Xoi Vo (Mung Bean Coated Sticky Rice)
- Preparation time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 60 minutes
“Xoi vo” is an indispensable cuisine in Vietnamese tradition, as it appears in many ritual ceremonies, especially weddings and “le day thang”- a celebration of the baby’s first month old. If you plan to make Xoi Vo, soak the rice the night before to avoid long waiting time.
Photo: @lenguyenhuongtra
Ingredients
- 2 cup of sweet rice
- 2 cup mung beans (peeled or dehull and split)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup coconut milk
- 2 tsp oil
Preparation
- Wash the sticky rice and soak for 8-12 hours with water. If you wish to shorten the soaking time, use warm water. Wash mung beans and soak overnight separately.
- After soaking, wash both rice and bean carefully and set apart. Add 1/2 tsp salt to the bean and steam until well cooked, soft and fluffy (you can also use an electric cooker to cook the bean). Divide into two portions.
- Mix one bean portion with the washed rice and add 2 tsp oil, 1/2 tsp salt. Steam this mixture under medium heat until cooked. Add in 2/3 cup of coconut milk. Set the cooked rice on a plate to cool.
- Grind the other bean portion coarsely with 2 tbsp of sugar. Add to the cooked rice and steam for another 5 minutes. Set the finished rice on a plate and serve warm or cold.

Óc trần lá ngải
Óc trần lá ngải is listed among the most horror foods for foreign visitors in Vietnam.

Grilled beef wrapped in wild betel leaf
Riding along the crowded streets of Saigon in the afternoon, people can often be attracted by a fragrant and spicy smell of seasoned grilled rolls of beef, stemming from moving-stalls blurred in the smoke from charcoal flame. This dish, wrapped up in wild betel leaf, has become a favorite snack of Vietnamese, particularly Saigonese, to serve with beer or wine.

Snakehead Congee
Snakehead fish congee can appear as a normal dish of the commoners, but to those who first taste, that dish served in hotpot style is quite a surprise.