Bánh Rán in Hanoi: Sweet, Savoury and Better Straight from the Fryer

Calling bánh rán a “Vietnamese donut” is useful for orientation and slightly misleading after that. It is fried dough, yes, but the texture, filling and way it is eaten are very different from a Western ring donut.

The Sweet Version

The best-known sweet bánh rán uses a dough based on glutinous rice flour, wrapped around sweetened mung-bean paste and often rolled in sesame seeds before frying. The shell becomes crisp while the inner dough stays pleasantly chewy. The filling is nutty and only moderately sweet, which is why one warm ball can disappear much faster than expected.

The Savoury Version

Savoury bánh rán also exists, filled more like a small fried dumpling with minced meat, glass noodles, vegetables and sometimes shrimp. Its flavour sits closer to bánh gối than to dessert. The two versions share the frying method but belong to different snack moods.

Why Freshness Changes Everything

Bánh rán is at its best when the shell still crackles. Once it sits for too long, steam from the filling softens the crust and the glutinous-rice dough becomes heavier. A busy vendor frying in small batches is more important than a polished shopfront.

Sweet or Savoury: Which Should You Try?

If you like sesame and mung bean, start sweet. It is simpler and highlights the chewy rice dough clearly. If you prefer salty snacks, choose the savoury version and eat it with the accompanying dip or pickles. Ordering one of each is a sensible solution to the problem.

A Small Note on Names

Vietnam has many fried rice-flour sweets, and English translations vary from “donut” to “sesame ball”. Do not worry too much about matching every regional name. In Hanoi, pointing at the tray and asking whether it is ngọt (sweet) or mặn (savoury) will get you further.

Bánh rán is not complicated food. That is part of its charm: hot oil, rice dough, a good filling and the few minutes when all the textures are exactly right.

Small snacks like bánh rán are exactly why exploring Hanoi by food can be more interesting than only chasing famous restaurant names. Our Taste of Hanoi walking street food tour connects these everyday bites with the streets, vendors and eating habits around them.

Dung (Emma)

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