Elderly women wearing casual clothes and carrying one or two bamboo baskets along the streets in the afternoons are a common sight in Hue. Besides bánh bột lọc, they also sell bánh bèo tôm chấy (rice cakes with diced shrimps), a light dish that Hue residents often enjoy in the afternoon.
The preparation of bánh bèo tôm chấy is simple. The cooks soak rice powder in water for several minutes until it turns into a fine paste. Then they mix it with melted lard and pour thin layers in small earthen bowls that are approximately seven to eight centimetres in diameter. After that, they steam the cakes in a pot. The finished bánh (cakes) look like fern leaves (bèo), hence their name.
Vendors place tôm chấy (diced shrimps) on the cakes. Since the cakes are thin, people do not use chopsticks but instead take a paddle-shaped piece of bamboo to slice the cakes. They dip the pieces in a special sauce made with sugar, garlic, and chilli.
Each bánh bèo tôm chấy costs only 1,000 VND ($0.06). Five cakes are usually enough for a satisfying snack.