National Dish Vietnam: Banh Duc (Recipe)
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Bánh Đúc is one of Vietnam’s quiet pleasures: a soft, almost wobbly steamed rice cake, warm from the pot, topped with minced pork and wood ear mushrooms and dressed with sharp fish sauce. It is street food and comfort food at once, sold from pavement stalls in Hanoi and eaten from a bowl with a spoon.
About Banh Duc
Bánh Đúc is a steamed rice flour cake with a distinctive soft, slippery texture. The northern Vietnamese version is served warm in a bowl, topped with a savoury mixture of minced pork and mộc nhĩ wood ear mushrooms and finished with nước chấm, the sweet-sour-salty dipping sauce that accompanies half of Vietnamese cooking. It is inexpensive, filling and eaten at all hours.
Ingredients (serves 1–2)
- 150 g rice flour
- 500 ml water
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 100 g minced pork
- 4–5 dried wood ear mushrooms, soaked and finely chopped
- 2 shallots, finely diced
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- A little pepper
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or lime juice
- 1 red chilli, sliced into rings
- Spring onions and fried shallots, to garnish
Shopping for the ingredients
Use plain rice flour, not glutinous rice flour. They behave completely differently. Dried wood ear mushrooms are sold in every Asian grocer and rehydrate in twenty minutes. A good fish sauce makes a real difference to the dipping sauce; look for one with a short ingredient list.
Preparing the dish
Whisk the rice flour into the cold water until completely smooth and let it stand for thirty minutes. This hydration step prevents lumps. Soak the wood ear mushrooms in warm water until soft, then rinse and chop finely. Mix the dipping sauce in advance so the flavours settle.
Step-by-step instructions
- Whisk the rice flour, water, oil and salt until smooth; rest 30 minutes.
- Pour into a saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, for 10–15 minutes until thick and glossy.
- Pour into a lightly oiled dish and steam for 15 minutes to set.
- Meanwhile, fry the shallots, add the minced pork and cook until browned.
- Stir in the wood ear mushrooms, 1 tablespoon of the fish sauce and pepper; cook 3 minutes.
- Mix the remaining fish sauce with the sugar, vinegar, chilli and 3 tablespoons water for the dipping sauce.
- Spoon the warm rice cake into bowls, top with the pork mixture and pour over the sauce.
- Garnish with spring onions and fried shallots.
Gluten-free / lactose-free version
Bánh Đúc is naturally gluten-free (check the fish sauce, as a few brands add wheat) and contains no dairy at all. It is one of the safest dishes on a Vietnamese menu for both intolerances.
Tips for vegans and vegetarians
Replace the pork with finely chopped mushrooms and crumbled firm tofu, and swap the fish sauce for a vegan version or light soy with a pinch of salt and sugar. Wood ear mushrooms already supply much of the texture, so very little is lost.
More tips and tricks
Stir constantly while the batter cooks. It thickens suddenly and lumps form in seconds if you look away. Rest the batter before cooking. And serve it warm rather than hot or cold, since the texture is at its best at that point.
Adapting the recipe to your taste
The southern version (bánh đúc lá dứa) is sweet, made with pandan and coconut. Some northern cooks stir peanuts into the batter for texture. A spoonful of chilli oil or extra fresh herbs on top suits it well.
Ingredient substitutions
Shiitake mushrooms substitute for wood ear, though the texture is softer. Minced chicken or turkey work in place of pork. Lime juice replaces vinegar in the dipping sauce and is arguably better.
Drink pairing ideas
Vietnamese iced tea (trà đá) is what accompanies street food throughout the country. Fresh sugarcane juice suits it well. A cold Bia Hơi is the Hanoi answer for anyone wanting beer.
Serving and presentation ideas
Serve bánh đúc warm in small bowls, the rice cake spooned in soft mounds with the pork mixture on top and the dipping sauce poured over generously. Fried shallots and spring onion finish it. Eat it with a spoon while it is still warm.
A bit of history
Rice flour cakes of this kind are among the oldest street foods in northern Vietnam, dating back long before French influence and requiring nothing but rice, water and a steamer. Every region has developed its own version, savoury in the north, sweet in the south, from the same simple base. It offers a genuine window onto Vietnamese cuisine.
More recipe ideas
Summary: Banh Duc
Bánh Đúc is a soft steamed rice cake topped with minced pork, wood ear mushrooms and sharp dipping sauce. Whisk the batter smooth, stir it constantly, and serve it warm, Hanoi street food at its most comforting.
