Hey you, ready to explore lovely streets of Saigon? Many surprises are waiting out there. By the way, it’s time the hunger strikes so why don’t we go down the street and get something to eat? Hang on tight because we are going on the most exciting culinary adventure and I’ll be your guide to show you the 5 must-try snacks that will surely give you the true taste of Saigon street food.
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Chè (sweet soup)
Everyone has a sweet tooth and a dessert craving. To treat your sweet tooth with something nice, the best choice may be Che (Vietnam sweet soup). Che is among the most favorite food to Vietnamese people. Although it’s kind of a dessert but Che is served not only after the main course but you can always find Che at café and on streets at any time. Che is a perfect way to take you away from the tropical heat thanks to its refreshing taste. Ingredients normally include a wide range of beans, jellies, fruits, seeds, vegetables and tapioca, all are served in a little bowl or a tall glass with some ice on top. It’s really hard to list out all types of Che, even for a local since new type is invented everyday. Following are the most popular Che that are worth a try when exploring Saigon street food:
- Che buoi– Vietnamese pomelo sweet soup
- Che dauden – black bean sweet soup with coconut syrup
- Che bap – sweet soup with corn
- Che bam mau– three-color sweet soup
- Che chuoi– Sweet soup with banana, coconut milk
- Che troinuoc – sweet glutinous rice dumplings
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Vietnamese pizza – The most authentic Saigon street food
Made-in-Vietnam pizza or Banh trang nuong (grilled rice paper) is perhaps the most original, authentic and unique Saigon street food. To make Banh trang nuong, the vendor covers circular rice paper sheets with butter and then she puts it on fire and adds some minced pork, dried shrimp, onion, etc on top and finally is some quail egg yolk to bind all the ingredients together. In Saigon, to find the best Banh trang nuong, you can go to Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street , District 3’s Turtle Lake Roundabout or District 1’s Reunification Park adjacent to Reunification Palace.
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Xôi (Sticky rice)
Want something to fill you up until midnight? Then, you better go out for some Xoi (Vietnam sticky rice). Xoi is a simple combination of sticky rice with many kinds of meat. Because it’s cheap and easy to take away, Xoi is the No.1 choice for breakfast of many Vietnamese. For foreigners, Xoi is the street food that makes them “Wow” the most.
Where to find Xoi – the most simple, traditional and tasty Saigon street food?
- Xoinha xac – 409 Tran Phu, Dis. 7, Ward 5. – Opening time: 18:00 – Price: 10,000 VND (USD 0.5)
- XoiChe Bui Thi Xuan – 111, Bui Thi Xuan, Pham Ngu Lao Street, Ward 1 – Opening time: 6:30-22:00 – Price: 14,000 VND – 25,000 VND
- Xoiga at Ba Chieu Marrket – Bui Huu Nghia conjuntion, Vu Tung – Price: from 15,000 VND – Opening time: 5:30am-0h
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Rice paper salad
Eating Vietnamese mixed rice paper salad or banh trang tron may be a lot of fun. Ingredients include green mango, dried beef, mint, basil, chili, quail eggs and some rice paper strips. After being well-mixed, all of these will be tossed into a small bag with some chopsticks., easy for a takeaway. The awesome mix of sour, sweet, spicy and some fish sauce makes an explosion of flavors right in a small bite and it would be perfect to be served on the pavement with some tra da.
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Bo bia– Vietnamese Jicama Roll
Bo bia is the Vietnamese version of popiah – a popular spring roll in Singapore and Malaysia and it’s so common in Saigon that it can be found on nearly every street. Inside a simple Saigon street food roll are some shrimps, egg, jicama, lap xuong, and some basil leaves. Other toppings may vary depending on the locality and personal taste of the vendor. Unlike popiah, Saigon Bo bia is smaller and can be finished in just two bites.
Day by day, there are more and more new types of street food is invented or even imported in Saigon but these 5 snacks are always listed on top because you can find nowhere but just in a simple bite for the true taste of Saigon street food. Remember to one of the must things to do when visiting the South. Maybe it will turn out to be a lot of for your Vietnam travel.
To explore the street food and other amazing things of Saigon, let’s book a ticket with GoAsiaDayTrip here.
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