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Banh Cuon from Vietnam

Banh Cuon

📍 Northern Vietnam ★ 4.4
Last updated Aug 13, 2026 · Reviewed by the WhatWhereVacay editorial team

Silky steamed rice rolls filled with pork and mushroom.

About Banh Cuon

A thin batter is steamed on cloth into delicate sheets, rolled around minced pork and wood-ear mushroom, then strewn with fried shallots and dipped in nuoc cham. Light and slippery, it is a classic Vietnamese breakfast.

🏛️ History & Culture

Banh cuon traces its roots to northern Vietnam, particularly Hanoi, where it has been a beloved morning dish for generations. Its origins are not precisely documented, but the technique of steaming rice batter on a cloth is a hallmark of Vietnamese culinary tradition, likely refined in the Red River Delta region.

Regional variations abound: in the south, the rolls are often thicker and served with a sweeter dipping sauce, while the northern version stays minimalist with its classic pork and mushroom filling. Culturally, banh cuon is more than street food—it symbolizes the delicate, labor-intensive craft of Vietnamese cooking, often prepared fresh at dawn and enjoyed as a comforting start to the day.

🍳 How to make Banh Cuon

AI-assisted, not kitchen-tested

Bánh Cuốn (Steamed Rice Rolls with Pork and Wood-Ear Mushroom)

Steamed rice sheets rolled around a savory filling of minced pork and wood-ear mushroom, garnished with crispy fried shallots and served with nước chấm. A classic northern Vietnamese breakfast.

Prep
45 min
Cook
30 min
Total
75 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Medium

Recipe ingredients

  • 250 g (9 oz) rice flour, regular, not glutinous
  • 50 g (1¾ oz) tapioca starch, or cornstarch
  • 700 ml (3 cups) water, plus about 80 ml / ⅓ cup extra as needed
  • 1 tsp neutral oil, for the batter
  • 0.5 tsp (½ tsp) fine sea salt
  • 200 g (7 oz) ground pork, around 20% fat is ideal
  • 15 g (½ oz) dried wood-ear mushrooms, about 3-4 medium; rehydrated
  • 2 shallots (2 medium shallots) shallots, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 0.5 tsp (½ tsp) fish sauce, for the filling
  • 0.25 tsp (¼ tsp) freshly ground black pepper
  • 60 ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil, for frying shallots; divided use
  • 60 ml (¼ cup) fish sauce, for nước chấm
  • 60 ml (¼ cup) lime juice, freshly squeezed, for nước chấm
  • 50 g (¼ cup) sugar, for nước chấm
  • 120 ml (½ cup) water, for nước chấm
  • 1 clove garlic, finely minced, for nước chấm
  • 1 thai chili (1 small chili) thai red chili, thinly sliced, optional, for nước chấm

Steps

  1. 1 Make the nước chấm: in a small bowl, whisk 60 ml fish sauce, 60 ml lime juice, 50 g sugar and 120 ml water until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the minced garlic and sliced chili. Set aside to let the flavors meld.
  2. 2 Fry the shallots: slice 2 shallots very thinly. Heat 60 ml oil in a small pan over medium heat. Fry the shallots in a single layer until pale golden, 3-4 minutes, then transfer to a paper towel. Reserve the shallot oil.
  3. 3 Cook the filling: put the dried wood-ear mushrooms in a bowl, cover with hot water and soak for 20 minutes until soft; drain and finely chop. Heat 1 tablespoon of the reserved shallot oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the chopped raw shallot and garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the pork and break it up; stir in the chopped wood-ear, ½ tsp fish sauce and black pepper. Cook, stirring, until the pork is just cooked through, about 3 minutes. The filling should still be moist, not dry. Set aside.
  4. 4 Make the batter: whisk 250 g rice flour, 50 g tapioca starch, ½ tsp salt and 700 ml water in a bowl until very smooth, then stir in 1 tsp neutral oil. The consistency should be like thin cream; if too thick, whisk in extra water 1 tbsp at a time. Strain through a fine sieve to remove any lumps. Rest 15 minutes.
  5. 5 Set up the steamer: bring a wide pot of water to a rolling boil with a flat steamer rack or a round cake tin or pie pan inside. Cut a piece of clean, thin cotton cloth (or a 30 cm / 12 in round of muslin) large enough to drape over your steaming pan.
  6. 6 Steam the sheets: moisten the cloth, wring it well, and lay it flat over the steaming pan. Dip a ladle or small measuring cup (about 60 ml / ¼ cup) into the batter, give it a stir, then pour a thin, even layer onto the cloth. Cover and steam 60-75 seconds, until the surface looks set and slightly translucent. Lift the cloth off the pot and tip the sheet onto a clean plate or a banana leaf. Repeat, stirring the batter each time.
  7. 7 Assemble: spoon about 1 tablespoon of the pork filling in a line along one side of each warm rice sheet. Roll it up snugly, then slice each roll into 2-3 short pieces. Keep covered with a damp cloth while you finish the remaining batter.
  8. 8 To serve: arrange the rolls on plates, scatter generously with the crispy fried shallots and a little freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately with the nước chấm for dipping, along with fresh herbs such as cilantro and Thai basil, and sliced cucumber.
  9. 9 Doneness and safety cues: the pork filling is fully cooked when there is no pink color and juices run clear; for ground pork, heat to an internal temperature of 71 °C / 160 °F. The steamed rice sheet is done when it lifts cleanly off the cloth and is flexible, not sticky. Fried shallots should be golden, not dark brown, to avoid a bitter taste.
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