Street snacks - Cake with leaves wrap - Part Two

The image of Viet street foods is accompanied by some unique sound from the hawkers. Especially those traditional snacks wrapped in leaves, I suddenly remember the hawker's voice "bánh giò đây, bánh giò nóng đây!" (literally means "I'm selling  pork steamed cake, hot pork steamed cake")  in my neighbourhood every night, late at night.
Many thoughts about hawker's destiny, feelings behind that sound, each sound seems to carry untouchable life stories.

Unattended street food tradition ...

I'm talking about "bánh giò" as an unique street food! "Bánh giò' originally from the North, a pyramid shape cake wrapped in banana leaves and filled with fried minced pork, wood ear mushroom, shallot...and the dough itself made of rice and tapioca flour.
We steam it in big steamer! It's good to eat hot, that's why the hawkers always keep it warm in their special container on their bike! I love the taste of steamed dough: soft, chewy, tasty, a bit oily...and the hot flavor  from the filling and banana leaves - all mixed together! Indescribable!

"Bánh giò" steamed rice cake with minced pork, wood ear mushroom...

I found a short video recording different night hawker's voices. As said, the voice is likely a part of our noisy, stressful city life, but without that we can't image the full picture of our street food! The name of video" Destiny behind night hawker's voice" posted by don299.Thanks!

(hawker's voice for bánh giò starts at 0:32') 

Unwrap banana leaves, you find a yummy cake ! Simply irresistible! In some places, people have

this cake with fish sauce or chili sauce!

      Bánh giò served with fish sauce! I tried it in Phan Thiết!   

Another street snack with banana leaves wrap is "bánh ít"(literally cake less or cake little?!)  made from glutinous rice, filled with    sweetened mung bean or stir-fried grated coconut, peanut and sugar (southern style) or with savory green bean mixed with minced pork (northern style) ! Especially in the South, this cake is very popular in countryside, when family celebrates special occasions : death's anniversary (đám giỗ), wedding, Lunar New Year. The preparation could take 2 days as we need to soak glutinous rice overnight in water!

          Bánh ít filled with savory mung bean mixed with minced pork in northern style!  

        Bánh ít with pandan leaves flavor filled with sweet green mung bean in southern style! 

And last one - bánh lá dừa - cake wrapped in young water coconut leaf.
Made from glutinous rice mixed with coconut cream sauce and nicely grated coconut meat, filled with savory mung bean  or reddish juice banana!

Speciality from Bến Tre - a well-known homeland of coconut trees and esp. the coconut candy! (See photos below). We've been to the coconut candy factory in Mekong Delta week ago, so I hope will come back to this special candy in another post! Meanwhile please do check part III of this topic!

              Coconut candy right after cooking process!  

              Coconut candy is getting their form!