Sugar 'n' Xoi

I'm not a big fan of Xoi (sticky rice, sticky bean sweets and savouries) but I'm a big fan of street stalls and this was the third stall of its kind I saw on today's downtown jaunt. I thought perhaps somebody was trying to tell me something, so I pulled up for a sniff. This mobile seller was hawking her wares at 43 Nguyen Trung Ngan Street in District 1. It's a small side street at right angles to a popular street market which sells all manner of veggies, live river fish, squid and there's also what looks like a halfway decent Banh cuon stall.

My problem with xoi is that it always looks way better than it tastes. The colours, coconut and gloppy beans are eye candy. However, you need a whopping great bag of sugar to kickstart a sweet xoi. I'd rather have a Che any day. This stall seller gives you the sugar bag along with a plastic spoon and the xoi in polystyrene boxes or newspaper. It goes for 2,000VD a pop. I'll admit I only had 2 or 3 mouthfuls of each just to get a taste before I gave them to noodlegirl, who is a fan. Although she couldn't help me dissect the ingredients. I do want to try the black rice xoi - and I've got a stall in mind, hope to blog it up soon - but I doubt I'll cough up for this dish again. Have a look at the closeups below. If you know what goes into these xoi, let us all know via the comment box. Cheers.

The first one is Bap nhao.

And here's the Xoi bap.

Comments

[FatMan Seoul]

Looks interesting. Is this meant to be deserts or main?

(thought to self : hmmm .... wonder if they deliver to Korea)

[Reid]

Hey Noodlepie,

Couldn't tell you what's in these, as I've never seen these dishes. But if they taste as good as they look, I'd be a fan too! Getting hungry now! =P

[pieman]

Yes - we're talking dessert here Fats. Or at least a sweet snack. Although, you could eat it sans sugar, but it is very bland that way. Reid, I'm not a fan. Just wish I was. it looks so good whenever I see it on the streets.

[Daisy]

Hi Noodlepie,
I'm a Vietnamese but living in Canada. I often check this weblog...just to be curious to know how a non-Vietnamese talks about Vietnamese food . :-)You did a great job. Thank you so much. I'm going back to Saigon soon so I am writing a must-to-eat list now. :-)
Xoi Bap is one of my favourite breakfast that I used to have it when I lived there. It contains corn that is cooked (or steamed) with a litle bit sticky rice. It remains dry after cooking and serves with a litle bit of sugar, fried onions, smashed cooked green bean. It smells so goooood after all.
Xoi Bap Nhao is another one. In this one, corn is cooked with a large amount of sticky rice and it remains wet, a litle bit watery. It serves with sugar that is mixed of a litle bit salt, peanut and young coconut meats.
Hope it helps.

[pieman]

Daisy - this is very much appreciated. That makes this dish a lot clearer for all. Enjoy your trip to Saigon.

[Reid]

Hey noodlepie,

Sorry if I wasn't clear, what I meant was that I'd be "a fan too" like noodlegirl...you mentioned she was a fan of this.

[Tuyen]

Although they being sold and eaten throughout the day, xoi is one of the favorit breakfast foods for the Vietnemese.

[vunguyen]

yup, more like a breakfast. Im so hungry.....
They also have those here in TX, if you want try some vietnamese supermaket. But Im not a big fan of vietnamese food in the US, not that it's bad, but I always feeling like the food missing something... Maybe Im just homesick.

BTW, streetfood is okie for all vietnamese, maybe we developed some kind of self defense against bacteria, lol. But I recommend you should try those in restaurants/hotels(they do have those food)

[julie+carlos]

we just got back from vn - xoi was our FAVORITE dish there!!! there are different xoi's - but the best is the sweet one for breakfast. and for just twelve cents (2000vnd) it just doesn't get any better.
our xoi is like a taco - the 'tortilla' is a coconut cream thin pancake / crepe type, filled with rice, mung beans (sweet beans) and black-eyed peas; topped with sugar, a pinch of salt and a lot of coconut. what we tasted was truly amazing - so many flavors wrapped up in the most perfect vietnamese 'taco'.
now we're back in austin craving what we'll have to travel across the world to taste again.

[julie+carlos]

oops! i said the crepe was coconut-based - but actually, it is rice-based. but it sure is yummy!!!!

[Angela]

Xo^i is rice grain that's very, very sticky and chewy. I like to chew on xo^i similarly to the way I like to chew on heavy, crusty breads more than soft breads.

But I typically don't like all the junk that goes with xo^i. I've tasted shredded coconuts, coarsely chopped peanuts, sesame seeds, sugar, salt, fried onions, mung beans, fragrant leaves, bananas, etc., in xo^i, which in my humble opinion assault the taste buds in such an odd way.

I generally like the sticky rice when it's in che` and when it's cooked to death in ba'nh chu+ng.

You're so lucky to be able to sample Vietnamese street stalls foods to your heart's delight. I've never had the opportunity. I've visited Vietnamese shops in the U.S. and tried the food there. But I'm sure eating from street vendors sitting on those colorful plastic stools would be quite an adventurous experience. Cheers.