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Ingredients and Versions of Vietnamese Steamed Rice Rolls
The famous Vietnamese Steamed Rice Rolls (Banh Cuon) are made by stuffing ground pork, minced black fungus, and shallots into a thin, wide and translucent sheet of steamed fermented rice batter. Vietnamese people usually eat Banh Cuon with Vietnamese pork pie, bean sprouts, various Vietnamese herbs, sliced cucumber, deep-fried chopped shallot and dipping fish sauce. A drop of the essence of the expensive and rare lethocerus indicus adds flavor to the fish sauce dip and we call it Nuoc Mam Ca Cuong. There are some old restaurants or food stalls in Ha Noi serve Banh Cuon with Nuoc Mam Ca Cuong these days.
A different version of Vietnamese Steamed Rice Rolls is found in Thanh Tri – a suburban district of Hanoi and Kenh village in Nam Dinh Province. We call them Banh Cuon Thanh Tri and Banh Cuon Lang Kenh. These kinds of Vietnamese Steamed Rice Roll aren’t rolls, but just slightly steamed rice sheets. The rolls are served with sliced pork pie, deep-fried chopped shallot or prawn.
A dish of Banh Cuon with herbs, sliced cucumber, boiled bean sprouts, sliced pork pie, dip and fried shallop – Photo by Scooter Saigon Tour
Deep-fried onion is a must topping of this traditional cake – Photo by Scooter Saigon Tour
Banh Cuon with lots of toppings – Photo by Scooter Saigon Tour
How to make Vietnamese Steamed Rice Rolls?
Vietnamese Steamed Rice Rolls is unique for its extremely thin and delicate crepe. The reason for this thinness is the cooking process. Firstly, the cook pours a thin layer of steam rice batter onto the fabric covered on a pot containing boiling water. She uses a flat bamboo stick to lift off the rice crepe and wait until the crepe is well-done, tender, and sweet-smelling. Then the cook slightly gets the steamed rice sheet out of the cloth, put filling onto the sheet, and roll the sheet with the filling. The cook must be skillful and patient to make Banh Cuon.
The rice batter used to make Banh Cuon – Photo by Scooter Saigon Tour
The special big pot used to steam Banh Cuon – Photo by Scooter Saigon Tour
Banh Cuon is cooked on a thin cloth – Photo by Scooter Saigon Tour
The cook stuffs the steamed rice sheets with ground pork, black wood ear, and minced shallot – Photo by Scooter Saigon Tour
Are you mouth-watering at the dish of Vietnamese Steamed Rice Rolls? If you have a chance to visit Vietnam, do not hesitate to taste this amazing food.
Where to eat Vietnamese Steamed Rice Rolls in Vietnam?
Best places to eat Banh Cuon in Hanoi
- Banh Cuon Ba Hoanh at 66 To Hien Thanh Street, District Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi
- 19 Nguyen Binh Khiem Street, District Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi
- Banh Cuon Ba Trieu at 101 Ba Trieu, District Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi.
- Banh Cuon Thanh Van at 12-14 Hang Ga street, District Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Banh Cuon Hang Bo at 12-14 Hang Bo street, District Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Banh Cuon Gia An at 25 Thai Phien Street, District Hai Bà Trưng, Hanoi
Best places to eat Banh Cuon in Ho Chi Minh city
- Banh Cuon Y Thien at 274 Ba Hat Street, District 10, Ho Chi Minh city
- Banh Cuon Kim Long – 80/86 Tran Quang Dieu Street, District 3, Ho Chi Minh city
- Banh Cuon Ca Cuong at 89 Ly Tu Trong Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh city
- Banh Cuon Tay Ho at 127 Dinh Tien Hoang Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh city
- Banh Cuon Hai Tan at Nguyen Tri Phuong market (68 Nguyen Lam street, District 10, Ho Chi Minh city)
- Banh Cuon Song Moc at Alley 157, Vuon Chuoi Street, District 3
- Banh Cuon at 268 Ba Hat Street, District 10
- Banh Cuon Thien Huong at 179A, 3/2 Street, District 10
- Banh Cuon Nguyen Trai at Alley 150, Nguyen Trai Street, District 1
- Banh Cuon Hai Nam at 11A Cao Thang Street, District 3
- Banh Cuon Hong Hanh at 17A Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, District 1
Banh Cuon Hai Nam restaurant in Saigon – Photo by Scooter Saigon Tour
I would like to recommend you to book a Ho Chi Minh Food Tour. It’s a good choice to drive around the city to sightseeing and enjoy the best street foods, including the delicious Vietnamese Steamed Rice Rolls.
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