Mao Dien rolled rice pancakes – special treat for visitors to Bac Ninh

The fine combination of rice, fried onion flakes and tangy sauce makes “banh cuon Mao Dien” (Mao Dien steamed rolled rice pancakes) unforgettable to anyone who tastes them.

Mao Dien rolled rice pancakes – special treat for visitors to Bac Ninh. (Photo: VNA)
Mao Dien rolled rice pancakes – special treat for visitors to Bac Ninh. (Photo: VNA)

Mao Dien Commune in Thuan Thanh District, in the northern province of Bac Ninh, is renowned for its delicious “banh cuon” – steamed rolled rice pancakes.

An eye-catching thing about the pancakes is fried onion flakes, and preparing the topping is meticulous work. Firstly, the skin of the onions, or more specifically shallots, is removed, and then they are washed and fried until they release a pleasant fragrance.

Later, the fried onions are ground up, and then sprinkled over the pancakes when they are cool.

Local women must select the best rice grain, soak it in water for several hours, grind the soaked rice with a stone mill, and filter the mixture of rice and water to remove any sourness before applying a thin layer of the liquid to a cloth atop a pot of boiling water to steam.

To make a 35 – 40kg basket of “banh cuon”, people must work continually for 5 – 6 hours. All the steps require care, patience and speed.

Every day, at 2-3am, local women begin carrying “banh cuon” to villages and markets far and wide to ensure people have a delicious breakfast to start the new day.