Yet another savory southern Vietnamese dish which demands visitors’ attention is banh xeo, pan-fried crepes stuffed with shrimp, mung beans, bean sprouts and sliced pork, onions or scallions.

Diners break the crispy stuffed crepes into morsels that they roll in their choice of fresh herb and salad leaves, such as mint, Vietnamese basil, cilantro or others, which they then dip in Vietnam’s ubiquitous fermented fish sauce (nuoc mam) gently spiked with bits of red chili.

How it’s traditionally made

The crepe’s batter is made of rice flour, coconut milk, water or dairy milk, potato starch, turmeric powder, and salt, blended till smooth then left to stand for 30 minutes or so.

The sliced onions and pork, shrimp, bean sprouts and cooked mung beans are stir-fried till the shrimp are about half-cooked before pouring the batter over the mix, shaking it under the filling and letting it all pan-fry till its underside is crisp and golden-brown.

The open crepe is then briskly folded in half and its edges pressed and sealed together, before being served up on an open plate alongside a bowl of the wrapping leaves and a saucer of chilied nuoc mam.

Innovative Banh xeo

The An La Ghien Diner in Phu Nhuan District last month launched two innovative styles of banh xeo, one made with rare, nutritious “Golden Mushrooms” (flamulina velutipes), the other, called banh xeo rau mam, served with herb and salad leaves grown hydroponically to ensure they contain no harmful chemicals or pollutants.

Both the Golden Mushrooms and hydroponic herb and salad leaves have only recently begun to be imported into Vietnam.

The Golden Mushroom banh xeo captivates diners with an extraordinary aroma it exudes while served piping hot, while the banh xeo rau mam serves to relieve diners’ concerns about the safety of many vegetables grown in either contaminated soil or using harmful fertilizers.

Reported by Y Linh, Luu Hong