Thanh Hà

Visitors to Lào Cai’s famed Bắc Hà Market are being drawn by a truly corny delight — steamed corn cake, locally known as bánh đúc ngô.

The local specialty has impressed both residents and visitors alike with its fragrant, soft and nutty flavour, said Hanoian Bùi Thị Mây, who recently returned to the city after a tour of the province.

“Before visiting a new place, I often search for both its natural landscape and local specialities. Arriving at Bắc Hà Market, I decided to try bánh đúc ngô,” she said.

Steaming bowls of 'bánh đúc ngô' (steamed corn cake) attract not only locals but also visitors to Lào Cai Province’s Bắc Hà Market.. Photo phunuonline.com.vn

“When I arrived in the morning, the market was full of locals and foreign visitors. My friend and I joined the crowd and each asked for a bowl of bánh đúc ngô. The seller cut the cake into strips about two fingers wide, placed them into a large bowl and topped them with roasted peanuts, minced chilli and đậu xị (a sauce similar to soy sauce), Mây told Việt Nam News.

"The dish was served with fresh herbs such as lettuce, coriander and several others. The final step was to pour a mixed sauce of homemade vinegar, sugar, minced garlic, and chilli into the bowl.

“A waiter told us to stir it well before eating. Oh, the combination was great — from the sour and sweet vinegar mixture, fragrant and crispy roasted peanuts, and spicy flavour from đậu xị and minced chilli. We enjoyed it so much."

Mây said she learned the recipe to make the dish and the vinegar at home in Hà Nội.

Crowds of diners enjoying 'bánh đúc ngô' at Bắc Hà Market. Photo luhandtre.com

Main ingredients used to make the dish include non-glutinous corn and clear limewater, while ingredients to ferment the sour-sweet liquid mixture include water (5 litres), 0.3 kilo of sugarcane, and two ripe bananas.

"Boil the sugarcane with water and let it cool, then put it and the ripe bananas into an earthen jar and close it tightly. The fermented vinegar can be used after two to three days," said Nông Thị Khỏn, 68, a local resident.

The non-glutinous corn should be dried and ground into powder using a stone mortar, then processed to remove the corn husk before soaking it in clear limewater for two days. It is then ground again.

The next step is to cook the thick corn batter over a medium fire, stirring regularly until it becomes condensed, then put it into a frame and let it cool before using," said Khỏn, adding that the dish, which has its own special characteristics, is unique to the highland provinces of Lào Cai and Hà Giang (now within Tuyên Quang).

Non-glutinous corns being dried in a kitchen. Photo mia.vn

Bắc Hà Market is held every Sunday from early morning until 2pm in Bắc Hà Town, about 65km from Lào Cai City centre.

The market was established more than 100 years ago as a place for locals to exchange cultural traditions, goods, and specialties such as five-colour sticky rice, steamed corn cake, and others.

The beautiful natural landscape of Bắc Hà Town. Photo mia.vn

“The market is also a good place for locals to meet and talk, particularly for young men and women to fall in love with each other,” said Khỏn. VNS