I’ve been thinking about the treats I remembered eating when I was a kid, and I recalled family functions with trays of banh bot loc wrapped in banana leaves. These chewy, sweet, and savory tapioca flour based dumplings are fragrant and delicious for lunch or even breakfast.

While the filling traditionally contains pork belly and shell on shrimp, I prefer to use minced pork loin and shrimp. Served with Nuoc Mam, banh bot loc is a lot of fun for your next party or for a dinner with friends. Its transparent dough wrapped in the bright green banana leaf makes for a very pretty presentation, and its bouncy texture combined with the rich flavors of the filling make for a layered and satisfying bite.

Enjoy! Music provided by Liszt’s Piano Sonata in B minor, S. 178.