Mango Cake (Banh Xoai) is one of the foods that can’t be found anywhere else in Vietnam, except Hoi An. Unlike its name, no mango is used to make it or it doesn’t taste like a mango. However, it’s still yummy and loved by many visitors, especially vegetarians and vegans. In this article, HoiAn Day Trip Company will tell you everything that you need to know about Hoi An mango cake.
You may also like: Street Food in Hoi An, Vietnam
• Content by Tam Le, founder of HOIAN DAY TRIP CO.,LTD
• Designed by Giang Cong Minh, co-founder of LS E&C LTD and his team
• Photo by Dang Cong Loi, Dao Xuan Son, Tam Le & others
Must Knows about Hoi An Mango Cake
– Other name(s):
– Origin: Hoi An city, Vietnam
– Ingredients: glutinous rice, peanut, black sesame, sugar, salt
– Where to find: street vendors around Hoi An Ancient Town, Hoi An Central Market
– Pronunciation:
– Served for: anytime during the day
– Price: 10,000-15,000 VND/cake
– Callories:
– Gluten free:
– Vegetarian: yes
– Fact: no mango in this cake!
– Travel blog: https://hoiandaytrip.com/hoi-an-mango-cake
Ingredients & How to Make Hoi An Mango Cake
Hoi An mango cake is made of glutinous rice flour (bot nep), peanut, sesame, and cane sugar. All of them are bought at the local market. In the city, there are two ways or recipes to make this specialty food.
Recipe 1: First, people carefully wash glutinous rice 2-3 times, and then place them on a tray in the sun. To make them fully and equally dry, it’s needed to stir them frequently. On rainy days, locals will use a fan instead. On the next step, the rice will be roasted in a hot pan over a wood fire and the maker has to stir many times to ensure it has the same quality, until the rice becomes yellow. After that, grind the roasting glutinous rice by machine and use boiled fresh water with a bit of sugar and salt, to mix with the flavour and make a dough. To have good cakes later, people must knead the dough many times and let it free for around 1 hour (men are responsible for this work). During that time, the filling is prepared. Peanuts and sesame are also roasted, then are grinded well and mixed with cane sugar. Once shape the cake like a mango, locals use a metal tray covered by rice powder on the surface (to be not sticky). Will do the same to cover the mango cake to easily sell and eat.
Recipe 2: Glutinous rice will be washed carefully by tap water and then dry in the sun. After that, use the machine to grind these sun-dried rice into flour, and then mix it with boiling water to have a dough. On the next step, people steam the glutinous rice dough (until eatable) and then use the machine to grind it again. While it is cooling down, the filling is prepared. Peanuts and sesame are also roasted, then are grinded well and mixed with cane sugar. Once shape the cake like a mango, locals use a metal tray covered by rice powder on the surface (to be not sticky). Will do the same to cover the mango cake to easily sell and eat.
Why Do People Call Hoi An Mango Cake?
Local people in Hoi An call the cake ‘mango cake’ because its shape looks like a mango. Many visitors do not know this information and expect to have a mango taste. However, although with no mango, Hoi An mango cake is still worth trying. It’s unseen anywhere else in the world, except Hoi An.
How to Eat Hoi An Mango Cake like a Local
Local people will eat mango cake (banh xoai) by hand, and without sauces or anything else. Meaning that visitors just need to eat this cake raw.
Where to Eat Banh Xoai (Mango Cake) in Hoi An?
Mango cake (banh xoai) is a street food in Hoi An. It’s sold by vendors around Hoi An Ancient Town, the touristy area of the city. The easiest place to go and find it is Hoi An Central Market, Quan Cong Temple, Fujian Assembly Hall or Hoi An Night Market.
Visitors can not find mango cake (banh xoai) at restaurants in Hoi An.
Food Tours in Hoi An Vietnam
– Hoi An Old Town Food Tour with Lantern Boat Ride (5:00-8:00 PM)
– Hoi An Private Food Tour with Local Expert (3:00-6:00 PM, 4:00-7:00 PM, 5:00-8:00 PM, 6:00-9:00 PM)
– Hoi An Night Food Tour – Best Walking Food Tour in Hoi An (5:00-8:00 PM)
– Hoi An Night Markets Food Tour with Lantern Boat Ride (6:00-9:00 PM)
– Hoi An Morning Food Tour with Local Coffee (7:00-10:00 AM)
– Hoi An Afternoon Food Tour (3:00-6:00 PM)
– Hoi An Street Food Tour (4:00-7:00 PM)
– Hoi An Vegetarian Food Tour – Hoi An Vegan Food Tour (4:00-7:00 PM)
– Hoi An Food Tour by Bike
– Hoi An Motorbike Food Tour
– Tan An Market Food Tour (4:00-7:00 PM)
HOIAN DAY TRIP CO.,LTD organizes guided tours and transfers everyday in Da Nang and Hoi An. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours & make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Better to Know about Eating Local in Hoi An
– Local family-run restaurants always serve better local foods than tourist restaurants. Places inside small alleyways potentially are hidden gems. The price is even more affordable at these lesser known spots.
– Restaurants where you can see a queue or crowds, food or drinks there are absolutely better or safer than others. Vietnamese people also avoid places without people eating, such as roadside eateries.
– Hot foods are often safe to eat for non-Vietnamese people. Refuse cold food (especially ones sold on the street, markets) or things you don’t see people cooking.
– Make sure that you learn some basic Vietnamese words or sentences to order foods, such as xin chao (hello, hi), cho toi mot (something) (I want one…), toi an chay (I am vegetarian), khong cay (no spicy), cam on (thank you), tam biet (goodbye) or numbers (mot/one, hai/two, ba/three, bon/four, nam/five, sau/six, bay/seven, tam/eight, chin/nine, and muoi/ten).
– Ask any local people you know (tour guide, driver, hotel receptionists, bellmen, etc) to receive their recommendation for good places to eat local.
– Raw vegetables are popularly used in local dishes, such as noodles or noodle soup or sandwich. They are often washed by tap water or unwashed. If can not drink tap water, remove or refuse them. Likewise, in most iced drinks (such as coffee or herbal tea), people add ice made by tap water also.
– On the 1st day and 14th-15th days of each lunar month, Hoi An citizens eat vegetarians. Many local restaurants and street businesses will be closed by that.
– If you don’t eat pork or beef, due to diet or religious restrictions, be careful when want to try local food here, if don’t see the ingredient description. Pork and beef are very popular meats, so they will be in numerous dishes. Street vendors may say ‘no pork’ or ‘no beef’ for better business, but please check before buying!
– Consider joining a food tour guided by locals who know much better about dishes in the city, including things never mentioned in guidebooks or on the internet.
– If have an allergy (milk, egg, peanut, wheat,…), ask anybody you know before trying or search for ingredients on the internet. By the way, fish sauce is popularly used to marinate Vietnamese foods, so make sure that you know this information if you’re fish allergic.
– Food portion (or size) here is often not really big (locals prefer eating with their family at home). You may try double or some different dishes for main meals.
– If don’t see the price on the menu, please ask in advance to avoid overcharging, especially when you are not a local. In Vietnamese, how much is bao nhieu.
– Most popular cutleries are chopsticks and spoons. To know how to use it, browse here
Local Food & Street Food in Hoi An
– Hoi An specialty food & street food: Cao Lau Noodles, Mi Quang Noodles, Banh Mi (Hoi An Style), Pho (Hoi An Style), White Rose Dumplings, Fried Wonton, Banh Dap (Smashing Rice Paper), Cam Nam Stir-fried Baby Clams, Cam Nam Sweet Corn Soup
– Other food & street food: Banh Beo (Steamed Rice Cake), Banh Xeo (Crispy Rice Pancake), Banh Bot Loc (Tapioca Dumpling), Banh Nam,
