Ever since
the economic embargo was lifted from Vietnam in 1994, grocery markets
in the States have benefited from the bounty of interesting foodstuffs
made and exported from the Motherland. Vietnamese markets by and large
carry the same inventory but sometimes, if you're a frequent shopper and
food sleuth, you'll discover interesting items. Joan, from Eureka, CA,
travels a lot with her husband, and the two of them explore Asian restaurants
and markets as far north as Portland, Oregon and as far east as Sacramento.
Joan is intrepid when it comes to trying out new foods and she had a question
about what to do with an unusual type of multi-colored tapioca sheets
called banh trang goi xoi. She also asked about another item of
thin sheets of banana called banh chuoi kho. I was stumped at first
but eventually was able to provide her with guidance.
Question:
Hi Andrea
and thanks for your wonderful website!
I have
a question about the above named tapioca sheets [banh trang goi xoi
was in the subject line] that I purchased in Portland, Oregon earlier
in the year. They are light pink, light green and white and were displayed
on a table in a SE Asian market with other rice sheets. They are marked
“Product of Vietnam.” I have tried to fry them and boil them
but have not figured out if they are edible or what I should use them
for.
Do you
know of this product and have recipes for them? I have several Vietnamese
cookbooks but don’t see anything there either.
Thanks
for any suggestions you may have.
My
answer #1:
The Viet
name is a little odd so it's hard to decipher exactly what these sheets
are. There are many new Viet products and the names, in English and
Vietnamese, can be bewildering.
Would it
be possible for you to email me a photo of these tapioca sheets? If
they're smallish (not resembling regular rice paper), off the top of
my head, my thoughts are:
1) If when
you boiled them, they turned clear and got kind of chewy, then they
may be used as an addition to sweet soup snacks called che. For example,
cooked azuki beans, a little simple syrup, crushed ice, some sweetened
coconut milk, and then these sheet things.
2) If when
you fried (deep fried) them, they expanded exponentially and crisped
up, then you should be able to just eat them as is as a snack.
They're
edible but it's a question of what's the best application...A photo
would help lots!
My
answer #2: After I sent that first response,
I had a sudden enlightenment and followed up with this:
Okay, now
I do think I know what you've got. They look like tortillas, right?
In the Viet repertoire, they're typically used to create a taco-like
snack. However, the 'filling' in this case features sticky rice. Viet
sticky rice vendors would use banh trang goi xoi to present their
customers with a handy and tasty way to enjoy sticky rice. The banh
trang functions as a plate/bag that you can walk away with and eat
at the same time. There's no refuse left behind.
Banh trang
goi xoi are made from cassava (manioc/tapioca). Traditionally, the tubers
are peeled, steamed, and then pounded into a fine mixture. The mixture
is mixed with sweetened coconut milk into a dough. The dough is thinly
rolled out, typically onto a piece of banana leaf. The banana leaf is
inverted onto a piece of woven bamboo and then laid out in the sun to
dry and become somewhat flexible.
The resulting
banh trang goi xoi is then toasted until crisp. (You can use
a toaster oven, grill, or regular oven.) Then you place some cooked
sticky rice on top. (Koda Farm's short-grain sticky/glutinous rice is
good; soak, lightly salt, and steam the rice or cook it in a pot with
a 1:1 ratio of rice to water.) Garnish the rice with shredded coconut,
chopped roasted unsalted peanuts, and some sesame salt (toast sesame
seeds and then crush then with a bit of salt in a mortar and pestle;
add a pinch or so of sugar, if you like). Fold the banh trang
over, like as if you're making a taco, and they're you have it -- a
sticky rice snack that you can carry with you.
Joan's
photos arrived:
These are
the sheets. I just tried again frying them....no particular reaction
to the hot oil. Also I put one in the microwave....same thing...nothing
happened. I have cooked dozens of the snack kind, some with white sesame
seeds, some black sesame seeds, some dried shrimp, some with ginger
and a little sugar, etc. [These are banh trang that you have toast into
a crispy cracker; they are not the same as rice papers you soak].Very
tasty...and surprisingly,they will cook up in the microwave. Also tried
shrimp chips (Indonesian and Thai) and they swell up in the microwave
and by frying.
Thanks
for helping me to unravel this mystery!!
Joan
then sent a follow-up and another question:
I just
tried holding one over a gas flame on my stove. They browned a bit but
I don't think that is the answer. I also poured boiling water over them
just now. They just became kind of slippery but didn't dissolve. They
do not have any flavor at all. Not salty not sweet.
Have you
seen these banana sheets? They are sweet and look like a layer of thinly
sliced bananas. Banh Chuoi Kho.
Most of
my purchases at the many markets turn out to be good choices. My husband
researches all the areas' restaurants and markets where we travel so
I get lots of opportunities to try new items.
My
answer #3:
You're
a brave woman! Putting the banh trang over a flame won't do it. Use
the toaster oven, regular oven, or grill. You need moderate, even heat.
They don't have much flavor, probably because they function sort of
like a portable, edible plate.
Yes, I've
seen those banana sheets but have never tried them. They're a layer
of thinly sliced banana that have been pressed onto a layer of rice
flour, right? Can you tear off a piece and eat it? If it's not tasty,
then again, try, warming them or roasting them until they're crispy.
There are so many Viet snacks coming out of Vietnam (a very entrepreneurial
country) that it's hard to keep up with things.
Joan's
final follow-up:
Yes, the
banana sheets are tasty. Easily eaten by tearing off pieces like you
say. I haven't tried warming them as they seem to be good right out
of the package. They do have a bit of a chew, though...a bit like thin
fruit leather, though the layer of wheat or rice flour/dough the bananas
are layered on adds a little crackle to the bite. There are thin sheets
of cellophane between each banana sheet to keep them from sticking together.
We shop
many Asian markets in Sacramento, the Bay Area, Portland and Vancouver,
BC. My husband is Japanese American, raised in Concord, a Chowhound,
a researcher of markets and restaurants and especially loves Vietnamese
food and dim sum. Sometimes we head south from Portland with a cooler
full of Vietnamese sandwiches, dim sum favorites, roast duck, and goodies
from the markets.
Thank you
for including a section about herbs
on your website. Love those platters of herbs offered at the more interesting
restaurants.
I’ve
added your book to my wishlist on Amazon.com. Looking forward to its
availability in October.
Thanks
for taking the time to answer my questions.
