Vietnamese Rice Paper Snacks – Are You Sure You Know the Differences?

Have you ever held a Vietnamese roll in your hand and wondered what it was made of? Your friend told you it was rice paper, banned trang, but you are 100 percent sure that it was said a few times before when you ate completely different dishes. Confusing isn't it?

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Along with a huge range of Vietnamese noodles, rice paper is one of the most common ingredients in Vietnamese food. Creative Vietnamese can make tons of different dishes from just one type of rice paper, and there are many types. Not only are outsiders lost in the maze to figure out what it is, but also some of us locals, including me! I remember one situation in which I introduced my friend to a rolling paper, and I watched it for at least 30 seconds before I could think of its proper name. Pregnancy, right? Well, I'll explain everything for you in this article. hanoi restaurants old quarter

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In Vietnam, we use rice paper (banh trang) as a wrapping material for many types of Vietnamese main courses. But in this article, I'm going to talk about rice paper snacks - the favorite street snack of many locals. In this article, you will discover general facts about rice paper, what are the differences between the various rice paper snacks, and where to find the best places in town for this snack. For those who would like to do this at home, keep reading. I share all the ingredients used to make this delicious snack.

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All About Vietnamese Rice

Origin and name

Vietnamese rice paper

One must wet the rice paper to use.

Rice paper - banh trang was first made in the South of Vietnam and then its popularity spread throughout the country. It has different names as you move away. In the North, we call it banh da or banh cha in central Vietnam.

 

How to Make Rice Paper

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Rice paper is made from a mixture of rice powder, cassava flour and water in a specific proportion. When combined, they create a milky liquid. When the liquid is ready, you use a coconut shell spoon to pour a thin layer onto a cotton cloth over boiling water. After it is cooked (or solidified), use a thin bamboo stick to hang it on a bamboo woven mat in the sun. Because it depends on how sunny it is, the dry weather is flexible. When you check it, and it breaks easily, then it is ready to use.

 

You can make the rice paper thin or thick - this depends on its purpose. We use the thin version for wrapping food, and the thicker texture for grilling. Mung bean flour, corn flour, and coconut water are sometimes added to the liquid to enhance the rice paper, along with some aromas such as pepper, salt or sugar. You can also choose the over all: sesame seeds, shredded coconut meat, onion and sometimes small shrimp. Everything that suits your creative and personal taste.