Vietnamese Banh Cuon in Saigon at Bánh Cuốn Hải Nam

pork

🥗Healthier: tofu

💰Cheaper: ground chicken

Tofu offers a plant-based option, while ground chicken is often less expensive.

shrimp

🥗Healthier: chicken

💰Cheaper: canned tuna

Chicken is leaner, and canned tuna is budget-friendly.

rice flour

🥗Healthier: whole wheat flour

💰Cheaper: all-purpose flour

Whole wheat adds fiber, while all-purpose is often more accessible.

soy sauce

🥗Healthier: tamari

💰Cheaper: liquid aminos

Tamari is gluten-free, and liquid aminos is a cost-effective alternative.

Sit down at a restaurant in Saigon to eat Banh Cuon.

Describe Banh Cuon as rice noodle rolls made from fermented rice batter steamed in a thin layer.

Explain that Banh Cuon is filled with a mixture of pork and shrimp, seasoned lightly, and served with blanched bean sprouts and sliced lettuce.

Mention that Banh Cuon is topped with crispy shallots and served with Vietnamese sausage.

Take some sweet fish sauce and pour it into a bowl.

Add chili to the fish sauce according to spice preference.

Pick up a Banh Cuon roll, dip it in the chili sauce, and eat it with lettuce.

Describe the texture and flavors of the Banh Cuon, noting the soft wrapper, flavorful pork mixture, and crunchy shallots.

Taste the Vietnamese sausage and describe its soft texture, comparing it to a hot dog.

Introduce Banh Beo, another dish similar to Banh Cuon, which consists of round rice cakes topped with pork and shrimp.

Try to eat Banh Beo with a spoon, noting its wobbly texture and the same pork mixture as in Banh Cuon.

Identify the presence of wood ear mushrooms in the Banh Beo and taste the coconut flavor, speculating on its source.

Cooking Techniques

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens