Indulge in the Scents of Three Delightful Xoi Dishes in Hanoi

Alongside pho, the stalls offering various xoi options are also widely popular in Hanoi, where tourists can find them while exploring the streets in the early morning.

Explore the Culinary Delights of Three Xoi Dishes in Hanoi

Xoi, a long-favored traditional dish, is often chosen for a quick, budget-friendly, and fulfilling breakfast. Although a common dish in many places, xoi in Hanoi always boasts its unique flavor. Discover these three xoi varieties for a culinary journey in the capital city.

Xoi Xeo

Among the various xoi dishes, the process of making xoi xeo is quite intricate. The glutinous rice must be selected for its long, even grains, free of impurities, soaked in turmeric water for a golden hue. Mung beans need to be fresh, clean, and crushed into halves, soaked, meticulously peeled, steamed until cooked, and then ground finely in a mortar.

Experience the warmth of a bundle of xoi, each grain glistening in a warm golden glow, rich and fragrant with the aroma of glutinous rice, smooth yellow mung beans, crispy golden fried shallots, and a subtle scent of fresh lotus leaves. Enjoy the hot, fragrant, and sticky xoi, each grain infused with the essence of fried shallots and the richness of mung beans.

Xoi xeo is always a favored dish, especially on chilly days. In some villages around Hanoi, such as Phu Thuong, Tan Mai, Tương Mai, the traditional craft of making xoi xeo persists. Every morning, they bring it to sell on the streets and alleys for the residents of Hanoi.

Rice Xoi

Rice xoi, also known as corn xoi or expanded corn, is a simple and common breakfast choice for laborers and students. Rice xoi in Hanoi boasts a distinctive flavor, especially in the Tương Mai area.

Creating delicious rice xoi requires effort. Apart from selecting sticky rice, corn must be carefully chosen—large and uniform grains, soaked in lime water, meticulously boiled to make the grains plump and moist. The corn is then peeled, washed thoroughly to remove the lime odor, left to cool, mixed with sticky rice, a pinch of salt added, and then cooked.

The finished xoi has a lemon-yellow color, with soft, sticky grains that are plump and bursting. The xoi and corn must blend together perfectly. Just like rice xoi, xoi xeo cannot be without ripe green beans, finely crushed and molded into balls.

Indulge in the rich flavor of sticky rice, where you'll experience the nutty taste of soybeans, the sweetness of corn kernels, the chewiness of glutinous rice, and occasionally encounter the delightful crunch of corn kernels.

Rice Cake Delight

Sticky rice wrapped in a delicate cake shell, intertwined with milled glutinous rice and filled with finely mashed green beans and a succulent mixture of both lean and fatty pork. This dish boasts a distinct aroma from the mugwort leaves, a spicy kick from the pepper, a chewy and smooth texture from the glutinous rice, and a wholesome green hue from the mugwort.

The key ingredients for this delicacy are high-quality glutinous rice, green beans, and half-lean, half-fatty pork. Mugwort leaves are harvested in the untouched fields along the riverbanks. In Hanoi, Rice Cake Delight is a year-round delicacy, but it reaches its pinnacle during the mugwort season around January and February when the prolonged drizzles make it truly flavorful.

Holding a steaming Rice Cake Delight in your hand, the moist glutinous rice grains cling to the cake, and with each bite, the aromatic fragrance fills the air. The distinct scent of mugwort blends with the aroma of glutinous rice, green beans, black pepper, and the rich flavor of the pork permeates every bite, leaving you craving for another package.

The simplicity and rustic charm of Hanoi's sticky rice speak volumes. Yet, this dish has accompanied countless generations through time, creating a special significance for every child of this land.

According to Vnexpress

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Reference: Travel guide Mytour