BackEat & Drink » Food Culture » Bánh Khúc Cây Giáng Sinh: A French Tradition Lives on in Vietnam

Bánh Khúc Cây Giáng Sinh: A French Tradition Lives on in Vietnam

With Christmas around the corner, Saigon’s demand for Yule log cakes, a holdover from the days of French colonialism, has returned.

When the French tradition of bûche de Noël – literally, “Yule log” – first arrived in the country during the late 19th century, the thick, spongy, rolled cake became a status symbol among Vietnamese revelers who could afford to spend money at European bakeries, reports Quartz.

Known locally as bánh khúc cây Giáng Sinh, the cake grew into something of a luxury item given the cost of its ingredients, not to mention the oven required to bake it. Speaking with culinary historian Erica J. Peters, Quartz points to a series of old newspaper advertisements from French Indochina which make mention of the French cake. In one 1910 ad, Saigon publication Luc Tinh Tan Van touts “delicacies made in the Parisian manner” from a local bakery. Over the following decade, bánh khúc cây Giáng Sinh's popularity grew: imports of chocolate, a key ingredient in the cake, rose by 189%, from 75 tons to 142 tons in 1923.

Later in the 20th century, as the Vietnamese diaspora grew, the cake became a cherished symbol of Christmas tradition in a foreign land. Shortly after landing in the United States in 1975, cookbook author Andrea Nguyen recalls her family gifting miniature bánh khúc cây Giáng Sinh to their new American neighbors, according to Quartz.

Today, the European cake has morphed beyond the traditional into several contemporary Asian versions, including mango, matcha and coconut flavors, and its popularity lives on. In 2010, Kinh Do Bakery alone made 140,000 bûche de Noël in 50 different flavors, reports Tuoi Tre.

[Photo via Marou]


Related Articles:

Bánh Trung Thu, From Traditional Festive Fare to Asia’s Answer to Fruitcake: A Street Food History

The Saga of the Bánh Mì

Funky History: The Romans Made Fish Sauce, Too


Related Articles

in Food Culture

'Trendy' Elephant Poop Coffee Taking off in Vietnam

Vietnam is known for its cafe chồn, coffee beans that are ingested, pooped out by weasels and sold at prices far higher than the normal variety. Now, a Vietnamese breeder is adopting a similar techniq...

in Food Culture

2 Vietnamese Restaurants in Saigon, Hanoi Named Among Asia's 100 Best

Vietnam’s culinary prowess is no secret, with its traditional dishes helping to draw tourists from all over the globe. 

in Food Culture

20 Vietnamese Foods You Need to Try Now

Uyen Luu, author of My Vietnamese Kitchen and contributor to Jamie Oliver’s FoodTube, shares her favorite Vietnamese dishes and how to cook them.

in Food Culture

5 Of Saigon’s Best Markets

When people think of Saigon, the iconic Bến Thành Market usually comes to mind. But while it’s rich in history, for locals, it’s little more than a tourist attraction. Vietnam Coracle recently took to...

in Food Culture

7 Of Vietnam’s Most Expensive Traditional Dishes

As Vietnam’s cities develop, there are plenty of restaurants that offer up dishes at international (read: expensive) prices. While Vietnamese food is generally considered cheap, there are a few notabl...

in Food Culture

A Chat With The Organizers Of The Outcast’s Farmers Market

Saigon’s only farmers market is gearing up for its second installment at Saigon Outcast this Sunday. We sat down with the organizers (Saigon Outcast and La Holista) to see why they started the market,...

Partner Content