''Bánh cuốn'' (, ''rolled sheets'') is a

Vietnamese dish Vietnamese cuisine encompasses the foods and beverages of Vietnam. Meals feature a combination of five fundamental tastes ( vi, ngũ vị, links=no, label=none): sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and spicy. The distinctive nature of each dish reflec ...

originating from

Northern Vietnam Northern Vietnam ( vi, Bắc Bộ) is one of three geographical regions within Vietnam. It consists of three administrative regions: the Northwest (Vùng Tây Bắc), the Northeast (Vùng Đông Bắc), and the Red River Delta (Đồng Bằng S ...

In Vietnamese cuisine

''Bánh cuốn'' is made from a thin, wide sheet of

fermented Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food p ...

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

batter filled with a mixture of cooked seasoned ground pork, minced

wood ear mushroom Wood-ear or tree ear (, Korean: 목이 버섯), also translated wood jellyfish or , can refer to a few similar-looking edible fungi used primarily in Chinese cuisine; these are commonly sold in Asian markets shredded and dried. * ''Auricularia he ...

, and minced shallots. Sides for this dish usually consist of ''

chả lụa ''Chả lụa'' (() or ''giò lụa'' () is the most common type of sausage in Vietnamese cuisine, made of pork and traditionally wrapped in banana leaves. Production and consumption Traditionally, ''chả lụa'' is made of lean pork, potato st ...

'' (Vietnamese pork sausage), sliced cucumber, and

bean sprouts Sprouting is the natural process by which seeds or spores germinate and put out shoots, and already established plants produce new leaves or buds, or other structures experience further growth. In the field of nutrition, the term signifies ...

, with the dipping sauce which is fish sauce called '' nước chấm'' (Nuoc Mam). The rice sheet in ''bánh cuốn'' is extremely thin and delicate. It is made by steaming a slightly fermented rice batter on a cloth that is stretched over a pot of boiling water. It is a light dish, and is generally eaten for breakfast everywhere in Vietnam. A different version of ''bánh cuốn'', called ''bánh cuốn Thanh Trì'' and ''bánh cuốn làng Kênh'', may be found in Thanh Trì, a southern district of

Hanoi Hanoi or Ha Noi ( or ; vi, Hà Nội ) is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. It covers an area of . It consists of 12 urban districts, one district-leveled town and 17 rural districts. Located within the Red River Delta, Hanoi is ...

and Kênh village of Nam Định, an ancient village in the centre of Nam Định city. ''Bánh cuốn Thanh Trì'' or ''Bánh cuốn làng Kênh'' are not rolls, but just rice sheets eaten with ''

'', fried shallots, or prawns. Bánh ướt is simply the unfilled rice sheet, and is typically served with bean sprouts, chopped lettuce, sliced cucumber, fresh basil and mint, fried shallots and onions, cha/gio lua, and nuoc mam.

In other countries

In regards to Vietnamese culture, Thai cuisine commonly refers to the dish as ''pak moh yuan'' ( th, ปากหม้อญวน). Skilled food preparers will make each rice sheet extra thin with as much stuffing as possible. Rice sheets are usually made of arrowroot flour which gives tapioca-like consistency. The dough may also be infused with naturally extracted herbs such as butterfly pea for blue shades and pandan for green shades. As for the stuffing, the most popular stuffing is ground pork with cilantro roots, pepper, garlic, shallots and preserved radish. Less common stuffing is chicken, mushroom, corn, coconut, bean sprouts, chives, etc. Vegetarian recipes are also available. Since Thai palates are famous for flavorful bites, sauce and toppings are inseparable from ''pak moh yuan''. While sweet chili sauce is the standard, recipes from certain regions may also use seafood ingredients in their sauce. To satisfy a sweet tooth, coconut milk may be drizzled on top for more dessert-likeness. The final step is to garnish ''pak moh yuan'' with fried garlic and served with lettuce and fresh chili on the side. Other variation known in

Thai cuisine Thai cuisine ( th, อาหารไทย, , ) is the national cuisine of Thailand. Thai cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components and a spicy edge. Australian chef David Thompson, an expert on Thai ...

is ''khao phan'' ( th, ข้าวพันผัก; lit. "rice wrap"). It is regarded a speciality of Uttaradit province where it is eaten freshly made in many variations, but also sun-dried. The dried versions often have spices added to them and are popularly used as a

wrap Wrap, WRAP or Wrapped may refer to: Storage and preservation * Gift wrap or wrap paper, used to enclose a present * Overwrap, a wrapping of items in a package or a wrapping over packages * Plastic wrap, a thin, clear, flexible plastic used to co ...

for a spicy salad made with rice noodle and minced pork.

Gallery

File:Banh cuon nhan thit.jpg, Bánh cuốn Tây Hồ with shrimp tempura and

. File:Banhcuon.jpg, A dish of homemade ''bánh cuốn'' File:Khao phan 02.jpg, The batter for ''khao phan'', as the noodle roll is called in

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

, is spread out over a cloth stretched over a pot of boiling water. File:Khao phan 01.jpg, Rolling up the finished product. File:Khao phan nga muan.jpg, A variation of the Thai ''khao phan'' with black sesame seeds and served with a spicy dipping sauce called ''

nam chim ''Nam chim'' or ''nam jim'' ( th, น้ำจิ้ม, ) is Thai for "dipping sauce". It can refer to a wide variety of dipping sauces in Lao cuisine and Thai cuisine, with many of them a combination of salty, sweet, spicy and sour. ''Nam chim ...

chaeo''. File:Khao phan phak.jpg, ''Khao phan phak'', a variation with stir-fried vegetables. File:Banh Cuon.jpg, ''Bánh cuốn'' sold at a market in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. File:Pak Moh Yuan.jpg, alt=ปากหม้อญวน, ''Pak Moh Yuan'', tri-colored rice sheets served with cilantro and fried garlic

Bánh ướt

''Bánh ướt'' (, ), is a

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 ...

thin pancake wrapperCharles Gordon Sinclair (1998
''International Dictionary of Food & Cooking''
Taylor & Francis, Page 48 consisting of

rice noodle Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly '' Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

sheets, eaten with '' nước chấm'', fried

shallot The shallot is a botanical variety (a cultivar) of the onion. Until 2010, the (French red) shallot was classified as a separate species, ''Allium ascalonicum''. The taxon was synonymized with '' Allium cepa'' (the common onion) in 2010, as the ...

s, and a side of ''

'' (Vietnamese pork sausage). Typical serving of Bánh ướt.jpg, Typical serving of Bánh ướt Banh Uot Tom Chay Kim Long.jpg, Bánh ướt

References

External links