Hi everyone.
Commonly, there are two kinds of Å£anh it? The first one is Å£anh it la gai? which is sticky rice cake with coconut or green bean stuffing wrapped in pinnate leaf. The second one is Å£anh it tom thit - glutinous rice cake with meat and shrimp, its name means ÅÍittle meat shrimp cakes? the stuffing is made of ground pork and shrimp mixed with spring onion and other spices.
"Banh it la gai" is made from five ingredients - sticky rice, "la gai" (a type of thorn leaf popular in the central region), sugar, green beans (or black beans) and a banana leaf. The ÅÍa gai is boiled and then ground in a stone mortar until its green colour turns black. The sticky rice is ground into flour. The sugar is dissolved in water and then boiled down to make syrup. Then the three ingredients are mixed together to make the dough. Meanwhile, the green beans are soaked in water for hours and then whipped before steaming. After that the well-done beans are ground and rolled into balls used as fillings for the dough.
The dumpling can also be made with sweetened ground coconut instead of beans. Either way the banana leaves are usually put quickly on the fire or dipped in hot water to make them soft so that it is easier to wrap the cake with them. The little packages usually are shaped like pyramids with square bottoms. Then people arrange the packets into a pot for steaming.
Visiting Binh Dinh, tourists can discover how Å£anh it often stands right in the centre of locals' lives. In death anniversaries, it is acceptable for there to be no fish or meat, but there must be Å£anh it la gai? In marriage rituals, a tray of Å£anh it la gai is the gift of the brideÃÔ family to that of the groom to show the skillfulness of the bride who has made the Banh it together with other villagers.