The diagram illustrates the steps required to achieve a Vietnamese delicacy known as “banh chung”. This dish is a savoury glutinous rice with a pork filling and requires extensive preparation including up to 12 hours of boiling.
First, preparation for the main ingredients needs to be done ahead of constructing it. Glutinous rice needs to be soaked overnight, mung beans are to be soaked and cooked, and finally the pork needs to be marinated with pepper, salt and shallots. The phrynium leaves, which will wrap the entire dish like a little present, also needs to be cleaned and prepped.
Once the all the preparations are done, the building of the dish itself may commence. First, lay out the leave, then place it in a mold before adding in your rice, beans and pork. Then, fold it all up into a nice square and tie off the package with bamboo strings. They will then be ready to be boiled for 10-12 hours. Once the desired level of doneness is achieved, the banh chung can be taken out of the pot and compressed with a heavy object on top – this could be done with a wooden board, or even any hefty books. Finally, once cooled, the banh chung can be unwrapped and served.