Vietnamese Pizza (Banh Trang Nuong) Recipe

Vietnamese pizza, locally known as Banh Trang Nuong, is a unique style of pizza preparation that uses grilled rice paper, instead of dough, as its base. It is a widely popular dish as street food in Vietnam. 

One of the most interesting things about Vietnamese pizza is that it can be made with any combination of toppings, and hence can be easily prepared at home without too much hassle.

In our recipe (below), we will prepare this crispy rice paper pizza with egg, tuna, roasted garlic and an extra hot chili paste with soybean oil. You can use virtually any topping you like, as with traditional Italian pizza, it is a very versatile dish.

Origin and Cultural Significance

‘Banh Trang Nuong’ translates to ‘grilled rice paper’ in Vietnamese, and so the name is self-explanatory in itself. 

This dish is originally from the Dalat region of Vietnam. This is the only region in South Vietnam that has four seasons, while the rest have only dry and wet seasons. 

This snack is primarily intended to be consumed in cooler temperatures, which is why you only find Banh Trang Nuong vendors serving this delicious dish in the evening. Vietnamese Pizza is particularly popular with young people and is now increasingly becoming widespread in other cities across the country.

Vietnamese parks are a popular meeting place for the Vietnamese in the evening. You will often find women doing aerobics to loud techno music, older people doing gymnastics, tai chi or relaxing. 

Martial arts groups also train together in these parks because they don’t have their own dojo. Families with children visit the playground, young people meet up with friends or play sports. There are even public fitness machines in Vietnamese parks. This is exactly why you will find Vietnamese pizza vendors outside such parks every evening.

On average, a Vietnamese pizza costs about 10,000 Vietnamese dongs, the equivalent of less than $0.50. It’s quick to make and the preparation is very easy!

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