the morning the shrimp are very fresh and delicious. And Tom Rao are shrimp from the lagoon. When cooked and peeled the shrimp meat turns a beautiful reddish pink color. Next are the spices to make this bon bio dish. The most important among them is fish sauce. The fish sauce must be pure fish sauce. Besides that for the ingredients we see shallots for making fried shallots. Making fried shallots. We choose small shallots to fry they are very fragrant. Secondly in bon bio there is a type of chili which is bird's eye chili. This red chili when eaten with sweet fish sauce will have a very beautiful fresh color. And on top of the fish sauce we have a beautiful red garnish. Additionally there might be salt sugar and utensils. It can be seen that the chef chose ingredients and spices. That are local specialties of the Vong Bien region. That's right. And now we will start with the next step. In this step for bon bio what should we pay attention to? In making bon bio the most important thing is. Firstly the ratio of the batter for bon bio. We must mix it in a ratio so that when we steam and cook the bon bio. It achieves the right softness chewiness and translucency. We steam it steam it gently we cook it by steaming. Not by boiling directly in water. The second thing is the shrimp. When we boil the shrimp we take the shrimp meat. And mince it to a moderate consistency so that the shrimp meat is just cooked. We don't want to overcook the shrimp. The cooked shrimp stir fried. And the next step is making the dipping sauce. The dipping sauce is also one of the elements that makes this dish. It should be well-rounded savory sweet and. Perfectly balanced for those who enjoy it. And what is the first step we will perform? The very first step. The most time-consuming step is making the bon bio. Now everyone let's learn how Mr. Kuang makes bon bio. The process of making Hue style bon bio is quite simple. But requires sophistication and skill in mixing ingredients and seasoning. To achieve the best flavor for the dish. First is the batter preparation. The dry rice flour is mixed with water by Mr. Phuong Kuang. At a ratio of one part flour to three parts clear water stirred well and strained. A small amount of scallions is finely chopped. Then the batter is poured into small bowls and steamed. During the steaming process Mr. Kuang added a few pandan leaves to the bottom of the steaming pot. To infuse the batter with aroma. While waiting for the bon bio to cook Mr. Kuang continues with the shrimp filling. After boiling the shrimp are peeled. The shrimp meat is minced to a moderate consistency not too mushy. When eating with the bon bio the deliciousness of the shrimp will be more pronounced. For bon bio the dipping sauce is the most important condiment that determines the flavor of each bowl. From his years of experience Mr. Kuang has his own secret recipe for mixing the dipping sauce. With the right ratio of fish sauce and other seasonings to create a well-rounded dipping sauce. And a key ingredient that adds aroma to bon bio is fried shallots. When fried with oil the shallots release a very attractive aroma and a rich savory flavor. Ladies and gentlemen Diem Mai had a very enjoyable experience assisting Mr. Tong Vu Kuang in making bon bio. The process is quite simple but each chef will have their own secrets to create the unique flavor of their bon bio. From preparing the batter mincing the shrimp to mixing the dipping sauce. And now Diem Mai will continue to assist Mr. Kuang in plating the bon bio to prepare for tasting. Ladies and gentlemen people in Hue often eat bon bio in the afternoon and eat it while it's still hot. At this point the soft smooth cake is combined with grilled shrimp fish sauce fried shallots and a bit of savory shrimp paste. Just the invitation already sounds very appealing. And now Diem Mai will invite Mr. Kuang to enjoy it. Please Diem Mai eating Hue bon bio the right way is to eat it from the cake mold. Pour a little fish sauce into the dipping bowl and enjoy. To truly appreciate Hue bon bio you must eat it slowly to savor its aroma and deliciousness. Because of the deliciousness of the grilled shrimp the chewiness of the cake batter the fragrant herbs and the rich flavor of the fish sauce. The satisfying crunch of fried shallots and savory shrimp paste. This wonderful flavor has made many diners eat from one cake to another without feeling bored. So Mr. Kuang for Hue bon bio there are two types bon bio shian and bon bio dia. So are the methods of making these two types different? The methods of making them are indeed different. The reason for this difference lies with the diner. The bon bio shian was originally made in the royal court. During afternoon tea the king and queen often enjoy this bon bio shian. Later when it was introduced to the public. It became bon bio kak or bon bio dia. Bon bio dia is made in larger pre-made molds. They are not small and delicate like these but larger and they are arranged on a plate perhaps 50 bon bio of a larger size. So the making method for these two types of cakes is different and the way they are enjoyed is also different. Therefore besides grilled shrimp Hue people also use bon bio with a topping of braised meat. That's right in Hue we know that. It's a land of Buddhist followers. Therefore Buddhist practitioners in pagodas on full moon days like the 30th of the month for. Example they use vegetarian bon bio. For vegetarian bon bio instead of using grilled shrimp as a topping people. Use braised meat to add color making it also appealing. The dipping sauce is not fish sauce but a sweet soy sauce therefore it also creates. A way of serving for vegetarians for fasting days for those who eat vegetarian. Besides being for vegetarians it is also for those. Who like to eat meat dishes it is also a choice isn't it. That's right it's also a way for people to change their. Palate their eating style their way of enjoying this cake making it richer and more diverse. For the diner to enjoy. So master there is also a difference between bon bio shian and bon bio dia which is the dipping. Sauce. Is it delicious or not? It also depends on the dipping sauce and the bon bio. And between bon bio shian and bon bio dia in terms of. In terms of dipping sauce some places use the shrimp boiling water to make the dipping sauce. The dipping sauce made from shrimp boiling water is also acceptable. But the dipping sauce is not as rich. It's not as beautiful as the dipping sauce made from shrimp paste. It's also a way for people to use the flavor from the shrimp boiling water. It was also a way people used to find amusement in that boiled shrimp water. That shrimp boiling water cannot be kept. For long it can only be used within the day. In this fish sauce broth we can use it but maybe it's okay. Today we can also use it. According to special traditions there are many provinces with this thin bon bio. But the ingredients and preparation methods vary by region right kuang? Exactly please do. Because our boiling water is boiling water related to water culture related to rice flour. So wherever there is rice flour people use it to make this bon bio. Clearly the bon bio of each coastal region is different. For example if we go a little further there is bon bio in the kuanghai region. Kuanghai bon bio also uses rice flour just like you bon bio. But the filling uses minced meat. Minced meat is mixed with flour and shrimp. Shrimp is mixed with onions and garlic. To create a dipping sauce. Poured over this bon bio. It's not dry like in hue. And it can be said that the way kuanghai bon bio is eaten is with a lot of sauce. That's the kuanghai region. Going a little further we see the wadong nai coastal region. There is tanmai bon bio. Tanmai bon bio here is also made from rice flour. It's like hue bon bio but the filling is different. The filling here uses shrimp powder. Shrimp is dried and ground. So it's dried shrimp shrimp powder. And especially it doesn't use pork fat or pig skin. Instead they use bread. Bread is made into shrimp paste. In the south in the central south region. Even in ha tin province there is bon bio. Bon bio is poured into molds. Bon bio is poured into large molds. It is also rich and shows that it is a part of Vietnamese culture and cuisine. It is easy to prepare and easy to eat. Kuang what inspires you and makes you passionate about cuisine? And what do you hope to achieve with this work? Regarding this culinary culture these dishes come from family traditions. My grandmother also had a very famous restaurant. My paternal grandmother made delicious dishes in dong ba market. My mother also had a small restaurant and it was successful. If people like it I naturally gravitate towards these dishes. Therefore I hope that bon bio can be a bridge for me to connect with people. Foreigners and locals who try my bon bio find it very easy to eat. And they eat it and feel very fascinated by the rice flour by the regional specialties of bon bio. That is also a driving force for me. I choose bon bio as a bridge a tool to connect with people. And although bon bio seems simple it carries the geographical elements of a region. In the mountains there is wild boar in the plains there is rice flour rice. As for destruction there's the shrimp trap the area of destruction the fish sauce the chicken infected area. Therefore in a simple child we can enjoy and feel all the geography. Therefore it is a very elaborate child that we can feel. A very terrible and meaningful combination right? Yes yes. Thank you. See you in future programs.