Banh Trang Cuon Thit Heo — the Dish to Eat in Da Nang
Double-skinned pork, a dozen kinds of herb, dew-dried rice paper — but what decides everything is still the bowl of fermented anchovy sauce.
This page is translated from Vietnamese. Prices and opening hours are checked against Vietnamese sources — see the Vietnamese version for the most recent update.
People in Da Nang have their own way of judging a place that serves this dish: they do not look at the plate of pork, they look at the bowl of sauce. Anyone can boil pork. Herbs come from the market. But the bowl of mắm nêm is different in every household, and that is what brings customers back or keeps them away for good.
It has to be double-skinned pork
The right cut for this dish is called thịt hai đầu da — rump or shoulder with a thin layer of skin on both faces and lean meat marbled with fat in between. Boiled and sliced thin, each piece has three layers: firm skin, translucent fat, sweet lean meat.
Do not boil it hard. Bring the water to a bare simmer, add the pork, skim, lower the heat and cook for 25–30 minutes depending on the size. Lift it straight into iced water — a step many people skip, but it is exactly what firms the meat, crisps the skin and lets you slice without tearing.
The herbs: the more kinds, the more correct
A proper Da Nang herb plate can carry a dozen different things, and each has a job:
- Lettuce, mixed herbs, Thai basil — the green base and the aroma
- Green banana and sour starfruit, thinly sliced — astringency and acidity to cut the fat
- Cucumber and bean sprouts — crunch and freshness
- Split water spinach stems — the one nobody should leave out, for the squeaky bite
Leave out the green banana and the starfruit and you lose half the dish, because nothing is left to balance the fat of the pork and the salt of the sauce.
The bowl of mam nem — the part that matters most
Mắm nêm is anchovy fermented until it breaks down completely: salty and strongly aromatic. Straight from the jar it is harsh, so it has to be mixed.
The basic Da Nang formula: three parts mắm nêm to one part finely chopped pineapple, plus pounded garlic and chilli, a little sugar and a squeeze of lime. Stir and taste again. The pineapple is the soul of the bowl — it softens the salt, adds natural sweetness and gives an aroma that sugar cannot replace.
If you want it quick, use ready-mixed mắm nêm — open and dip, no chopping or pounding. If you are particular and want to adjust the heat and sweetness yourself, buy the pure version and mix it.
People who know their sauces pick mắm nêm made from mackerel rather than anchovy — richer and fattier, with a longer finish.
How to roll it
Lay out a sheet of dew-dried rice paper, put a fresh steamed sheet on top, herbs first and then pork, and roll firmly but not tight. Too loose and it falls apart; too tight and the paper splits. Dip it deep in the sauce — do not be shy with it.
Recipe
Banh Trang Cuon Thit Heo — the Dish to Eat in Da Nang
- Prep25 minutes
- Cook30 minutes
- Total55 min
- Serves4 people
- DifficultyEasy
Ingredients
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Method
- Boil the pork in water with bruised shallot and a little salt. Bring to a bare simmer, add the pork, skim, then lower the heat and cook for 25–30 minutes.
- Lift the pork straight into a bowl of iced water. This is what makes the skin firm and lets you slice it cleanly — do not skip it.
- Slice the pork very thin; the thinner you can get it, the better.
- Wash the herbs and slice the green banana and starfruit thinly. Keep the banana in lime water so it does not discolour.
- Mix the sauce: three parts mắm nêm to one part finely chopped pineapple, plus pounded garlic and chilli, a little sugar and lime juice. Stir and taste again. Skip this if you are using a ready-mixed sauce.
- Lay out a sheet of rice paper, put a steamed sheet on top, herbs first and then pork, and roll firmly but not tight. Dip generously.
Specialties used in this dish
Mắm nêm Nhựt Hoàng đặc biệt – chai 500ml The special pre-mixed bottle — open and dip, no blending needed. The taste that goes with Đà Nẵng pork rice-paper rolls. 75.000₫ 
Mắm nêm thu Nhựt Hoàng Mắm nêm made from mackerel instead of anchovy — noticeably richer and fattier than the standard version. 80.000₫ 
Mắm nêm Nhựt Hoàng – hũ 500g Mắm nêm in a jar, thicker than the bottle — easier to spoon out and blend to your own taste. 60.000₫ Prices are in Vietnamese đồng.
Food
- Bun Mam Nem — the Da Nang Noodle Bowl With No Broth at AllNo broth, no stockpot. The whole bowl rests on one thing: a well-mixed bowl of fermented anchovy sauce.
- Be Thui Cau Mong — Rare Veal, Rice Paper, and a Bowl of Sauce That Decides EverythingThe meat, browned outside and pink inside, is what everyone mentions. But people from Quang judge a be thui place by the bowl of sauce, not by the plate of meat.
- Mi Quang — the Vietnamese Noodle Bowl With Almost No BrothDo not drown it. Mi Quang needs only a little thick sauce at the bottom of the bowl — enough to coat the noodles, not enough to drink.