Banh Beo Nam Loc of Hue

Some foods carry Hue in them at a single glance. Bánh bèo, bánh nậm and bánh lọc are three of them, three pretty little cakes. In them two worlds of the old capital meet, the fine workmanship of the royal court and the plain, easy breath of everyday life.

Each cake shows the skilled hands of the people of Hue. Bánh bèo is white and sits snugly in a small clay cup. On top lie golden tôm chấy, a shrimp topping, and mỡ hành, scallion in fat, rich and fragrant. Bánh nậm is as thin as a sheet of paper and comes wrapped in fresh green banana leaf. Once it is steamed, the leaf darkens and the smell drifts through the whole kitchen. Bánh lọc is clear as crystal, its skin wrapped around a pink filling of shrimp and meat. When a diner bites in, the skin is chewy and soft, and it melts on the tongue.

All three belong to the cooking of Hue, where every dish, however small, is made with remarkable care. Many recipes for Hue cakes are said to have begun in the royal kitchens. In time they spread into every lane and alley and became the everyday snacks that anyone could enjoy.

A plate holding several of these tiny cakes looks like a box of small mystery gifts. No two are alike in shape or color, and each is wrapped in a different layer of green leaf. Children ask why one is round, another flat, and a third so clear that the filling shows through. Those questions are how the people of Hue pass on their love of their own food.

The cakes are dipped in a bowl of fish sauce, mixed sweet and sour and full of flavor. And people of Hue who live far from home say that when someone names these three cakes, their eyes redden with tears.