“Bánh Xèo” (Vietnamese Pancake)

“Bánh xèo” – also known as crispy Vietnamese pancake, crepe, or sizzling cake. It is famous street food in Vietnam. The word “xèo” depicts the sizzling sound of rice batter poured into the hot skillet.

The distinctive Vietnamese element in these nourishing pancakes is rice flour, which is a combination of water, turmeric, and coconut milk or coconut cream in order to create the thick yellow batter. Additional ingredients, most commonly bean sprouts, shrimps, scallions, and cubed pork or beef, are sautéed before scattering onto the surface of the flour surface. The pancake is pan-fried at a low temperature and gently folded in half, keeping the ingredients safely tucked inside the pancake. The cuisine has a yellow outer layer and is filled with other ingredients inside. Though some people might prefer to use chopsticks to directly eat “bánh xèo”, the best way to enjoy it is eating with your hands. First, take a piece of “bánh xèo” and roll it on the rice paper or in a big piece of green mustard leaf or salad with adding other fresh vegetables. With each bite, don’t forget to dip the roll into the sour-sweet fish sauce which makes an important part of the cuisine consisting of a perfect blend of spices (including fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, garlic, and chili).

Just take a bite, you will feel its crunchiness, and a little sweetness with the cool taste of vegetables and herbs. The impressive taste of crunchy crust, savory fillings, and sweet and sour dipping sauce will definitely make you fall in love with this cuisine while the herbs help eliminate the greasy taste.