Banh xeo (Pancake)

Being an agricultural country cultivating rice all year round, Vietnamese has lots of traditional dishes made from rice. One of the popular dishes made from rice is Pho – a kind of food regarded as Vietnam’s traditional dish. But there is still another must-try food when you visit Vietnam. It is called Banh Xeo or Pancake in English. Although it is not as famous as Pho, Banh Xeo is also highly recommended for you. After a complex making process such as choosing ingredients, processing, …, Banh Xeo comes out as a delicious product that makes you fall for because of amazing taste from the first bite. Banh Xeo is popular in many parts of Vietnam. It is a combination of culinary characteristics from three part of Vietnam.

Banh Xeo is a kind of cake that is colored in light yellow by turmeric and fried on a special clay stove. There is a crispy crust outside and beans, onions, meat, shrimp inside. The mixture is fried for about 2-3 minutes and then folded into a semicircle.

Banh Xeo is usually served with fish sauces and vegetables. Through the flow of development, Banh Xeo in each region is different. For instance, Banh Xeo in the North has some extra ingredients like taro and jicama; Southern Pancake is served with sweet and sour fish sauce; In Hue, grilled meat is combined in the ingredients and steak fish sauce is replaced by soup.

Vegetables served with pancakes are mostly: lettuce, broccoli, fish lettuce, shiso, basil, cinnamon,… It is recommended that you should use rice paper to wrap a small piece of Banh Xeo and dip the roll into the sauce to enjoy.

As mentioned above, Banh Xeo is made and eaten by different ways in many areas of Vietnam. But in Saigon – the so-called “street food heaven”, there are all kinds of Banh Xeo are available. If you want to try this special kind of food, don’t hesitate to arrive in Saigon and enjoy yourselves! It is in Saigon that we – Saigon On Motorbike – serve various food tours including Banh Xeo, Pho and other tasty food. Join us and together we will go through Saigon for street food! You may explore some local restaurants that serve the most delicious Banh Xeo.

The blending of many flavors in Banh Xeo always makes a strong impression on people. Therefore, Banh Xeo becomes an indispensable dish with Vietnamese as well as tourists.