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Best Bánh cáy in New York
“Square parcels of sticky rice and gac that resemble crab eggs, named for the small crabs of northern Vietnam's rivers.”
What the real thing tastes like
Bánh cáy is a variety of Vietnamese bánh (translates loosely as "cake" or "bread") made in the Thái Bình Province of northern Vietnam. It is made of sticky rice, sugar, gac or gardenia, sesame, carrots, mandarin orange peel, and lard. The mixture is roasted and ground, then put into a square box. It resembles the eggs of the con cáy, a small crab in northern Vietnam which lives in rivers and rice paddies, from which this bánh derives its name. Bánh cáy is traditionally served with tea.
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In Thái Bình Province, bánh cáy arrives as small, square parcels that capture something unexpected: the speckled appearance of river crab eggs. Sticky rice, gac, sesame, and candied citrus peel are roasted into a coarse, slightly sweet mixture held together with lard—dense enough to slice, fragrant enough to linger. It's meant for tea, a pairing that turns each bite into a deliberate thing.
Order it here when it has
- visually distinctive
- aromatic blend of sesame and citrus
- regional specificity
Walk away when you see
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