Famous snacks in Vietnam to taste, under 20,000 VND

For a long time, street snacks have become an indispensable food for culinary devotees. People enjoy these dishes because of not only their unique taste but also the reasonable price.

snacks in Vietnam
Snails are typical snacks in Vietnam | @kellymaiiii

Even if you only have 20,000 dong (under 1 dollar) in your hand, you can fill your stomach with a plate of Banh Gio, a bag of sour mixed beef, or strange Xap Xap.

Let’s check the top snacks in Vietnam for your hungry stomach!

Fried Banana and Sweet-potato Cake

Walking past the rows of fried banana and sweet-potato pancakes, looking at the crispy yellow ones on the iron frame, anyone could not suppress the feeling of craving.

vietnamese fried banana
Fried bananas & sweet potatoes |©Vietnamdrive

The ingredients of these cakes are nothing special, only flour added a few banana and sweet-potato slices, and then fry them until golden.

Simple as that, but the taste of the cake is forever lingering. Banana cake has a mildly sour, sweet taste; and sweet-potato cake is both sweet and fragrant.

The fried banana and sweet-potato cakes are special food that is popular on cold days. You can find them in most places in Vietnam.

Banh Gio (Rice Cake)

Banh Gio is a typical snack that you cannot ignore when wanting to taste the street food in Vietnam.

In Hanoi, the shop of rice cakes on Thuy Khue Street is very famous and delicious for the local people.

banh gio hanoi
Banh Gio |@zita_mama

Being bigger than the others, the rice cakes here are soft and supple, but not crushed, and always have a slight aroma of rice flour. The filling is made from minced lean shoulder meat with wood-ear fungus, rich flavored mushrooms.

Banh Gio is a perfect morning or afternoon gift, giving you a full meal. Many people like to eat this rice cake with chili sauce or pepper.

Donuts

There are 2 types of Vietnamese donuts: savory and pastry. Sweet donuts are usually filled with bean paste with a skin of sugar and sesame. A sweet donut costs about 3,000 VND.

Vietnamese donuts
Vietnamese donuts also tasty snacks in Vietnam | ©Vietnamdrive

Salty donuts cost an average of about 5,000 VND with the filling of meat, wood-ear, and served with dipping sauce.

Pickled Fruits

Crispy and sour fruits such as green mango, plum, Coc, guava mixed with sugar, chili powder are extremely attractive gifts for many girls.

sweet sour Vietnamese pickle
Sweet sour Vietnamese pickle of Coc | @tientran511

This kind of snack has an average price of 10,000VND – 15,000VND per bag. Maybe it is slightly higher depending on the time and type of fruit.

Caramel Flan

Caramel flan is a common dish but always attracts diners. Nowadays, you can find caramel flan in most milk tea shops.

caramel flan
Caramel Flan |©SimaBiswas

Caramel flan has a seductive golden color, the fatness of eggs and milk mixed with a slightly bitter taste, very easy to steal feelings of eaters.

You can eat this snack alone, or combine it with fruits, milk tea, coconut milk… to bring exciting flavors.

Tao Pho (Young Taufu)

Tau Pho is one of the most popular snacks in North Vietnam for any season. During the hot days of summer, it can mix with ice, but during cold winter, the people eat hot Tao Pho.

Tao Pho
Tao Pho | @kimwithoutchi

Currently, young people are creating a very attractive mixed Tao Pho when combining it with chewy jelly. But, traditional tofu with ginger sugar is still popular around Vietnam.

A bowl of Tao Pho has a price ranging from around 10,000 VND. Let’s try this to know one of the typical Vietnamese snacks.

Banh Khoai Tep (Shirmp Pancake)

A simple pancake is still ranked among the most delicious dishes in Thanh Hoa Province. The way of processing pancakes seems to be quite similar to Banh Xeo in South Vietnam.

However, with the tiny shrimp as the main ingredient forms this pancake different from Banh Xeo and has a characteristic of Thanh Hoa Province.

banh khoai tep
Banh Khoai Tep | ©Hoa Hoc Tro

Banh Khoai Tep dipping with sweet and sour Vietnamese fish sauce and served with fig will be very delicious.

Sometimes, people also use eggs instead of fresh shrimp to change the taste, which is only available in the streets of To Vinh Dien, Dao Duy Tu, Ha Thuyen in Thanh Hoa Province.

The price of shrimp pancake is quite low, only about 5,000 VND/item.

Banh Nhe

Banh Nhe is quite similar to Banh Troi Nuoc (the floating cake). The crust is made from smooth sticky rice flour, and the inside filling is the green bean and shredded coconut.

banh nhe
Banh Nhe | @hienduong307

This snack is popular for Thanh Hoa people in the afternoon. Visitors can find this dish at the Vuon Hoa market in Thanh Hoa City or buy from street vendors for only 5,000 VND/bowl.

Bo Bia

In the list of super convenient snacks, Bo Bia is sold throughout all corners of Saigon. But in terms of popularity, this dish in the Le Van Tam Park area is the most popular.

bo bia saigon
Bo Bia Saigon | @littlethao91

Attracting people with the crispy sweet taste of the steamed cassava roots, mixed with the salty sausage, Bo Bia is the quintessential snack at affordable prices.

With only 5,000 VND for a roll of Bo Bia, you will not be able to resist the attractiveness of this unique snack.

Fried corn

Fried corn is harmony between many flavors and colors of Vietnamese culinary. The sweetness of sticky corn combined with the salty taste of the soup, adding a little fatty butter, and the aroma of onions create the dish of thousands of diners.

fried corn
Fried corn | @oopssy63

Fried corn has been associated with many young generations of Saigon because of its typical taste and affordable price.

Each box of stir-fried corn costs about 20,000 VND, and you can find it in many strollers along the busy streets. Typically, the fried corn in Ho Con Rua in HCMC has a very specific buttery flavor.

Mixed rice paper

Mixed rice paper is a very rustic dish, but it increasingly becomes an indispensable snack for every gathering.

mixed rice paper saigon
Mixed rice paper |@tranvan6036

A set of this snack includes rice paper cut into fine fibers, blending with the flavors of cashew oil, shrimp salt, dried beef, dried squid, onion fat, roasted peanuts, scallion, coriander, quail eggs … A package of mixed rice paper has a very cheap price, about 10,000 – 20,000 VND.

Walking along the streets in Ho Chi Minh City, it is not difficult to see the ladies carrying the ingredients for making rice paper. Many people consider the mixed rice paper as a typical snack of street food culture in Saigon.

Crab soup

Vietnamese crab soup
Vietnamese crab soup |@chan_ho_227

Crab soup is a very easy-to-eat food that almost everyone loves. Moreover, with nutritious ingredients, including eggs and crab meat, crab soup attracts most Saigonese eaters and they taste it as a snack or also the main dish.

Crab soup appears everywhere from trolleys to restaurants in Saigon. The average price for a hot crab soup is only about 10,000 VND.

Boiled snail with chili

Coming to Da Nang, you cannot ignore the fragrant, spicy snail dishes everywhere. But the cheapest and most attractive place is the snail shop located in Bac My An market. Although the restaurant is very small, located right on the way to the market, it is always crowded.

boiled vietnamese snail
Boiled Vietnamese snails |@jennythu1426

There are two types: short snails and big snails. Cooked snail is very flavorful with the sweet and salty taste of snail broth, served with a little crispy papaya.

A snail plate costs only 10,000 VND. Normally, each person will order a plate. If you like, you can get a rice paper for 3,000 VND to enjoy with snail broth.

Banh Beo (Dumblings)

Coming to the sunny and windy central city of Hue, you can not ignore interesting dumplings. The dumpling looks simple, made from rice flour and tapioca, but it brings a seductive taste that makes people nostalgic.

Hue dumblings
Hue dumblings – Banh Beo | ©Vietnamdrive

In small alleys, street vendors, or big restaurants in Hue City, you can easily see this snack. Each owner has a different way of processing, but all have a low price.

A dish of Banh Beo is only about 4,000 dong, and a full plate of 10 dishes is just 40,000 dong.

Xap Xap

Xap Xap is famous street food in Dalat, which contains a specific taste of the idyllic life of the residents in the central highlands of Vietnam.

sap sap dalat
Sap sap Dalat |©vnexpress

At first glance, Xap Xap is almost like the salad from the North or the dry beef salad of South Vietnam. However, this snack has a different taste, not mixed with anywhere.

The ingredients to make Xap Xap are mainly from chopped papaya, dried beef, beef lungs, pork liver, simmered with five spices, herbs, etc.

The sauce to eat with Xap Xap in Dalat comes from the tamarind juice with moderate acidity, not too sweet, and not too spicy, so it has its own specialty.


Many tasty snacks are waiting for you to try. However, you need to pay attention that the price is low, so you cannot pay for these dishes by cards. Thus, cash is much easier, and Dong becomes the best currency to used in Vietnam.


Frequently asked questions about snacks in Vietnam:

Can a foreign tourist eat those snacks in Vietnam?
Yes, you can. It is your choice. But we recommend you taste these types of snacks: Fried Banana and Sweet-potato Cake, Banh Gio, Caramel Flan, and Banh Beo in Hue City.

How much can I taste Vietnamese snacks?
Snacks in Vietnam are nearly the same street food. When tasting them, you should not eat too much because these types of food can be strange for your stomach and health. Just little snacks to know how they are and explore the habit of eating in Vietnam.

Where can I find a place to taste snacks in Vietnam?
In most streets of cities in Vietnam, you can find many stores selling snacks. However, we recommend you ask the local guide to choose the correct places to taste Vietnamese snacks. It is because not all of the shops are enough conditions to serve tourists.

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    About the author

    The editorial staff of Vietnamdrive is a team of travel experts managed by Mr. Thom who has worked in tourism for 14 years. Trusted by thousands of tourists from all over the world.