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.
.jpg)
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.
.jpg)
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
-
Ta Hien's Beer
Drinking beer, chatting with friend in the corner street in Hanoi is the most greatest feeling when you come and enjoy the atmosphere here.
-
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...
-
Khau Thuy Cake
Khau Thuy cake is a specialty food of Bac Kan and an indispensible food in Long Tong festival to worship the gods and hope for good weather and harvest.
-
Pau Play Day Cake
Round sticky rice cake is made from glutinous rice. Glutinous rice is soaked in water about 2 hours and then pours it into the pot. After that, sticky rice will be put into...
-
Bun Cha Hanoi
One of the iconic dishes in Hanoi , Bun Cha is one of our favourite of all street foods in Vietnam. It’s got two types of pork, a smoking hot grill, a tangy fish sauce...
-
Halong Prawn
Halong is not only proud for being one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, but also one of the most famous destinations for high quality seafood. Among all, the most...
Destinations
Most popular tours
-
Early Morning Ride in Hanoi
Price from: 15 US$
-
Duong Lam Ancient Village
Price from: 28 US$
-
Vietnam Express Southbound
Price from: 950 US$
-
Saigon Street Food
Price from: 35 US$
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