Steamed rice rolls with the rich flavor of home.

Made from rice flour, rice rolls (also known as wet rice rolls or steamed rice rolls) are a simple, familiar dish of the Vietnamese people. However, each region has its own unique flavor of rice rolls.

In the countryside of Nghe An , where I live, rice rolls are also known by the simple, endearing name: banh muot.

I still remember those chilly winter mornings, when I would always pester my mother to take me to the stall selling steamed rice rolls. The pristine white, soft, and smooth rolls were rolled up and topped with a layer of golden, fragrant fried onions.

Besides being dipped in lime and chili fish sauce, the rice noodle rolls here are also served with familiar dishes from Nghe An province such as eel soup, chicken stew, offal stew, etc., bringing a unique flavor, truly reminiscent of home.

Rice rolls are a familiar dish to Vietnamese people.

Later, my family moved to Dak Lak to live. In my second home, I had the opportunity to enjoy many different types of steamed rice rolls from various regions, each with its own unique flavor.

Once, while on a business trip to Ea Súp commune, I came across a roadside stall selling steaming hot rice rolls and stopped in. The owner was a Tay ethnic minority. Besides the familiar rice rolls with meat and wood ear mushroom filling, they also offered rich and creamy egg rice rolls.

What impressed me was the unusual way of enjoying the rice cakes here: they are dipped generously into a bowl of simmered bone broth, served with Vietnamese pork sausage and pickled bamboo shoots with chili and wild peppers. The hot rice cakes and broth blend together with the characteristic sour and spicy flavors, creating a unique taste.

Right in the bustling Buon Ma Thuot ward, you'll find numerous stalls selling steamed rice rolls with flavors from various regions. Occasionally, my sister and I choose a relaxing morning with steamed rice rolls on Mai Hac De street. The hot steamed rice rolls filled with wood ear mushrooms are served with fragrant grilled pork sausage, a bowl of sweet and sour, spicy dipping sauce, and a touch of pickled vegetables to complete the flavor experience.

Once, following a suggestion from my former teacher, I went to a small eatery on Giai Phong Street to enjoy a unique type of Northern-style rice roll that few other places in the province sell. The rice paper is incredibly thin, brushed with a golden layer of scallion oil, and stacked in soft, smooth layers. When eating, you pick up each layer of the roll and eat it with fried onions, herbs, Vietnamese pork sausage, and cinnamon pork sausage – simple yet flavorful, leaving an unforgettable aftertaste.

Diners enjoy the dish "Stacked steamed rice rolls" in Buon Ma Thuot ward.

In Buon Ma Thuot, I was quite fascinated by the stacked rice noodle rolls – a fascinating creation. Unlike the traditional pre-rolled rolls, here, each roll is thinly steamed and spread individually on small plates, always served hot. The top of each roll is lightly topped with scallion oil, chives, and a little shrimp powder for added flavor. The accompanying dishes are varied, including grilled meat, grilled spring rolls, Vietnamese sausage, fermented pork rolls, shredded mango, cucumber, pickled vegetables, and herbs.

When enjoying this dish, diners choose their own ingredients, place them on the rice paper, roll it up, and dip it in fermented fish sauce or sweet and sour fish sauce for a complete flavor experience. With its unique "one rice paper per plate" format, depending on their appetite, each person can enjoy 10 to 30 plates at a time.

In particular, in Ea Kao ward where I live, there's an elderly woman from Nghe An who often makes batches of traditional rice noodle rolls by hand, and occasionally sells them door-to-door. The rolls are soft and smooth, the fried onions are fragrant, and that simple yet familiar flavor brings back childhood memories for me.

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/van-hoa-du-lich-van-hoc-nghe-thuat/202512/banh-uot-dam-vi-que-nha-13b0ec9/