Definition

Noun: 1. A type of Vietnamese cake: A traditional Vietnamese glutinous rice cake, typically round or square, that is dark brown in color due to being sweetened with molasses (mật mía or mật đường). It is often filled with mung bean paste or crushed peanuts. 2. A dark, swarthy complexion: A descriptive term for skin that has a very dark brown or tanned hue, likened to the color of the cake. Often used in the phrase "nước da bánh mật."

Usage Examples

• Referring to the cake:
  • Bà ngoại tôi thường làm bánh mật vào dịp Tết. (My grandmother often makes molasses-sweetened glutinous rice cakes for Tet.)
  • Tôi thích ăn bánh mật nhân đậu xanh. (I like to eat glutinous rice cake filled with mung bean paste.)
• Describing complexion:
  • Anh ấy có nước da bánh mật vì làm việc nhiều dưới nắng. (He has a swarthy/dark brown complexion from working a lot under the sun.)
  • Làn da bánh mật khiến cô ấy trông thật khỏe khoắn. (Her molasses-cake-colored skin makes her look very healthy.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "bánh mật" for complexion is a simile, directly comparing the skin's color to the rich, dark brown of the cake. It is generally a neutral or positive description, often associated with health, labor, or natural beauty, unlike some other terms for dark skin which can carry negative connotations.

Variants and Related Words

• Nước da bánh mật (Noun Phrase): This is the full, more common phrase used to describe a "swarthy complexion" or "molasses-colored skin."
• Bánh (Noun): A general term for cakes, pastries, or breads.
• Mật (Noun): Molasses, syrup, or honey (in some contexts).

Synonyms

• For the cake: There is no direct single-word synonym. It can be described as "a Vietnamese molasses cake" or "glutinous rice cake with molasses."
• For the complexion:
  • Nâu đen: Dark brown.
  • Ngăm đen: Dark-skinned, swarthy.
  • Rám nắng: Sun-tanned.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Đen như bánh mật: (As dark as ) – An idiom emphasizing that something or someone is very dark in color.
  • Cậu bé đi biển về, đen như bánh mật. (The boy came back from the beach, as dark as molasses cake.)

noun

1. Molasses-sweetened glutinous rice cake (filled with green bean paste or groundnut)
   • da bánh mật
     swarthy complexion