''Rượu nếp'' (sometimes also called ''rượu nếp bắc'', or ''rượu nếp cẩm'', ) is a pudding or drink from northern

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

Preparation

It is made from glutinous rice that has been fermented with the aid of

yeast Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are estimated to constitut ...

and steamed in a

banana leaf The banana leaf is the leaf of the banana plant, which may produce up to 40 leaves in a growing cycle. The leaves have a wide range of applications because they are large, flexible, waterproof and decorative. They are used for cooking, wrappin ...

. It may be either deep purplish-red or yellow in color depending on the variety of rice used. ''Rượu nếp'' is mildly alcoholic (''rượu'' is the word for "alcohol" in

Vietnamese Vietnamese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia ** A citizen of Vietnam. See Demographics of Vietnam. * Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam ** Overse ...

). Depending on its consistency, it may be considered either a pudding or a

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

. Thicker versions are eaten with a spoon, while more liquid varieties may be drunk as a beverage. ''Rượu nếp than'' is a brown-colored rice wine. Many Vietnamese people regard ''rượu nếp'' as a healthful food, and believe that it wards off or kills parasites. Although they are most typical of northern Vietnam, ''rượu nếp'' and ''rượu nếp than'' are available in

Ho Chi Minh City , population_density_km2 = 4,292 , population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2 , population_demonym = Saigonese , blank_name = GRP (Nominal) , blank_info = 2019 , blank1_name = – Total , blank1_ ...

, at the market near the residential quarter where northern Vietnamese people live.

Varieties

In Vietnam's Central Highlands, a similar rice wine, ''

rượu cần ''Rượu cần'' ( or 'straw liquor') is a fermented rice wine indigenous to several ethnic groups in Vietnam, in areas such as Tây Nguyên or Tây Bắc. It is made of fermented glutinous rice (''nếp'') mixed with several kinds of herbs (in ...

'' (literally "stem wine" or "tube wine"), is drunk in a communal manner, through long reed straws out of large earthenware jugs. ''Rượu cần'' may be made out of ordinary rice, glutinous rice,

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively ...

, or

corn Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...

, along with leaves and herbs. Yet another variety of minority rice wine is ''rượu nếp nương'', made from a glutinous rice grown in mountainous cultivation areas of Vietnam's northwest. A similar dish, from southern Vietnam, is called ''

cơm rượu ''Cơm rượu'' () also known as ''rượu nếp cái'' is a traditional Vietnamese dessert from Southern Vietnam, made from glutinous rice. To prepare ''cơm rượu'', glutinous rice is cooked, mixed with yeast, and rolled into small balls. ...

'', and consists of balls made from white glutinous rice in a mildly alcoholic

rice wine Rice wine is an alcoholic beverage fermented and distilled from rice, traditionally consumed in East Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia. Rice wine is made by the fermentation of rice starch that has been converted to sugars. Microbes are the so ...

References

External links

Article about ''rượu nếp''Article about ''rượu nếp''''Rượu nếp'' recipe
(Vietnamese) {{DEFAULTSORT:Ruou nep Rice pudding Rice drinks Rice wine Vietnamese cuisine Fermented foods Vietnamese words and phrases

Preparation

Varieties

See also

References

External links