Xôi xéo

Xôi xéo is a Vietnamese dish of glutinous rice steamed with yellow mung beans and dressed with scallion oil and fried shallots. It is sold as a breakfast food, especially in Hanoi.

What it really is

Xôi xéo is made from glutinous rice that is soaked and steamed until sticky, then mixed with yellow mung beans that have been split, cooked and mashed. The rice is usually coloured and flavoured with the mung bean paste and finished with a spoonful of hot scallion oil and crisp fried shallots. Pork floss and a little salt or fried onion are common additions, and some sellers add a little chicken fat or coconut to the rice.

The dish is often confused with xôi gấc, which gets its orange-red colour from gac fruit, and with plain xôi, which is sticky rice served with little more than salt or sesame salt. Xôi xéo is defined by the mashed mung bean layer and the fried shallots.

How it's served

• Eaten warm from a small paper or plastic bag or a bowl, usually at breakfast or as a snack.
• Served with pork floss, a little salt or sesame salt on the side, and a sprinkle of fried shallots.
• Eaten with the fingers or a spoon, mixing the rice and mung bean layers before each bite.
• Often sold by street vendors in Hanoi from early morning.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the dish as xôi xéo and list glutinous rice, yellow mung beans, fried shallots and scallion oil.
• Flag that the classic version may contain pork floss and that it is cooked with chicken fat or coconut in some kitchens, so it is not reliably vegan or vegetarian.
• State any allergens that apply to the chosen toppings and oils, such as sesame or soy if used.
• Specify whether pork floss, fried onion or chicken fat is added and whether the portion is served warm.