Bánh Ram Ít (Hue Crispy-and-Chewy Dumpling Cakes)

A two-part Hue cake: a soft, chewy glutinous rice dumpling filled with shrimp and pork sits on a crisp fried rice cracker. Contrasting textures in a single bite.

Bánh ram ít is a Hue specialty that combines two cakes into one. The bánh ít is a small, round dumpling of steamed glutinous rice dough with a filling of shrimp and pork; the bánh ram is a flat disc of the same dough deep-fried until golden and crisp. The soft dumpling is set on top of the crunchy base and finished with ground dried shrimp, scallion oil and sweet fish sauce. Eating it, you get chewy and crisp, soft and savoury all at once, which is the whole point of the dish. It is usually served in small portions of a few pieces as a snack or as part of a spread of Hue cakes, and it is a good choice for travellers who want something more substantial than bánh bèo. The dumplings are mildly seasoned, so the fish sauce does much of the flavouring. It is widely available at cake restaurants and street stalls around the city.