Soft outside, crunchy inside
Available on special occasions, such as wedding parties, family reunions and the Lunar New Year, Rang Bua—a long, soft, chewy pie—is a flavorful specialty in Thanh Hoa Province.
To natives of Thanh Hoa Province, the dish is familiar. It is wrapped in dong leaves, which are commonly used here for traditional cakes and pies.
Rang bua pies’ filling is a combination of minced pork and wood ear mushroom seasoned with pepper, salt and fish sauce. The soft, chewy pie is tastier when it is accompanied by a small bowl of fish sauce.
To prepare the dish, a cook is supposed to carefully choose the rice to be used. The rice must be neither too sticky nor too fluffy. Meanwhile, the pork must have both lean and fat parts. Finally, the pie is wrapped in dong leaves to create a distinctive taste.
After being soaked in water for three to four hours, the rice is ground. Water and salt will be mixed with the ground rice.
Then, the pies are steamed in 20 to 30 minutes or until well-done. A perfect Rang Bua pie should be soft outside and crunchy inside.