23 BEST Vietnamese Snacks You Should Try

Vietnam is a country known for its abundance of fresh cooking ingredients and a long tradition of creative cooking and preparation style. This diversity is even most evident in their snack collection. Vietnamese snacks are something critically unique, fascinating, and special that you cannot find anywhere else in the world. Let’s join with VTJ to check out 23 Vietnamese Snacks you should try.

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1. Bánh Đậu Xanh (Mung Bean Cubes)

Bánh Đậu Xanh (Mung Bean Cubes) - A unique charm of Vietnam cuisine

The Mung bean cube is a popular Vietnamese snack made from basic ingredients. It’s made using green bean flour, which is formed into small cubes, wrapped up in foil, and sold in small packages. During Tet holidays, it becomes a common, familiar and traditional dessert after meals, people often enjoy this delightful snack with a cup of tea.

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2. Bánh Phồng Tôm (Vietnamese Prawn Crackers)

Vietnamese Prawn Crackers are popular for their savory taste in Vietnamese snacks

Shrimp crackers are a popular snack in Southeast Asian countries. The fried cake is crispy, spongy, greasy, and fragrant with seafood. There is a famous brand in Vietnam that produces the most prawn crackers called Sa Giang, their products are also exported overseas as well.

>>> Read more: Food in Hue: 14 BEST Local Dishes from Hue

3. Kẹo Dừa (Coconut Candy)

Kẹo Dừa, or Coconut Candy, is a sweet Vietnamese delicacy

Renowned as Ben Tre Province’s iconic delicacy, Vietnamese coconut candy is a handmade treat made from coconut milk, coconut cream, and sugar. They’re often wrapped in two layers of wrapping, with the inner layer being edible rice paper, and the outer layer being paper.

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4. Marou Chocolate

Marou Chocolate is a snack for chocolate enthusiasts

Vietnamese marou’s chocolate has distinct flavor profiles of each origin because they are made from a combination of selected cocoa beans from various areas in southern Vietnam. Taking a journey through Vietnamese provinces, VTJ is pretty sure that this combined Vietnamese heritage with premium cacao will produce an amazing chocolate experience.

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5. Kẹo Cu Đơ (Peanut and rice paper brittle)

Kẹo Cu Đơ (Peanut and rice paper brittle) is a Ha Tinh specialty

Cu-do candy (Peanut and rice paper brittle) is a Ha Tinh specialty that is round and has a crunchy rice paper coating on the outside. Inside, there’s a yummy mix of cane molasses, malt powder, sesame, ginger, and roasted peanuts. 

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6. Mè Xửng (Sesame Candy)

Mè Xửng (Sesame Candy) is a Vietnamese sweet treat

Sesame candy is the famous Vietnamese snack originating from the ancient capital of Hue. Its ingredients seem like the same as Cu-do candy but do not include rice paper, covered with sesame and cut into small square pieces. This specialty has become one of Hue’s cultural symbols.

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7. Cơm Cháy (Crispy Rice)

It would be a mistake not to mention Crispy Rice when it comes to Vietnamese snacks

Crispy rice has been remembered as a “legendary snack” in South Vietnam. To make this delightful snack, people dry rice until it turns to a golden-brown colour, then add on some fish sauce, spring onion, and pork floss. Together, they all combine to create a rich, unique, and delicious flavour that is said to be an absolute must-try for everyone visiting Vietnam.

>>> Read more: Vietnamese Desserts: 10+ Must-try Sweets in Vietnam

8. Mứt Gừng (Candied Ginger)

Mứt Gừng is not only known as a snack but also a natural remedy for digestion and immunity

One offering would never be absent on the candy and dried-fruit tray during Tet occasions – Candied Ginger. It is not only known as a snack but it is also called as a natural remedy for digestion and immunity. Fresh gingers are sliced, and then cooked in sugar syrup, which brings out the flavor of sweet and spicy balance.

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9. Ô Mai (Dried Fruits)

Ô Mai refers to dried fruits - A delightful Vietnamese sweet

Drying is one of the earliest forms of food preservation. It is still commonly used to preserve foods for household consumption and sale. Dry fruits can be prepared from kumquats, coconuts, pumpkins, kiwis, lotus seeds, and so on. It’s not hard at all to see vendors selling these dried fruits on crowded streets in Vietnam.

>>> Read more: Vietnam’s Unique Culinary Delights: From Chicken Feet to Silkworm Pupa

10. Dừa Sấy (Coconut Flakes)

Coconut flakes is a tasty, sugary Vietnamese snack

Coconut flakes, known as “Candied coconut ribbons”, is a tasty, sugary Vietnamese snack. They are vividly coloured and incredibly attractive. People usually serve them along with other sugary snacks during the Lunar New Year festival and use them to honor their ancestors on family altars.

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11. Chả Giò (Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls)

Vietnamese Fried Spring Roll is a popular and delightful appetizer

Vietnamese Fried Spring Roll is a popular and delightful appetizer. They are a delectable combination of crunchy outside and flavourful inside that includes noodles, mushrooms, and meat. They make an excellent appetizer when dipped in a tasty sauce or served alongside other meals.

>>> Read more: 32+ BEST Restaurants in Hoi An, Vietnam (Updated 2023)

12. Chạo Tôm (Sugar Cane Shrimp)

Chạo Tôm is a fragrant appetizer that originated from central Vietnam

Sugar Cane Shrimp is a fragrant appetizer originated in Huế, central Vietnam. These aromatic grilled savory-sweet morsels are a traditional Vietnamese starter and celebration meal. Chao tom is made by wrapping a stick of sugarcane in a garlicky shrimp paste, steaming it, and then grilling it to complete. It is often served with herbs, vermicelli noodles, and fish sauce.

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13. Gỏi Cuốn (Vietnamese Summer Rolls)

Vietnamese Summer Rolls is a light snack and can be found all over Vietnam

Vietnamese spring rolls are wrapped in rice paper and filled with pork, shrimp, rice vermicelli, and veggies, and served with a flavourful peanut dipping sauce. VTJ can assure you that these Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls are bursting with vibrant, fresh tastes and presented with an immensely delicious sauce that will bring you back for a second.

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14. Bánh Xèo (Crispy Vietnamese Pancake)

Bánh Xèo (Crispy Vietnamese Pancake) are Vietnamese sizzling crepes

Crispy Vietnamese Pancakes, called Bánh Xèo are Vietnamese sizzling crepes prepared from rice flour and topped with meat, pork, or shrimp and a sprinkle of bean sprouts and spring onion, typically served with tangy chili dipping sauce.

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15. Bánh Rán (Deep-fried Glutinous Rice Balls)

Bánh Rán is known as a deep-fried glutinous rice ball from northern Vietnamese cuisine

Vietnamese Deep-fried Glutinous Rice Ball is a crispy, sweet, and chewy dessert with a golden brown exterior shell covered in a crust of caramel sugar and a filling of sweet mung bean paste filling. This would be a perfect option for a healthy snack or a quick breakfast for a busy day.

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16. Bánh Khọt (Vietnamese Mini Savory Pancakes)

Bánh Khọt is a crispy Vietnamese bite-sized mini pancake

Vietnamese Mini Savory Pancake, often known as Banh Khot, is a famous Vietnamese street food with a delightful combination of flavors and textures. Its crispy outer and soft inside texture, along with delectable savory marinated shrimp, fresh herbs, pickled vegetables, and the sweet and sour chili dipping sauce, make it absolutely delicious.

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17. Nem Nướng (Vietnamese Grilled Pork Sausage)

An unmissable Vietnamese snack - Nem Nướng (Vietnamese Grilled Pork Sausage)

Nem Nướng is a Vietnamese Grilled Pork Sausage roasted on a skewer and served as an appetizer, snack, or main dish with rice or noodles. These pork sticks are sweet, savory, and smokey, with a delightfully juicy and bouncy texture. Give it a try, you will not be disappointed when your skewer arrives with sizzling pork fat that bursts with juices in each bite. 

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18. Bánh Bao (Vietnamese Steamed Buns)

Bánh Bao (Vietnamese Steamed Buns) is the perfect breakfast or afternoon snack

Vietnamese Steamed Buns or Banh Bao are fluffy, savory pork buns filled with minced pork, wood ear mushrooms, salted duck eggs or quail eggs, and sausage. The ground pork filling is seasoned simply with oyster sauce, black pepper, salt, and oil.

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19. Nem Lụi (Grilled Ground Pork on Lemongrass Skewers)

Nem Lụi is a traditional dish originating from Vietnam

This is also called “Nem Lui”, or Lemongrass Pork Skewers, which is ground pork marinated with salt, sugar, black pepper, and chopped lemongrass, then rolled around a lemongrass skewer and cooked over the charcoal grill. These skewers are usually served with a delicious spicy dipping sauce, which is also called “the soul of this dish”.

>>> Read more: 12+ Spots to Get BEST Banh Mi in Hanoi, Vietnam (Updated 2023)

20. Bánh Ướt (Steamed Wet Pancakes)

Bánh Ướt (Steamed Wet Pancakes) is one of the most famous specialties in Vietnam

Banh Uot or Steamed Wet Pancakes are thin, translucent Vietnamese dishes made from rice flour, tapioca, or potato starch. Traditionally, they are steamed on specialized steamers and served rolled with a sweet chili dipping sauce, pork sausage, fried shallots, and veggies.

>>> Read more: 8+ Spots to Get BEST Banh Mi in Ho Chi Minh City (Updated 2023)

21. Bánh Cam (Vietnamese Donuts)

Bánh Cam - Delicious Vietnamese donuts with a crispy exterior and sweet filling

Banh Cam, also known as Vietnamese Donuts, is the Southern Vietnamese version of the Vietnamese Deep-fried Glutinous Rice Ball. The only difference is the exterior shell of Banh Cam is coated in a layer of sesame seeds instead of a crust of caramel sugar, all ingredients and making process of the two are completely the same.

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22. Quẩy (Vietnamese Crullers)

Quẩy (Vietnamese Crullers) are very popular in Vietnamese cuisine

Vietnamese Scullers, or Vietnamese Fried Dough Sticks are very popular in Vietnamese cuisine. These sticks are typically served with congees, noodle soup, or hot pot as toppings, or sometimes they are eaten as snacks. 

>>> Read more: Top 10 Vietnamese street food you can find anywhere in Saigon

23. Nem Chua (Cured Fermented Beef or Pork)

Nem Chua is a highlight among Vietnamese snacks

Nem chua, one of Vietnam’s must-try delicacies, is a meat roll with a sweet, acidic, salty, and spicy flavor made from marinated minced pork or beef with a mixture of seasoning, wrapped in fresh leaves. This is a favorite snack among men while they are drinking beer. The tartness of the appetizer contrasts with the cold, frequently bitter beer, hot garlic, and chilies, creating an addictive mix.

>>> Read more: What to eat at the supermarkets and convenience stores in Vietnam

Vietnamese snacks are something delectable, wonderful treats. Hopefully, the list of the Best 23 Vietnamese snacks you should try will be useful for you when traveling to Vietnam. Feel free to share your experience and follow for more Vietnam travel ideas from VTJ!

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Vietnam Teaching Jobs (VTJ), which was founded in 2012 is a well-established platform for teachers to find their dream teaching job in Vietnam. Covering the entirety of the country, we have successfully paired thousands of happy teachers and schools. Be part of the thousands of happy teachers working in Vietnam, register and apply for your dream job today!