Xôi
Also known as xôi, sticky rice, glutinous rice
Xôi is Vietnamese glutinous sticky rice, served sweet or savoury with mung bean, chicken, sausage and toppings, a staple of street breakfasts nationwide.
About Xôi
Xôi is Vietnamese glutinous (sticky) rice, a beloved food served either sweet or savoury and enjoyed across the country at any time of day. The rice is soaked and steamed until tender and glossy, then combined with a wide range of toppings, making xôi one of Vietnam’s most versatile everyday dishes.
Savoury versions are breakfast staples: xôi mặn piles the rice with mung bean, fried shallots, shredded chicken, pork sausage and pâté, while xôi gà tops it with chicken and xôi xéo adds a bright layer of mung bean and crispy shallots. Sweet forms, including xôi lá cẩm (purple sticky rice) and xôi bắp (corn), are eaten as snacks or desserts.
Xôi is sold from bamboo-steamer baskets by street vendors in Vietnamese cities, wrapped in banana leaves and handed over still hot. Its soft, chewy texture and ability to carry both savoury and sweet flavours have made it a fixture of street breakfasts from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City.
🏛️ History & Culture
Xôi, or steamed sticky rice, has been a staple in Vietnamese cuisine for centuries, with its origins rooted in the agricultural traditions of the Mekong Delta and the Red River Delta, where glutinous rice has long been cultivated. It is a versatile dish that appears in daily meals, festive offerings, and street food culture, symbolizing simplicity and resourcefulness in Vietnamese culinary heritage.
Regional variations abound: in the north, xôi is often savory with toppings like mung bean, fried shallots, or pork floss, while the central and southern regions favor sweeter versions with coconut milk, sugar, and tropical fruits. It also plays a key role in religious ceremonies and Lunar New Year celebrations, where it is offered to ancestors—though the exact historical timeline of its many forms is not precisely documented, and its evolution is best understood as a collective, regional adaptation of rice-based cooking.
🍳 How to make Xôi
AI-assisted, not kitchen-testedXôi Đỗ Xanh (Vietnamese Sticky Rice with Mung Beans)
Xôi is a comforting staple of Vietnamese cuisine — glutinous rice steamed until tender and often topped with savory or sweet accompaniments. This version, xôi đỗ xanh, pairs the nutty rice with creamy mung bean paste for a classic savory snack or light meal.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total
- 70 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Recipe ingredients
- 400 g (14 oz) glutinous (sticky) rice, also called sweet rice or糯rice; do not substitute long-grain
- 200 g (7 oz) split yellow mung beans, hulled, not whole green
- 60 ml (¼ cup) neutral oil, such as canola or sunflower
- 5 g (1 tsp) salt
- 2 g (½ tsp) ground white pepper
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) soy sauce, optional, for serving
- 20 g (¼ cup) crispy fried shallots, for garnish
- 10 g (2 tbsp) sliced scallions, for garnish
Steps
- 1 Rinse the glutinous rice in cold water 4–5 times until the water runs nearly clear, then soak in fresh cold water for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Drain well.
- 2 Rinse the split mung beans and soak them in cold water for 1 hour. Drain.
- 3 Line a steamer basket with a clean cheesecloth or muslin cloth. Spread the drained rice evenly over the cloth, poke a few holes with a chopstick to allow steam through, and steam over rapidly boiling water for 20 minutes.
- 4 While the rice steams, place the soaked mung beans in a small pot, cover with fresh water by 2 cm (about 1 inch), bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes until very soft. Drain and mash into a coarse paste.
- 5 After 20 minutes, transfer the partially steamed rice to a large bowl. Add the neutral oil, salt, and white pepper, and mix gently with a wet spatula. Stir in the mashed mung beans until evenly distributed.
- 6 Return the rice and bean mixture to the steamer basket, spread evenly, and steam for another 25–30 minutes, until the rice is glossy, tender, and holds together when pressed.
- 7 Remove from the steamer and let rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff gently with a wet spoon.
- 8 Serve warm in bowls, topped with crispy fried shallots and sliced scallions. Drizzle with soy sauce if desired.
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