Mão Điền steamed rice crepes are well known for their distinctive taste and appearance. Photos courtesy of Bánh Cuốn Mão Điền

Thanh Hà

BẮC NINH — Sharing familiar ingredients yet delivering a pleasant surprise, Mão Điền steamed rice crepes prove that simplicity can still produce something special. Made from rice, fried onion flakes and dipping sauce like many versions of bánh cuốn found across Việt Nam, the Mão Điền variety stands apart in both appearance and taste, impressing from the very first bite.

I had the chance to try the dish during a visit to the home of a former college friend in Thuận Thành Ward of Bắc Ninh Province, about 35 kilometres from Hà Nội.

She eagerly took me around every corner of her town before insisting that I try Mão Điền steamed rice crepes, a dish she said no one could resist, despite its simplicity and rustic character.

We took a seat at a small shop in the Hồ town afternoon market and waited a few minutes for our order to arrive.

A dish of Mão Điền crepes topped with fried onion flakes makes for a satisfying breakfast.

And yes, the dish was immediately eye-catching for its distinctive colour, pleasant taste and inviting aroma.

As a bánh cuốn lover, I have tried the dish in many cities and provinces. While recipes and shapes varied, they were almost always white. The Mão Điền version stood out as the only one with a light brown hue.

It is topped with fried onion flakes and served with sweet and sour fish sauce, pork sausage and aromatic herbs. Priced from just VNĐ20,000 (less the $US1) per dish, it offers diners a satisfying and filling meal.

No one remembers exactly when the dish first appeared. We have made it for many years in our village,” Ms Dung, the shop owner from Mão Điền Village, told me. “It is a long-standing tradition passed down from generation to generation.

“It was a complicated process that required many stages of preparation as we made it by hand in the past. But now machines replace humans in most stages of the process. It has saved us a lot of hard work.”

Craft behind the crepes

Machines are now used in Mão Điền to produce the crepes.

Dung said that to make delicious rice paper rolls, she must go through many steps such as selecting fragrant rice, washing it thoroughly, soaking it for the right amount of time, grinding it finely and then filtering the flour.

After resting, the flour is poured into a steaming machine and each hot layer of rice paper is carefully separated and brushed with scallion oil to enhance the aroma.

The fried onion flakes are also prepared with care. The onions are washed, sliced and fried until they turn golden brown to light brown and release a pleasant fragrance. Some are placed on top as garnish, while the rest are ground and sprinkled over the crepes after cooling, giving the dish its distinctive colour.

To meet growing consumer demand, residents in Mão Điền produce two types of bánh cuốn, one with fried onion flakes and another with wood ear mushroom.

In Mão Điền, each family has its own secret recipe,” said Dung, who has more than 20 years of experience making the dish. “Even with the same ingredients, we must be careful and meticulous at every step to ensure quality.”

Mão Điền’s crepes have become one of Bắc Ninh’s signature dishes.

'Speciality has gone viral'

Despite running a small shop, Dung supplies dozens of kilograms of crepes to other wards and communes in Bắc Ninh and also has regular customers in Hà Nội, Hải Phòng and other localities.

The dish has also been featured as one of Bắc Ninh’s specialities at food and beverage fairs nationwide.

While eating, we saw a young woman with a camera approaching Dung to ask for permission to film.

She was from Hà Nội and works as a digital content creator. On this visit, she wanted to review Mão Điền crepes on her channel following repeated requests from her followers.

“I have eaten these crepes several times after watching a clip on YouTube and really love them,” said Diễm Quỳnh.

“I decided to travel here and record a clip and compare it with other bánh cuốn for my followers as well as popularise this delicious dish to a wider community. I will also buy several kilograms to take home for my family and friends, as they ordered me a lot.”

Mão Điền crepes are introduced at the Autumn Fair 2025 in Hà Nội. — VNS Photo Thanh Thảo

Dung said Quỳnh was not the first reviewer to visit her shop. She had welcomed several others over the past year and said that thanks to them, the village’s speciality has gone viral and business has improved markedly.

She added that she is always happy to welcome curious diners eager to explore Bắc Ninh’s cuisine — a dish she says is loved by everyone. — VNS