Nick DiGiovanni is a young American chef who is famous worldwide. He owns a YouTube channel with more than 28.5 million subscribers and more than 13 billion views.

A few months ago, Nick went to Ho Chi Minh City and enjoyed many street foods. Among them, the most impressive dishes were fried chicken rice and fried sticky rice.

The 30-second video recording the "transformation" of fried sticky rice, filmed and shared by Nick, attracted 44 million views and 7,500 comments. Nick also introduced this dish in the video "The best street foods in the world " according to his assessment, attracting 26 million views.

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The fried sticky rice dish surprised the famous male chef. Photo: Nick DiGiovanni

The fried sticky rice dish he discovered was at a restaurant on Nguyen Trai Street, Cho Lon Ward.

Nick describes the dish as a part of sticky, mushy sticky rice. The chef puts a part into a pan of hot oil, crushes it, stirs it well, and then skillfully gathers it into a cohesive mass. Then, the sticky rice dough gradually puffs up, becomes round and round "as if by magic", and turns a uniform golden color, very beautiful to look at.

Nick kept exclaiming "unbelievable". "I still don't understand how this cake is made", Nick said.

The transformation of puffed rice. Photo: Nick DiGiovanni

The restaurant staff helped Nick cut the cake into bite-sized pieces and dip it in chili sauce. When he took his first bite, he was even more surprised by the combination of textures: the outer layer was crispy, the inside was chewy, and had an elasticity that reminded him of mochi or melted cheese.

“Visually, it's the most amazing thing I've ever seen. The texture is so special,” he said.

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Having enjoyed many dishes, Nick was surprised by the puffed fried sticky rice. Photo: Nick DiGiovanni

Nick did not hesitate to affirm that this was one of the most interesting dishes he had ever experienced, not only in the flavor but also in the chef's skillful "performance" right on the pan and the spectacular transformation of the simple dough.

Puffed sticky rice is said to originate from Dong Nai province and has gradually become a specialty, winning many culinary awards.

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A chef needs good technique to prepare puffed fried sticky rice. Photo: Nick DiGiovanni

Later, puffed sticky rice appeared in restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Can Tho. Delicious sticky rice must be evenly golden brown, and when cut, there must be no sticky rice left inside. When enjoyed, the sticky rice must be crispy but still retain the softness of the sticky rice. Puffed sticky rice is often served with roasted chicken or grilled chicken.

Thai Nguyen specialty covered in white powder, strange aroma, can be kept for several months without spoiling . In Ba Be, Thai Nguyen, there is a specialty fruit that gives off an aroma that reminds many people of the scent of young rice, yellow sticky rice or pandan leaves. This fruit can be processed into many attractive and delicious dishes.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/khach-my-thu-mon-bien-hinh-khong-the-tin-duoc-o-tphcm-hut-44-trieu-luot-xem-2445236.html