Vietnamese · snack

Banh Beo (Steamed Rice Cakes)

Name: Banh Beo (Steamed Rice Cakes)
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 1.5 cups rice flour; 3 tbsp tapioca starch; 2.5 cups water; 2 oz dried shrimp, rehydrated; 3 tbsp scallion oil; 2 tbsp fried shallots; 2 tbsp fish sauce; 1 chili, minced; 2 oz pork cracklings

Banh Beo (Steamed Rice Cakes) reads umami 7.5, funk & ferment 6.8 and salinity 6.3 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Vietnamese snack, about 40 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 9.4 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 1.8 / 10
Sour & Bright — 0.7 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 0.4 / 10
Rich & Fat — 6.1 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 3.7 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.5 · Funk & Ferment 6.8 · Salinity 6.3 · Richness 5.9 · Marine & Briny 5.8 · Allium 3.3 · Heat 2.4 · Herbaceous 2.1 · Fruity 1.4 · Sweetness 1.1 · Warm Spice 1.0 · Nutty 0.7 · Sourness 0.7

What's in it (9)

1.5 cups rice flour
3 tbsp tapioca starch
2.5 cups water
2 oz dried shrimp, rehydrated
3 tbsp scallion oil
2 tbsp fried shallots
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 chili, minced
2 oz pork cracklings

Time & effort: about 40 min (20 min active) · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 103.1 kcal, 2.8 g protein, 3.9 g fat, 14.2 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (4 steps)

Mix rice flour and tapioca starch with water into a thin batter and steam in small shallow cups until set and translucent.
Rehydrate and finely chop dried shrimp, then saute briefly with fish sauce.
Top each rice cake with dried shrimp, a drizzle of scallion oil, crispy pork cracklings, and fried shallots.
Serve with fish sauce and chili for dipping.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Nasi Goreng Kampung (Village-Style Fried Rice) — Malaysian
Nam Prik Ong — Thai
La Paz Batchoy (Ilonggo Noodle Soup) — Filipino
Hoy Tod (Thai Oyster Omelette) — Thai
Yukgaejang (Spicy Shredded Beef Soup with Fern and Sprouts) — Korean

Keep reading: what umami, funk & ferment, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.