Hoàng Lan

“I will never forget tasty banana coconut tapioca pudding, locally known as chè chuối, a simple but very popular specialty dish of Đà Nẵng,” Nguyễn Thúy Hiền from HCM City said.

Hiền was recently invited by her friend to Đà Nẵng, and tried a number of chè chuối such as chè chuối nướng (grilled), chè chuối hấp (steamed), chè chuối bột báng (tapioca), chè chuối khoai lang (sweet potato) and chè đậu xanh (mung bean).

“For the steamed banana pudding, I enjoy its special flavour sweet, buttery richness of cassava and peanut mixed with tapioca and coconut juice, “said Hiền, noting that she also likes the banana mixed with sweet potato: the grilled banana is cooked with fresh coconut water and the potato is rich and fragrant topped with vanilla.

Hiền said, while going for a walk with her friend, she saw many mobile carts selling grilled banana pudding along streets.

Hiền told her friend that she wanted to try the dish, and found it so attractive and tasty: The sweet grilled banana is wrapped in sticky rice and soaked in rich coconut juice mixed with fragrant pandan leaves and topped with fried sesame.

Each grilled banana slice is half hidden, half visible in the coconut juice topped with fried peanut. “My friend told me that it should be slowly eaten to enjoy its taste.”

Hiền was excited to learn how to make chè chuối at home.  She asked a seller Huỳnh Hồng Hải at Ông Ích Khiêm Street about a recipe. 

Ingredients include 10 ripe bananas, 0.4kg sticky rice, fried peanuts, tapioca, salt, sugar and green banana leaves and coconut juice which is the key for grilled chè chuối, Hải said, advising Hiền that she should use 200 ml coconut juice, 100 ml cold water, one table spoon sugar and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Mix these together and put on medium heat until boiling, then add the tapioca in and stir well.

Hải said to make the coating for the banana you should soak the sticky rice in water with a little salt overnight then cook it. When the sticky rice is still hot, spread it on the wrap and put the grilled banana in the middle and cover its two ends very carefully. The next step is to get the food wrap off and roll it in banana leaves before grilling it in the oven at 250oC in 20 minutes. The last step is to get off the banana leaves and continue grilling for another 10 minutes until the sticky rice turns golden brown.

Hải added that it is best enjoyed by cutting it into pieces and pouring coconut over it. “The dish should be eaten in hot to be at its tastiest,” Hải said.

He also gave Hiền recipes to cook chè chuối khoai lang, chè chuối đậu xanh and several others. VNS

In the box

Top six places for tasty grilled banana in Đà Nẵng include:

+ 104/59B Lê Đình Lý Street, Vĩnh Trung Ward, Thanh Khê District. Opening hours from 2 to 9pm. Price ranging from VNĐ 5,000 to VNĐ 30,000.

+ 226 & 261 Phan Châu Trinh Street. Opening hours from 6 to 8pm with price ranging from VNĐ 10,000- 15,000.

+ Alley 190 Ông Ích Khiêm Street. Opening hours from 5 to 10pm with price ranging from VNĐ 10,000- VNĐ 15,000.

+ Hoàng Diệu Street, Bình Thuận Ward, Hải Châu District. Opening hours from 4 to 8pm. Price from VNĐ 5,000 to VNĐ 10,000.

+ 111 Thái Thị Bôi Str, Thanh Khê District. Opening hours from 1 to 6pm, with affordable price from VNĐ 3,000 to VNĐ 10,000.

+ Cồn Market at 290 Hùng Vương, Vĩnh Trung Ward, Hải Châu District.

Apart from these famous grilled banana outlets, other dishes such as chè chuối hấp (steamed), chè chuối bột báng (tapioca), chè chuối khoai lang (sweet potato), chè đậu xanh (mung bean) and others are available in Đà Nẵng City’s corners and pavements to serve locals and foreign foodies.