Pho, Banh Mi, Bun Cha, … have always been familiar names for international diners when it comes to Vietnamese cuisine. These names, to fans of sweets, however, don’t seem to be of much interest because they aren’t … sweet at all. So today, Noble Network will introduce 10 sweet Vietnamese specialties especially to international fans of sweets!

Banh Kho Me – local sweet specialty of Danang, Vietnam

Da Nang is really famous for tropical dishes such as seafood, Quang noodles, or savory cakes that can be easily enjoyed after hours of soaking in the sea or climbing around the temples and monuments. But Da Nang cuisine is still much more diverse than that, which can be proven by the fact that the sweet dishes here are also notorious. One of the most popular sweet dishes in Da Nang is Banh Kho Me.

Banh Kho Me is made from rice flour, glutinous rice powder, sugar, ginger, and sesame seeds. Rice flour is mixed with glutinous rice powder and then placed in a mold, steamed, dried, then bathed in sesame. The cake comes out crispy with caramelized sugar and roasted sesame seeds. When you break the cake in half, you can see caramelized sugar pull into a fine golden thread.

The cake is usually square or rectangular in shape, so compact that it can fit in the palm of the hand. Therefore, it can be packed easily, becoming a popular gift choice for foreign tourists coming to Da Nang.

Keo Cu Do – local sweet specialty of Ha Tinh, Vietnam

Unlike big tourism cities like Da Nang or Hanoi, Ha Tinh is often not a familiar name to international tourists. Yet if you want to change the atmosphere, then surely Ha Tinh will be a top choice, not only because of the charming mountain scenery and the rich historical culture of this land but also because of its unique cuisine. One of the dishes that make up the name of this land must be Keo Cu Do or Cu Do candy.

The appeal of this candy comes from the crispy crust layers combined with the greasy flavor of peanuts and molasses. Especially, it will taste better if enjoyed with a cup of hot green tea. The candy’s sweetness blended with the light yet bitter taste of green tea brings about extraordinary pleasure that will stay in your mind for long.

Banh com – local sweet specialty of Hanoi, Vietnam

Having the opportunity to come to Hanoi on autumn days, visitors can easily catch sight of old lady peddlers carrying bamboo baskets full of green nuggets wrapped in lotus leaves. Nuggets are young rice seeds encapsulating the essence of the whole earth. Their refreshing flavor, combined with the sweetness of green bean filling mixed with coconut shavings, creates a unique flavor of the square palm-sized Banh Com, or Nugget Pie in English. Unlike dry cakes, Banh com can only be enjoyed in 2-3 days after purchase.

Me Xung – local sweet specialty of Hue, Vietnam

Located in central Vietnam on the banks of the Perfume River, just a few miles inland from the East Sea is Hue City, the past capital of the Nguyen Dynasty. The city is surrounded by a sacred, serene vibe that cannot be found anywhere else in Vietnam. Hue cuisine, therefore, bears great distinctions from other areas’. The dishes here are famous for the motto: “Quality is better than quantity”, as illustrated through great finesse in the art of decorating and savoring. All of these traits are represented in a specialty of Hue, Keo Me Xung.

The name “Me Xung” has a really humble origin. It is derived from the main ingredient (“Me”, or sesame in English) and the way candies are made (“Xung”, or caramelize in English).

Keo Me Xung is made from the signature ingredients of the Central area: malt, sugar, peanuts, sesame … Hue people have cleverly combined the ingredients to give birth to a simple yet delicious candy. When this candy is eaten, the fatty taste of peanuts and roasted sesame blends with the sweetness of sugar, creating an unforgettable flavor.

Keo Dua – local sweet specialty of Ben Tre, Vietnam

As a province of the Mekong Delta, Ben Tre has many cuisine features of a river countryside. Dishes here are mostly made from special fruit ingredients of the local area, and coconut is one of those fruits. For those who love the cool, sweet taste of this fruit, a dish not to be missed when coming to Ben Tre is definitely Keo Dua or Coconut Candy.

Keo Dua is a specialty of Ben Tre with a variety of types and flavors. The main ingredients in making this candy are coconut copra and malt sugar. Visitors to Ben Tre will have the opportunity to enjoy freshly baked hot coconut candies right on the site of processing factories after witnessing the process of producing this traditional candy.

(to be continued…)