“It’s crispy, smoky, and fragrant and best enjoyed with a lightly sweetened creamy coconut sauce and roasted peanuts”, CNN said. Photo: thamhiemmekong.

At 3 p.m., Hang and her husband are busy preparing their food stall at the intersection of Hang Duong and Hang Chieu street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. The stall is on the sidewalk so it takes up very little space. There’s only a charcoal grill about 1 meter long beside a 20-liter aluminum pot full of coconut milk, a box of crushed peanuts, some fresh coconuts, and plastic bags full of skewers.

Ms. Hang's stall, which opened more than five years ago, was the first chuoi nuong (grilled banana) stall in Hanoi. A lot of customers have come here to buy a snack for just 20,000 dong (about 80 cents).

The 30-year-old hawker, said, “One day, I happened to go on a trip to the south. When I tried grilled bananas, I decided I really liked the taste. This dish is very popular in the southern provinces, so I asked a relative who lives there to teach me how to make it and then I opened a food stall in Hanoi. Every day I sell approximately a hundred bananas. As soon as I open the stall, customers start coming to buy. By 9 or 10 p.m., I'm out of stock.”

Grilled banana may be new to many Hanoians, but for southerners, it’s a very familiar dish. The ingredients are very simple: banana, white sticky rice, coconut milk, banana leaves, crushed peanuts, shredded coconut, and a few spices. You need to peel the banana skin, wash and dry the banana leaf, and roast and crush some peanuts.

Cooked glutinous rice is wrapped around the banana using the banana leaf. If the rice is too thick, people will find the snack too filling. If it’s too thin, they will find it too little to eat. When grilling the banana, you need to turn it evenly until it turns golden brown.

Ms. Hang says the preparation of the ingredients matters.

“I have to prepare my ingredients carefully. For example, the sticky rice must be delicious, and the bananas must be just ripe. When the bananas have just begun to ripen, peel them, wash them in dilute salt water, and then marinate them with sugar and salt for 30 minutes. The uncooked sticky rice is washed, then soaked in water overnight (for about 6 or 7 hours) to soften the rice grains. While the rice is cooking, add coconut milk and sugar and stir it with chopsticks. Continue to cook until the rice is soft and let it cool.”

“The most important part is the coconut milk. It must be from fresh coconuts. All the ingredients must be consistently fresh to create a scrumptious flavor. You should choose a slightly mature coconut. When I pick it up, I shake it to hear the sound of water inside and make sure it feels heavy in my hand. When heating the coconut milk, add a little salt and tapioca flour to create a smooth, thick consistency.”

Grilled banana is most delicious if eaten right after removing the hot banana leaves. A banana is usually cut into bite-sized pieces and sprinkled with thickened coconut milk and crushed roasted peanuts. Who can resist the aroma of grilled bananas mixed with coconut milk?

“I just ate this dish for the second time, the first time in Hanoi. I find it delicious.”

"It looks greasy but it's not. The cake is fragrant and fluffy. It should be served while still hot. If it’s left to cool, the sticky skin turns hard.”

“We’ve never eaten this dessert in our country – Denmark. It’s really delicious!”

These days grilled bananas can be found at street stalls and roadside eateries throughout Vietnam. If you’re in Vietnam, give it a try.