These
little rice pancakes, originally a common food of the Cham people in Ninh Thuan
Province, have gradually become a regional specialty.
The
cakes, called banh can in Vietnamese, are cooked by pouring a mixture of rice
powder and egg into round clay molds. The rim should be slightly burnt to add
flavor to the tasty treat.
Slices
of pork, shrimp and scallions give the pancakes their tantalizing flavor.
Banh can are baked over hot coals that
vendors have to fire up very early in the morning to be hot enough in time for
breakfast.
Banh can in Ninh Thuan are served with a
bowl of sauce made from braising of fish, pickles and onions. There are various
versions of the sauce, like the one with fish sauce, fried shallots and ground
meat balls found in the Central Highlands resort town of Da Lat.
Banh can are available on many street
corners in Phan Rang, the capital of Ninh Thuan. Some of the best are served on
Doan Thi Diem Street, across from the Ninh Thuan Culture Center. The pancakes
here cost VND1,000 or 2,000 ($0.04-0.08) for two depending on the stuffing.
Photos by
VnExpress/Le Bich