Vietnamese Banh Cuon - Steamed Rice Rolls

Steamed Rice Rolls - “Bánh Cuốn” is made from a thin, wide sheet of steamed fermented rice batter covered with seasoned ground pork, minced wood ear mushroom and minced shallots. Each piece of this dish usually consists of Vietnamese pork sausage, sliced cucumber, and bean sprouts, with the dipping sauce. Occasionally, a drop of “Cà Cuống” - a Vietnamese insect urine, is added to the dipping sauce for extra flavor, meanwhile this ingredient is hard to find and quite expensive.

The rice sheet of “Bánh Cuốn” is very thin and delicate. This is made of steaming a slightly fermented rice batter on a cloth, is stretched over a pot of boiling water. This dish is usually eaten for breakfast in the morning in Vietnam. You can find them in Thanh Tri District in Vietnam, a southern district of Hanoi capital and Kenh village of Nam Dinh , an ancient area in the centre of Nam Dinh. “Bánh cuốn Thanh Trì or Bánh cuốn làng Kênh are not rolls, we just eat rice sheets with Vietnamese pork sausage, fried shallots, or prawns.

“Bánh cuốn” in Vietnamese is different from the same named dish at Chinese. The reasons are that this Vietnamese dish is so extremely thin and delicate and the way to make it is so clever. Vietnamese can make it thin because it is steamed over fabric covered pot which can suddenly cook the rice flour, keeping it moist and workable.

They pour a very thin layer on to the cloth and spread and steams paper thin, and in less than a minute, a flat and use flexible bamboo stick to lift off the delicate rice crepe.

The best way to enjoy this dish is through a Hanoi food tour with local tour guide who will be guilding you around the zigzag Old Quarter of Hanoi and try it in a local store.