If you’re ever in Vietnam and hungry for a quick, tasty bite, get yourself some Bo Cuon La Lop. It’s simple, delicious, and exactly what you want when you’re walking the streets of Hanoi or Saigon.
What’s Bo Cuon La Lop?
At its core, Bo Cuon La Lop is a straightforward dish – ground beef wrapped in betel leaves. The beef is marinated with fish sauce, garlic, lemongrass, and sometimes a little sugar to bring out the flavors. The betel leaves are there to add an earthy simpler flavour to the dish and act a bit like bread to a degree.
Grilled over charcoal, the beef gets a bit of char on the outside, while staying juicy and tender on the inside. It’s a real no-nonsense snack that essentially just feeds you fast, cant ask much more than that eh!
Where to get Bo Cuon La Lop?
Bo Cuon La Lop is from the north of Vietnam, particularly Hanoi, where it has been a beloved street food for years. The dish is also popular in other regions, especially in Saigon, where it’s often served at street food stalls or casual eateries.
In Hanoi, you’ll find Bo Cuon La Lop being grilled up in the Old Quarter or around local markets. In Saigon, look for food carts along the bustling streets in the evenings when the street food scene really kicks off. And theres more too! In fact this is now very much a Vietnamese street food staple which means you can find it pretty much anywhere in the country – even in the boonies.
Photo: BBao Phúc An
And the taste?
The beef in Bo Cuon La Lop is smoky and juicy, with a bit of char from the grill. The betel leaves give it a slight earthy bite that balances the savory beef. It’s served with a dipping sauce made of fish sauce, lime, sugar, and chili. This pretty much offers up the full range of Vietnamese street food experience in one go!
In you’re luck you’ll often get some fresh herbs like mint and cilantro on the side for a bit of change and even rice paper in some establishments. For The Street Food Guy though? I like to keep things nice and simple.
Photo: Đen
Final Thoughts on Bo Cuon La Lop
Bo Cuon La Lop is simple and far from flashy, but much like most of the Vietnamese street food scene this is part of its absolute beauty. This is pure simplicity and dare I say one of the top ten Vietnamese street food dishes, really can’t say much fairer than that.
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