With its richness and diversity, yet affordable price, Vietnamese cuisine is one of the most loved factors when coming to the S-shaped land. In addition to the local cuisine, which is already famous, the Vietnamese people have also created many delicious dishes from familiar ingredients. From the name, form to the taste of the food, it all makes foreign visitors amazed.
The following experience of American guy Max McFarlin is an example. After enjoying this dish, Max had to exclaim: “Even though I have been in Vietnam for 3-4 years, I feel a little sad because I have just known this dish. I have never heard of its name. I didn’t think it would be good, but in fact it was incredibly delicious”.
The dish that Max mentioned is actually made from a familiar food of the Vietnamese – bread. And the dish is specifically called steamed bread.
The steamed bread dish made the foreign tourist Max amazed when it came to the table (Photo: Max McFarlin)
A strange dish that many Vietnamese people have never heard the name of
Steamed bread is not actually a specialty of any locality or region in Vietnam. It was created to bring a unique and novel experience to diners. Some famous shops in Ho Chi Minh City are known for their traditional steamed bread dishes, and the shop that Max visited and enjoyed is one of them.
As its name suggests, the main ingredient of the dish is bread. The bread is steamed in a pot or bamboo steamer to keep the steam moist for a long time and evenly. According to the story of a steamed bread shop owner, this dish also originated from the fact that poor people were given bread. But if they eat bread directly, it will be dry and not delicious. Therefore, people have improved it by cutting the bread into pieces, steaming it, and adding minced meat, cassava noodles, spring onions and fried shallots on top. From that, the dish also has a rich and attractive taste compared to ordinary bread.
Steamed bread from the pot to the table of diners (Photo: VOV)
When eating, diners will use a plate/fork to eat each piece of bread with the ingredients on top. Or they can also put the ingredients in vegetables, lettuce, roll it up and dip it with fish sauce and chili. This is also the way Max applied in his video. “This dish looks so delicious. I’m going to try to eat one big piece, put 2 pieces of bread in one roll”, said the American guy excitedly.
After biting into a piece of steamed bread, Max kept nodding and praising the taste of this dish. “It’s so delicious, the bread is steamed with fresh coconut water and pandan leaves. Its taste is slightly chewy, very fragrant, soft and fluffy. The strong aroma comes from coconut and pandan leaves. It’s so easy to eat, just like the saleswoman said”. Finally, Max exclaimed that this is the most delicious dish he has eaten in Vietnam recently.
American guy Max enjoys, tries a big roll of steamed bread (Photo: Max McFarlin)
The foreign tourist praises the taste after enjoying the dish (Photo: Max McFarlin)
Can you make steamed bread at home?
Currently, steamed bread is mainly sold in Ho Chi Minh City. However, if you want to try the taste of this dish, readers can completely make it at home with simple ingredients.
As shared by Max McFarlin based on what he exchanged with the seller, which creates the soft, fragrant characteristic of steamed bread is mainly coconut water and pandan leaves, which are used to steam together with bread. The ideal steaming time is only about 5 minutes.
While waiting for the steamed bread, users can prepare the filling on top, including minced meat, fried shallots, pig skin, mushrooms, minced cassava… After the ingredients are heated on the stove, it is also the time when steamed bread is completed. Put them on the bread, users can also add a little chili garlic fish sauce to make the taste of the dish more rich.
Steamed bread is a dish that can be completely made at home (Illustration photo)
Steamed bread is suitable as a new and delicious breakfast, which is both interesting and suitable for all members of the family.
