Bánh xèo Cao Lãnh, Đồng Tháp is not only famous for its thin rice-flour batter poured into an aluminum pan and cooked over a wood fire, but above all, for its signature filling made with duck meat.
A familiar dish in both regions
Bánh xèo is a beloved dish across Central and Southern Vietnam, though each region has its own unique way of preparing it. In the Mekong Delta Southwest, the most outstanding version is undoubtedly bánh xèo Cao Lãnh from Đồng Tháp. This type uses a thin rice-flour batter poured into an aluminum pan and cooked over a wood fire, with a filling featuring duck meat.
The rice chosen for the batter is new-season rice with a fragrant aroma and a type that, when cooked, produces dry and fluffy grains—not sticky rice. The rice is soaked, finely ground, then mixed with coconut milk, a pinch of salt, and finely chopped green onions. The basic filling ingredients are jicama (củ sắn/củ đậu) and mung bean sprouts.
In Cao Lãnh, alongside jicama and sprouts, chefs often make versions with shrimp and pork, or the signature duck meat filling. The shrimp used are freshwater or tiger shrimp, while the pork is lean loin for tenderness. Heat the pan, wait until very hot, then pour a thin layer of batter. Add the fillings one by one. When the edges turn crispy, fold the bánh in half.
Bánh xèo with duck meat is considered the true signature of Cao Lãnh. The duck is cleaned, large bones removed, but small bones are left in and the whole duck is finely minced. Instead of pork and shrimp, the duck version uses only duck meat, jicama, and sprouts. The most interesting part is the pleasant crunchy, slightly grainy texture from the tiny duck bones when you chew.
Duck meat filling – the hallmark of Cao Lãnh bánh xèo
To make a truly delicious bánh, the cook must pay close attention to every detail, from the frying time to the technique of flipping and folding. Once cooked, the bánh is placed on fresh banana leaves to absorb their fragrant aroma.
The finished bánh is served on a plate. Diners can tear off pieces and dip them in fish sauce, or wrap them with fresh herbs.
Sweet and sour fish sauce mixed with pickled white radish and carrots is the soul of the dish. According to true food lovers, what separates one stall from another is the quality of the fish sauce. If the sauce isn’t good, customers simply won’t return.
Besides the fish sauce, the fresh herbs are the indispensable element that makes this bánh so irresistible. At the famous bánh xèo area along Lê Duẩn Street (Cao Lãnh City), besides lettuce, basil, perilla, fish mint, diners also enjoy young starfruit shoots, lá cát lồi (good for joint pain), lá lốt (piper lolot), and fresh garden greens picked straight from the yard—adding layers of flavor and making every bite even more refreshing and delicious.
