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

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

Preparation

It is made from

glutinous rice Domestication syndrome refers to two sets of phenotypic traits that are common to either domesticated plants or domesticated animals. Domesticated animals tend to be smaller and less aggressive than their wild counterparts; they may also hav ...

that has been fermented with the aid of

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

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 * Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam ** Overseas Vietnamese, Vietnamese people living outside Vietna ...

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

pudding Pudding is a type of food which can either be a dessert served after the main meal or a Savoury (dish), savoury (salty or sweet, and spicy) dish, served as part of the main meal. In the United States, ''pudding'' means a sweet, milk-based des ...

or a

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...

. 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 Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...

, 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 Fermentation (food), 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 severa ...

'' (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, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although ...

, or

corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...

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

rice wine Rice wine is an alcoholic beverage fermentation, fermented from rice, traditionally consumed in East Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia, where rice is a quintessential staple crop. Rice wine is made by the fermentation of rice starch, during wh ...

References

External links

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

Preparation

Varieties

See also

References

External links