Bo bia

Bo bia is one of those street snacks that tends to be overlooked by the average travelling street muncher. Maybe it’s due to its similarity in appearance to goi cuon, the famous Vietnamese fresh spring rolls. However, once you’ve had a few –- and you can have a few at one go – you’ll see why bo bia is a different roll altogether.

 

Bo bia looks like a mini-version of goi cuon with its distinctive rice paper wrapper, but this is where Vietnam’s influence ends and China take over. Inside, the roll bears a close resemblance to popiah, a Fujian-style fresh spring roll. While goi cuon relies on herbs like mint and chives to give it a bit of heft in the taste department, bo bia uses each filling ingredient to give a distinct taste not usually found in Vietnamese cuisine: the roll is filled with thinly sliced jicama and carrots, egg omelette ribbons, xa xiu or Chinese sausage and dried shrimp. The sliced xa xiu is placed in the last layer of the rice paper wrapper to give the roll its distinctive look. It’s served with a peanut flavoured dipping sauce reminiscent of the sauce served with goi cuon in Nha Trang. Fried shallots and chopped chillies round out the sauce.

 

 

Bo bia is a medley of flavours and textures. The jicama and carrot give the roll its crunchy texture, counterbalancing the egg’s softness. The somewhat fatty xa xiu adds a richness to the roll lacking in goi cuon.

 Most bo bia vendors can be found wandering the streets of Ho Chi Minh City on bicycles and you’ll probably hear them before you see them. These vendors only serve take-away portions, with everything placed in plastic bags. That is fine for the rolls, but it makes for a frustrating eating experience when trying to dip the bo bia into the sauce in the bag.

If you are looking for a red plastic stool experience, you can find a great bo bia stand at Ho Con Rua or Turtle Lake on Pham Ngoc Thach and Vo Van Tan, where you will get your dipping sauce in a proper cup. Since the rolls are the length of an index finger, most people order them in batches as just one doesn’t fill you up. Expect to pay 5,000 VND per roll.

See more

  • Bun Bo Hue

    As the name suggests, this dish is a noodle soup that comes from Hue —the former capital of Vietnam and bun bo Hue is one of the most famous food in the...

  • Goi ca mai (Mai fish salad)

    Vung Tau is not home to Mai fish salad but when talking about Vung Tau cuisine, people can't not remember about this dish. And Mai fish salad becomes one of the most...

  • Quang noodle (My Quang)

    Quang noodle (Mỳ Quảng) is one of the most famous specialties of Hoi An food. This dish’s ingredients include rice, vegetables and met but the way of cooking and...

  • Western food in Halong Bay

    Similar to any other famous tourism cities in the world, besides its delicious local specialties Ha Long has a wide range of Western cuisine dishes to serve the increasing...

  • Banh tet la cam

    Banh tet is traditional cakes that people in the South usually use in Tet holiday. And Banh tet la cam is one of the most specialties in Can Tho because of its unique taste...

  • The most wanted Hanoi street foods

    There are top foods and drink that you should try before leaving Hanoi .

  • Ba Khia

    Ba Khia is a specialty food in Bac Lieu and you should not miss a chance to try this dish when traveling to Bac Lieu. There are many dishes that are cooked from this main...

  • Tam bi cake

    Banh tam bi is a specialty and one of the most famous rustic food in Can Tho. This cake is very delicious with the harmonious taste between sweet and saltiness. 

  • Banh tam bi Bac Lieu

    There are many different places to sell banh tam bi but banh tam bi in Bac Lieu has an special taste that makes it become a famous food with both domestic and foreign...

  • Bun bo cay (chili beef vermicelli)

    Unlike bun mam, bun bo or bun cha, etc.,  bun bo cay in Bac Lieu has an unique taste and special hot chili. The method of cooking bun bo cay is still a secret of Bac...

Most popular tours

Business info

  • Vietnam Local Guide

  • Address: 18th Floor, VTC Online Tower, 18 Tam Trinh Str.,Hai Ba Trung Dist., Hanoi, Vietnam
  • Email: info@vietnamguider.com
  • Phone: (+84) 0904989890
  • Hotline: (+84) 0904989890