All About Bánh Đúc

Fact: In the past, many Hanoi families ate bánh đúc in the middle months of the lunar year.

#80 in Vietnam

Bánh Đúc: Basic Information

Pronunciation

/bahn dook/

Alternative Name(s)

Dish Type

Snacks, rice dishes, cakes and pastries.

Course

Non-course dish

Mealtime

Anytime

Bánh Đúc: Origin and Region

Origin

Vietnam

Continent’s Region

Southeast Asia

Country’s Region

Northern Vietnam

Associated Region

Unspecified

Popular Bánh Đúc Variations

Bánh Đúc Bột Gạo

Bánh Đúc Lạc

Bánh Đúc Mặn

Bánh Đúc Nóng

Bánh Đúc Tàu

Bánh Đúc Khoai Môn

Bánh Đúc Ngô

Bánh Đúc Nộm

Bánh Đúc Chấm Tương

Bánh Đúc Mắm Tôm

Bánh Đúc Riêu Cua

Bánh Đúc Hến

Bánh Đúc Chay

Bánh Đúc Lá Dứa

Bánh Đúc Nước Dừa

Bánh Đúc Cốt Dừa

Bánh Đúc: Ingredients and Preparation

Main Ingredients

Rice flour or tapioca flour

Main Cooking Method

Simmering

Preparation Process

Simmering the dough, letting the dough cool down, cutting and serving bánh đúc

Bánh Đúc: A Deep Dive

Cultural Significance

Affordable and versatile dish in Vietnamese cuisine

Taste

Savory

Texture

Chewy or soft

Aroma

Mild or fragrant

Color

Usually off-white

Serving Style

In a bowl and eaten with a spoon or chopsticks

Serving Temperature

Usually at room temperature

Accompaniment

Cold cuts, vegetables, dipping sauces

Occasions

On any occasions

Seasons

Year-round

Special Diets

Gluten-free

Calories

52 calories, according to data of MyFitnessPal for 3.5 ounces or 100 grams of bánh đúc

Popularity

Vietnam

Popular Similar Dishes

Bánh Da Lợn
Bánh Bò
Kuih

Popular Dining Area

Local street vendors, traditional markets, restaurants

Bánh đúc, literally “molded cake,” is a traditional Vietnamese cake made from flour.

People in Northern and Central Vietnam usually prepare it from rice flour, while its Southern Vietnamese variation is usually based on tapioca flour.

The making of bánh đúc involves creating a mixture of flour and limewater, cooking the dough over medium heat with constant stirring, pouring the hot mixture into a mold, and letting it cool down.

The solidified bánh đúc is next cut into cubes or pieces and served with various foods, creating many bánh đúc variations.

Bánh đúc can be mặn (savory) or chay (vegan) and play many roles, such as being a main dish, breakfast item, snack, and dessert.

Continue reading to explore the many versions of bánh đúc. Next, I will delve into the upsides and downsides of consuming bánh đúc.

Lastly, you will learn about frequently asked questions about bánh đúc as well as similar dishes.

Key Points

Bánh đúc is a Vietnamese cake based on rice flour (in Northern Vietnam) or tapioca flour (in Southern Vietnam).
Bánh đúc can accompany many different foods and ingredients.
There are various versions of bánh đúc throughout Vietnam.
Bánh đúc can play many roles, from desserts to main dishes.

What Are Popular Bánh Đúc Variations?

Below are the 16 most common types of bánh đúc in Vietnam, which are classified based on the main ingredients and accompaniments.

Bánh Đúc Bột Gạo

Plain bánh đúc made from rice flour and limewater
Original type of bánh đúc

Bánh Đúc Lạc

Made with shelled peanuts and shredded coconut meat (optional)
Served with tương (Vietnamese fermented soybean paste)
Popular in Northern Vietnam

Bánh Đúc Mặn

Served with savory foods like scrambled eggs, tôm chấy (grilled ground shrimp), ground pork, fried onions, scallion oil, etc.
Can be paired with Vietnamese dipping sauce and vegetables

Bánh Đúc Nóng

Served hot with ground pork, fried onions, and vegetables

Bánh Đúc Tàu

Literally means “Chinese bánh đúc”
A specialty of Haiphong city
Made from rice flour and tapioca flour
Served as small cubes with ground pork, sautéd shrimp, daikon, carrots, wood ear mushrooms, Vietnamese fish sauce, etc.

Bánh Đúc Lá Dứa

Also known as bánh đúc gân (veined bánh đúc)
Popular in Southern Vietnam
Colored with pandan extract
Can be made with rice flour or tapioca flour
Has a soft texture and sweet flavor
Typically served with sugar syrup

Bánh Đúc Nước Dừa

Made with coconut water and rice flour or tapioca flour
Can have a green color due to pandan extract
Popular in Southern Vietnam
Has a soft texture and sweet flavor
Typically served with sugar syrup

Bánh Đúc Cốt Dừa

Made with coconut milk and rice flour or tapioca flour
Can have a green color due to pandan extract
Popular in Southern Vietnam
Has a soft texture and sweet flavor
Typically served with sugar syrup

Bánh Đúc Khoai Môn

Made with taro

Bánh Đúc Ngô

Made with cornmeal
Mainly popular in Northern Vietnam

Bánh Đúc Nộm

Served with nộm (Vietnamese-style salad), sesame seeds, and blanched bean sprouts

Bánh Đúc Chấm Tương

Served with soy sauce and chili peppers

Bánh Đúc Mắm Tôm

Served with peanuts, fried onions, and shrimp paste

Bánh Đúc Riêu Cua

Served with bún riêu cua (Vietnamese noodle soup with rice vermicelli and a clear crab-based broth)

Bánh Đúc Hến

Made from the flour of a slightly red rice variety
Served with sautéd clam meat and clam broth

Bánh Đúc Chay

Vegan version of bánh đúc
Served with plant-based ingredients like tofu and mushrooms

From the main ingredients of these bánh đúc variations, can you guess their advantages and disadvantages? Read on to see whether your speculation is correct!

Pros and Cons of Eating Bánh Đúc

Bánh đúc comes with the following positive and negative traits.

Pros

Digestibility: Bánh đúc is often light and easy to digest, making it a suitable snack or light meal at any time of the day.
Affordability: Plain bánh đúc is highly inexpensive due to being made from simple ingredients.
Versatility: You can enjoy bánh đúc with many types of toppings, from hearty add-ins to vegan toppings.
Cultural Significance: Bánh đúc has a rich history and is a cornerstone of Vietnamese culinary tradition.

Cons

Nutritional Imbalance: On its own, bánh đúc doesn’t provide a complete nutritional profile and needs to be paired with other foods to create a balanced meal.
Caloric Content: Depending on the toppings and the amount of oil used in preparation, the savory version of bánh đúc can be high in calories.
Availability: Finding genuine bánh đúc outside of Vietnam can be difficult.

After presenting you with the strengths and weaknesses of bánh đúc, I will delve into other aspects of this Vietnamese cake in the FAQs section.

Bánh Đúc FAQs

Yes, traditional bánh đúc has no gluten thanks to being made from gluten-free ingredients like rice flour or tapioca flour. However, some vendors might add toppings with gluten to their fare, so you should ask the vendor about the ingredients before eating.

No, bánh đúc isn’t keto-friendly since it has a significant carb content derived from rice or tapioca flour.

Yes, you can prepare bánh đúc from cold rice. Soak and puree cold rice finely with a blender, strain the mixture, then boil it as you would with rice flour.

Similar Dishes of Bánh Đúc

Bánh Da Lợn

Bánh da lợn is a Vietnamese layered cake that features a soft, chewy texture with typically green and yellow hues.

Bánh Bò

Bánh bò is a Vietnamese sponge cake, known for its sweet taste and chewy texture with a honeycomb-like interior.

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Truc Tran (Kris)

Senior Food Editor

Expertise

Home Cooking, Meal Planning, Recipe Development, Baking and Pastry, Food Editor, Cooking-video Maker, Vietnamese Food Evaluation Expert

Education

Hospitality (Commercial Cookery) at TasTAFE
Culinary Arts at Kendall College (Australia Branch in Sydney)
Vietnamese Cuisine Head Chef at HNAAu School (Vietnam, International Joint Training Program)

Truc Tran (Kris), an experienced food writer and editor, is great at exploring and describing global cuisines, from simple street food to fancy dining. In her writing, she skillfully mixes different flavors, cooking methods, and culinary traditions, showing the unique character of various cultures through their food and drinks. On azcuisines.com, Kris highlights her knowledge, especially in Asian cuisine and worldwide traditional dishes.