Soc Trang When people mention Sóc Trăng, they don’t just think of bánh pía but also another highly appealing dish: Sóc Trăng bánh cống (fried rice cake with toppings). Each locality may have slight variations in preparation. However, to enjoy the most delicious bánh cống in Sóc Trăng, food lovers must head to the roadside market along Xoài Cà Nã Road (Đại Tâm – Mỹ Xuyên), about 8km from Sóc Trăng town. The method for making bánh cống isn’t complicated; everything depends on the skilled hands of the cook in selecting ingredients, mixing the batter, and pouring it evenly and beautifully into the mold. The mold for bánh cống is a small round cylinder, smaller than the mouth of an iced coffee glass, about 20 cm tall. The cake shell is made from ordinary rice flour; the baker must choose the best rice—fragrant seasonal rice—then soak it for two nights before grinding. After grinding, mix with diluted saltwater and soak the batter in a jar for another one to two nights. Only then will the shell meet the required standards. The filling includes shrimp, minced pork, whole cooked mung beans, and chicken eggs. The secret to the deliciousness here lies in the minced pork mixed with shallots—a local crop abundantly grown along the coast in Vĩnh Châu town (Sóc Trăng). The shallot aroma in the fried cake blends wonderfully with the fresh herbs served alongside. To make one bánh cống, the vendor scoops a bit of batter into the mold, adds a layer of mung beans, minced pork mixed with shallots, then covers it with another layer of batter. On top, a few boiled shrimp are placed. Bánh cống is eaten similarly to bánh xèo: wrapped with fresh herbs and dipped in sour fish sauce. The herb plate includes lettuce, water mimosa (rau răm), mint, fish mint, and a few raw cabbage leaves. The cabbage leaves, once separated from the head, should be soaked in salted iced water to keep them extra crisp. The dipping sauce for Sóc Trăng bánh cống is also quite distinctive: it must use authentic Phú Quốc anchovy fish sauce, pounded spicy ginger, and refreshingly sour lime. Though simple, Sóc Trăng bánh cống is hard to replicate elsewhere, as it’s a unique traditional dish exclusive to the land of Sóc Trăng.

Compiled by Băng Tâm