Banh Ran (Vietnamese Donut)

Banh ran is known as a deep-fried rice ball that comes from the North of Vietnam. This Vietnamese dish includes pies, pastries and cakes. To make the outer shell, the locals use glutinous rice flour, mixed with water, then cover with white sesame seeds. In the meanwhile, the inside has 2 kinds of options. The salty one is made from a mixture of glass noodles, minced meat, veggies, salt, wood-ear mushroom, pepper, prawn, etc., which is quite similar to the pillow cakes of Vietnam. On the other hand, the sweet version is filled with sweetened mung bean paste and jasmine flower essence.

Banh Ran is known as a deep-fried rice ball

Vietnam has a lot of different kinds of sweet cake, however, Banh ran is still the greatest choice thanks to its crispy cover, moderately sweet taste as well as subtle fragrant. The fillings, after being wrapped inside the dough, will be put into the frying pan until the cover turns golden brown, aromatic, and crispy.

Normally, the salty version is served with sour and sweet chili sauce along with sliced papaya or radish. And the sweet version will be eaten with tea or a sugary syrup over the pastry.

Sweet Vietnamese Donut

Nowadays, it is not hard to find a store selling Banh ran around Vietnam. You can even buy from street vendors, too. Now, we will show you some of the best stores in Banh ran that are famous in Hanoi:

1. Salty cake at Phuong Mai Lane

This small shop is always packed with people purchasing glutinous rice doughnuts. The owner is always busy with cutting the powder into smaller pieces, shape into circle shapes, and put deep down into the frying pan. 

The look of the donuts here is exactly like many other places but the flavor is exceptional. The cover is mixed with sticky rice flour, salt, and sweet potato puree. Thus, it will not be too dry when leaving long in the air. 

• Address: 135 Lane on Phuong Mai Street
• Price: 20 cents per doughnut
• Opening hours: 04:00 pm to 07:00 pm

Salty Donut in Hanoi

2. Traditional rice doughnut on Hang Chieu Street

This shop has opened for over 20 years. It is famous for its delicious sugar doughnuts. Despite having a small space, the shop is usually crowded with people. They have 2 options including honey and sugar on the cover of the cake. The green beans inside are smooth and soft. 

• Address: 52 Hang Chieu Street, Hoan Kiem District
• Price: 20 cents per doughnut
• Opening hours: 09:00 am to 09:00 pm

Traditional Rice Donut

3. Rice doughnut on Dinh Liet Street

This place sells both sweet and salty doughnuts. You can be very full when eating here because all the doughnuts are full of cake as well as a dipping sauce. 

• Location: 16 Dinh Liet Street, Hoan Kiem District
• Price: 20 cents per doughnut
• Opening hours: 09:00 am to 08:00 pm

Rice Donut is a tasty food

In conclusion, Banh ran is a tasty food that every tourist coming to Northern Vietnam should try. Just try both flavors and tell us the difference!

Image source: Internet