Introduction
Do you love cuisine? Vietnam cuisine certainly convinces your taste. Banh xeo is the rice pancake folded in half and filled with shrimp, meat and bean sprouts, mung bean… The cakes were served with vegetables and prepared with nuoc mam (fish sauce) mixed with lemon, garlic, and chili.
Let’s discover some alternatives to the crispy pancakes ‘banh xeo’ that just taste amazing with fish sauce and fresh herbs!
Besides, if you want to try Vietnamese specialties, join Vietnam street food tours by Phong Nha Private Car now! There are some good recommendations as follows:
- Hanoi street food tour – 40 USD/person
- Hue Street Food Tour – 25 USD/person
- Hoi An street food tour – 35 USD/person
- Saigon Street food tour – 50 USD/person
Banh Khot
Banh khot is the closest relative to banh xeo and many restaurants in southern Vietnam serve them as a pair.
Unlike banh xeo, which is fried in a large pan, banh khot is cooked in small round molds, with other ingredients like pork, mung beans, shallots, and coconut milk added on top. The rim should be slightly burnt to add flavor to the tasty treat.
Like banh xeo, the cake is eaten by being rolled in fresh leaves and dunked in fish sauce.
The southern dish has at least two versions. The Mekong Delta’s banh khot is softer, thicker, and usually more yellow due to the addition of turmeric powder. Vung Tau’s banh khot is flatter and crunchier and is white, with shrimp and shrimp powder on top.
Banh Can
Banh can is exactly the Mekong Delta’s banh khot without turmeric and coconut milk. The little rice pancake originally came from the Cham people in Ninh Thuan Province but has gradually become a specialty of south-central Vietnam.
The best banh can be found either in Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan, or Phu Yen, and it is also recommended in the Central Highland resort town of Da Lat. Banh can in Ninh Thuan and its neighbors are served with a bowl of sauce made from braised fish, pickles, and onions. Da Lat serves it with fish sauce, fried shallots, and ground meatballs.
Banh Khoai
From the shape, the golden half-folded banh khoai is a tinier, thicker, and crunchier banh xeo. When you search for banh xeo in Vietnamese Wikipedia, there will be a section about banh khoai as well.
The dish is a specialty in central Vietnam, and you can find a great one in Hue City. It is a family restaurant that has been serving for more than 40 years on Dinh Tien Hoang Street near Thuong Tu Gate to the southeast of the Imperial City.
Banh khoai is best served with soybean and peanut sauce. It also has sesame, pork, and juice from fermented shrimp paste.
Banh Tom
Banh tom first appeared in Hanoi in the 1970s and has since become a foody icon of the capital. Anytime people say banh tom, almost everyone will think of West Lake, the popular venue for the deep-fried rice powder cake with shrimp (tom). The authentic West Lake cakes also have pieces of sweet potato to stay crispy.
Banh Trang Nuong
Like banh tom, Da Lat’s version of banh xeo is actually a distant relative of banh xeo. Banh trang nuong is rice paper grilled until crispy with toppings such as egg, cheese, dried beef, mayonnaise, and shallots.
The snack is said to have been invented in Da Lat before gaining nationwide popularity in recent years. It has become a favorite street food in Ho Chi Minh City. The best banh trang nuong comes from this little yet always crowded diner at 180 Bui Thi Xuan Street.