bánh chay — Vietnam

Bánh chay is a Vietnamese dessert of soft, round dumplings made from glutinous rice flour, filled with a sweet mung bean paste and served warm in a light, ginger-scented syrup. The word chay refers to vegetarian or plain preparations, and the dish is closely related to bánh trôi, a smaller, unfilled version of the same dumpling served in a similar way. It is reported from Vietnam, where it is associated, according to sources, with the Tết Hàn Thực observance in the third lunar month, a day on which cold or simply prepared dishes are commonly eaten; the exact origins and dating of the custom are not settled and are best described in general terms. The dish is made and eaten across the country rather than being tied to one particular region. The dumplings are formed by wrapping a disc of kneaded glutinous rice dough around a ball of mashed, sweetened mung bean paste, then boiling them until they float, a sign that the dough has cooked through. They are then transferred into a pot of syrup made from water, sugar and sliced ginger, and left to simmer briefly so the dough absorbs some of the ginger flavor before serving. What distinguishes bánh chay from bánh trôi, the other dumpling served on the same occasion, is the mung bean filling and the way it is served warm, ladled into a bowl with its syrup, rather than left plain and eaten cool. Toppings such as toasted sesame seeds and grated coconut are commonly added at the end, though the exact garnish varies from one household to another.