Bánh bột lọc

banh bot loc

Bánh bột lọc are small, clear-looking, chewy tapioca dumplings in Vietnamese cuisine that can be eaten as appetizers or small snacks. They are usually filled with shrimp and pork belly, often being topped with fried shallots and served with sweet chili fish sauce. They are said to have originated from Huế, as the city was once the imperial capital of the Nguyễn dynasty and known for having simple, yet sophisticated dishes. The dish's name is believed to have come from its clear, dumpling-like appearance, as the term bánh bột lọc Huế loosely translates to "clear flour cake." In Vietnamese, the word bánh can mean "cake" or "bread," but can also be used as a general term for foods that are made from any type of flour, the most common being rice or tapioca. Bột literally means flour, although it does not specify the type, and lọc means "refine" or "clarify." Bánh bột lọc can either be steamed or boiled and wrapped with or without banana leaf. With the banana leaf wrapping, it is called bánh bột lọc lá, meaning "clear flour cake with leaf." Without the banana leaf wrapping, it is called bánh bột lọc trần, meaning "clear flour cake bare." The filling is traditionally a whole grilled shrimp with the shell on and a slice of pork belly, but variations have had the filling be shrimp without the shell, no pork belly, ground pork, mushrooms, and onions. In addition to tapioca flour, corn starch and rice flour have also been known to be added in the making of the translucent wrapper.

Source: Wikipedia