STEAMED ROLLED RICE PANCAKE 

 

Hanoian Steamed Rolled Rice Pancake in Pairs

After we had spent the entire morning visiting the Musée de l’Homme in Paris, my friend Tony Tao proposed to me, “You have been eating French food for the past month. Why don’t you let me take you somewhere we can have Banh Cuon Thanh Tri (Thanh Tri Steamed Rolled Rice Pancake) and Pho (Hanoian flat rice noodles) for lunch!”

Tao loves Vietnamese food, though he has been living in France for many years and has performed in more than 50 countries. Luckily, he can afford his expensive tastes, thanks to his high income. Vietnamese food may be cheap in Viet Nam, but not in France, where a bowl of pho is 40 francs (US$ 6) and a dish of Banh Cuon Thanh Tri ((Thanh Tri Steamed Rolled Rice Pancake) 20 francs.

Hai continued as we were cosily settled in a Vietnamese restaurant, “I eat out a lot, so I know there are about 600 restaurants in Paris where Vietnamese food is served. It is these restaurants that have helped the very demanding French diners accept Vietnamese dishes such as Nem Ran (spring rolls) and the taste of Nuoc Mam (fish sauce) in dipping sauces. You know, a recent edition of Le Petit Larousse dictionary has included Nem Ran and Nuoc Mam among its entries.”

 

 

 

A memorable experience

I asked, ” Nuoc Mam used to be translated as saumure in French?” Hai replied, “That’s just a rough translation, but it is not accurate. The French tend to think of saumure as a kind of salt. The use of the Vietnamese original word Nuoc Mam in the modern French vocabulary helps to avoid misunderstanding.”

During this visit to France, I had another chance to witness the popularity of Vietnamese cooking there. That was during the three – day Féte de l’Humanité (the annual festival of the newspaper of the French Communist Party) at La Courneuve Park in the north-east of Paris; about one million visitors were there. As I approached the Vietnam Pavilion, I could smell the distinct aroma of Cha (grilled pork) as a crowd of people was waiting for their turn. The Vietnamese served a wide range of specialities, including Bun Cha (grilled pork with round rice noodles), Nem Ran (deep-fried spring rolls), Com Rang (fried rice), and Chuoi Tam Bot Ran (fried banana pasties). Of the 350 French and foreign pavilions, the Vietnamese and the Cuban were, according to the organisers, the most popular.

Conclusion

On the Air France flight back to Hanoi, I was treated to famous French foods, but I could not help thinking proudly of the conquest Vietnamese cuisine has made in Paris, a centre of the world’s gastronomy.  If you are in Vietnam and interested in discovering more about Hanoi – the capital and its significance, we invite you to join us at Free Walking Tours Hanoi. We’ll take you across the building, and provide you with a unique perspective of the city. Book now and don’t miss out on this amazing experience.