Hai Duong Mung Bean Cake & Hung Yen Lotus Seed Longan

Hai Duong Mung Bean Cake (Banh Dau Xanh) and Hung Yen Lotus Seed Longan represent the twin crowns of traditional confectionery in the fertile Red River alluvial plains. Legend records that in the early 20th century, Emperor Bao Dai on an imperial tour through Hai Duong was offered these delicate mung bean sweets; so captivated was the monarch by their exquisite texture paired with lotus tea that he bestowed an imperial dragon seal upon the packaging, establishing the iconic "Golden Dragon" brand. The confectionery is meticulously prepared from sun-dried, golden-hearted mung beans roasted to fragrant perfection and ground into microscopic, silk-fine flour. This flour is blended with refined sugar, clarified rendered fat or premium vegetable oil, and drops of pomelo flower essence, compressed into elegant golden foil-wrapped cubes that melt instantly upon the tongue like sweet butter without any chewing required. Pairing Hai Duong mung bean cakes with a chilled bowl of Hung Yen longans stewed with fresh lotus seeds creates the ultimate Northern tea ceremony experience. The velvety, dissolving sweetness of the bean cake perfectly complements the crisp, succulent flesh of imperial longans and the gentle bitterness of hot green tea, delivering pure poetic nostalgia.