Banh Gio is one of the most amazing epicurean (here’s that word again) discoveries I’ve found in Hanoi, Vietnam. I’ve always been puzzled by the large group of people huddled around this middle aged woman in the Old Quarter and decided to just pull up a chair one day and do it as the locals do.
Banh Gio is basically glutenous rice with a filling of mung beans and pork wrapped in banana leafs into a pyramid shape.
However, that is not what makes it good. Banh Gio is served piping hot and the glutenous rice is so glutenous I’ll equate it to jelly.
It’s melt in your mouth goodness!
I was sitting there when the woman beside me gestured for me to pour some chilli sauce into my banh gio. This is a totally unbiased review since I was so full I wanted to puke. I’ve had too much to eat but the crowded stall just pulled me in to see what the locals eat.
You can opt for various side cuts (also wrapped inside banana leafs) in your banh gio. The texture and and taste it like nothing else! You can literally scoop the banh gio and slurp it down – that’s how soft the glutenous rice is.
Best enjoyed with…their local iced tea. Bet you thought I was gonna say something else. :p
