Last Updated: January 6, 2022

Best Vietnamese Snacks 

Vietnamese cuisine is absolutely delicious and when you gather up all the Vietnamese cuisine styles from northern Vietnam to Southern Vietnam, you have a range of Vietnamese food that is almost unbeatable the world over. 

Food is a big part of Vietnamese culture and Vietnam is slowly becoming the food capital of Asia. There are street food vendors popping up all over the streets of cities like Saigon and one part of Vietnamese cuisine you have to try while you’re there are Vietnamese snacks and each Vietnamese snack is different from the next.

Join me as we run through the best Vietnamese snacks that everyone has to try, either at home or in Vietnam. 

Goi Cuôn

Goi Cuôn

The first of the Vietnamese snacks we are going to take a look at is Goi Cuon. Goi Cuon is pretty much a Vietnamese version of spring rolls but is actually referred to as crispy summer rolls. 

You can make these by wrapping rice paper (bahn trang) around local ingredients which range from everything from meat like minced pork, beef, seafood like shrimp or crab, plus rice glass noodles and some vegetables.

It’s actually the fresh ingredients such as Vietnamese herbs, mushrooms, mint leaves, and spring onions that bring this delicious snack to life. 

This tasty snack is usually served with a dipping sauce such as fish sauce, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and even peanut sauce. 

You can either have this healthy snack as a light meal as they are quite filling and while the rice paper wrap is crispy, they are always served either cold or room temperature.  

Bánh bao

Bánh bao

Image courtesy of Wikimedia

Banh Bao is one of the most delicious of the Vietnamese snacks out there and it’s usually eaten for breakfast alongside a cup of tea. Once you know what the ingredients are you’ll understand why this is one of the best dishes for a morning snack and I’d happily have one with every cup of tea I have each day. 

Banh Bao is made from a steamed baozi bread bun that has been stuffed with yummy things including ground pork that is seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, and green onion along with hard-boiled eggs, mushrooms, and Chinese sausage. 

The stuffing ingredients are mixed together and then stuffed into a dough ball that has been lightly yeasted and then cooked in steam. You end up with a mild taste that pretty much reminds you of a chili English breakfast all neatly wrapped in a bun. 

This snack was certainly influenced by the Chinese version which came first but the taste was improved with Vietnamese flavors in my eyes and is a favorite snack all across Vietnam, but especially in central Vietnam. 

Banh Mi

Banh Mi

Another of the top Vietnamese snacks out there that you can pretty much find anywhere in the country and even make at home is Banh Mi. This snack is pretty much a Vietnamese sandwich served in a fresh Vietnamese baguette and it’s the perfect tasty snack to pick up on your way to work and is often eaten as a light lunch. 

The baguette is made of wheat and glutinous rice flour and this is then stuffed with an assortment of meat, vegetables, herbs, and other things like pate or red bean paste. 

The meat can be anything from pork to chicken or beef depending on the chef, and it’s usually seasoned with something like lemon or fish sauce. It is served up with pickled or fried onion, garlic, peppers, malt sugar, lettuce, and more, all depending on who you buy it from. 

It has a tasty spice flavor to it, especially when some chili sauce is added as it often is. Make sure to try one of these for your next meal when out and about in Vietnam. 

Bánh cuốn

Bánh cuốn

Image courtesy of Flickr

Banh cuon is one of the top Vietnamese snacks that comes from North Vietnam and it’s particularly tasty thanks to the ingredients and the crunchy texture. 

Banh cuon is pretty much the Vietnamese version of a savory crepe made of rice paper that is usually filled with minced pork or ground pork with minced mushrooms. The rice paper is incredibly thin and amazing to see being manipulated and live in front of you and once deep-fried has a distinct taste to it. 

This dish comes served with fried green onions on the top or the dish is often served on a bed of cucumber, fried shallots, shredded lettuce, and of course some fish sauce too. 

It’s a great dish to eat as a snack, a light meal, or a quick breakfast and is one of the top crispy snacks you can find in Vietnam and you’ll find it being served up on almost every street in Vietnam too. 

Nem Nướng

Nem nướng is one of my favorite Vietnamese snacks from south Vietnam and is also hugely popular all over the country. It’s pretty much a traditional Vietnamese pork sausage that is made from a mixture of lean pork that is ground with fat, garlic, fish sauce, sugar, onions, lemongrass, and some baking soda which helps to puff the meat up during the cooking process. 

Once the sausage is made it is then grilled either as a ball or on a skewer and you can serve it in a multitude of ways. If you are in South Vietnam, these snacks will come as a lemongrass skewer. You can also serve them wrapped in crispy rice paper with a chili sauce and sesame seeds, throw it in a bánh mì sandwich, or with some yummy noodles and peanut sauce. 

Coconut candy

Coconut candy

Image courtesy of Flickr

One of the Vietnamese snacks every kid loves and adults too by the way is their coconut candy. These snacks are packed full of sweetness and if you have a sweet tooth you will love them if not you will probably find them to be a bit sweet for your taste. 

These snacks are originally from the Mekong Delta where there is a factory that churns them out and wraps them in rice paper for distribution around Vietnam. 

To make these sweet treats, you need some sweet coconut strips that are then dried out of all their coconut juice, covered in sugar, and then food coloring. Once marinated they are then fried until they become dried, syrupy, and full of sweetness. 

Bún Bò Huế

Bún Bò Huế

Bun Bo Hue is another of the yummy snacks from Vietnam that you have got to eat and it’s a great dish to have as a light lunch or a starter before the main dish. 

Bun Bo Hue is pretty much the Vietnam version of ramen and is traditionally served with beef sitting in a beef broth along with banana flowers, basil, chopped onions, and some shrimp sauce. 

This is the traditional version that you would find in central Vietnam but it can also come with shrimp and pork instead of beef and can be spicy when topped with chili. 

If you’re going to try this in Vietnam, it’s best to have it at a restaurant as they will make sure the broth has a deep taste and the noodles will be super fresh too. It’s such a yummy Vietnamese snack and you’ll see locals eating it at any time of the day or night, especially around areas like Saigon. 

Bánh Cốm

Bánh Cốm

Image courtesy of Flickr

Banh Com are pretty much Vietnamese rice cakes with yummy toppings. They are readily available and a favorite street food all over Vietnam and you will literally find different versions of them everywhere. 

Banh Com are made up of sticky rice cakes and rice flour which are steamed and then topped with a mixture of pork, shrimp, steamed mung beans, and scallion oil that adds a particular flavor to the dish. 

In Vietnam, street vendors serve them in little cups stuffed with rice and they can come with a load of different toppings too. You’ll find spicy versions of these dishes, different beans on top, and other meats outside of shrimp and pork. 

This is a great food to eat all day as one little snack of these fresh treats isn’t filling at all but you can keep eating them and trying all the different versions. 

Bánh xèo

Bánh xèo

Bánh xèo is pretty much a Vietnamese pancake and the dish got its name from the sound it makes when the pancake is being made. You’ll find this dish all over Vietnam but it hails mainly from the south and central region of Vietnam. 

These yummy snacks are made from shrimp, pork belly, bean sprouts with a dash of fish sauce which is then wrapped in a rice flour pancake, deep-fried, and served with a side of fish or sweet chili sauce. 

The pancake is actually made of a mixture of turmeric and coconut milk, and it’s the coconut milk that gives it its deep texture and yellow color. 

This super tasty Vietnamese dish has many different versions depending on the street vendor or restaurant you’re buying it from. It can also come with a lot of vegetables such as lettuce, pickled carrots, and herbs such as mint and sorrel. 

This is one of the best Vietnamese dishes you can have for breakfast and it goes very well with a cup of green tea. 

Quây

Quây

Image courtesy of Flickr

Quay is a kind of sweet cake or pastry that is pretty much the Vietnamese version of youtiao, a Chinese delicacy and it’s made in a similar way too.

Quay is made by a mixture of flour, salt, sugar, and water to make the dough and it is then left for hours until it’s ready. Once it’s ready, two pieces of the dough are placed together and deep-fried until they become a nice golden color. 

The reason these are so nice to eat and the reason why almost everyone in Vietnam loves them is thanks to the prep which ensures they are puff and light after hitting the oil. 

Quay is a national treasure in Vietnam and everyone loves to eat it as a snack all over the country, in fact, it’s probably Vietnam’s favorite Vietnamese snack. 

Bánh Rán

Bánh Rán

Image courtesy of Wikimedia

Bánh Rán are a hugely popular snack in Vietnam and one you will find all over Vietnam from the north to the south. 

They are pretty much stuffed rice balls that are made by mixing rice and rice flour and then stuffing them with red beans after which they are rolled in sesame seeds, dosed in jasmine flower essence, and then deep-fried. 

This process creates a yummy crispy texture on the outside but with a soft tasty center with a burst of flavors and is usually served with fish sauce, sugar, vinegar, chili, and garlic.

You’ll find these lovely stuffed rice balls all over Vietnam and they are exceptionally filling since they are fried and stuffed with beans. They are not the most healthy snack in the world either but they are one you have to try while you’re in Vietnam. 

You’ll also find quite a few different versions of these with different stuffings to different coatings and lots more so make sure to try and taste a few different ones. 

Nem Chua

Nem Chua

Image courtesy of Wikimedia

Nem Chua is a bit of an odd snack when you hear about how it’s made but you should focus on the yummy tastes that come out of it before you think you shouldn’t try it. 

Nem Chua is pretty much fermented pork and it’s made by mixing up lean minced pork with sliced pork skin, spices, herbs, chili, and garlic. This mixture is then left for three to five days to ferment in a banana leaf in a cold place. 

The fermentation process breaks down the meat and adds a lot of spicy and garlic flavors to it and the banana leaves also add a dimension to it. It tastes kind of spicy, salty, a bit sour, a bit sweet, and it can be a little confusing. But, it’s served with raw garlic on top and then with some chili or fish sauce on the side which helps it taste a little more normal. 

About the Author Roger Timbrook

Roger is a little obsessed with travel. He has been to over 40 countries, broken 3 suitcases and owned over 10 backpacks in 12 months. What he doesn't know about travel, ain't worth knowing!

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