When talking about the variety of Sticky Rice, we can’t skip Vietnamese Xoi Man – Savory Sticky Rice, a top-of-mind dish for breakfast for Vietnamese people. The combination of warm, fragrant sticky rice with various toppings such as Chinese sausage, Vietnamese Pork Sausage, Pâté, Pork Floss… makes the dish perfect for a nutritious but still-a-quick meal. Let’s do it.
Table of Contents
What is Xoi Man?
In the Vietnamese language, “Xoi” refers to the dish made by steaming sticky rice. We can combine many other ingredients with sticky rice, for example, black beans to get Black Bean Sticky Rice (Xoi Dau Den), or peanuts to become Peanut Sticky Rice (Xoi Dau Phong). With Xoi Man, “Man” means “Savory”, referring to the savory taste of the dish. This is because the toppings used in Xoi Man (Pork floss, Vietnamese Ham, Chinese Sausage, Pâté, Quail Egg, Spring Onion Oil, etc.) are all savory.
The difference in the toppings/condiments along with sticky rice leads to differences in the name and overall taste of sticky rice dishes. Usually, Vietnamese Sticky Rice is slightly sweet, like Black Bean/Red Bean/Peanut/ Gac/Mung Bean sticky rice, except Xoi Man. This sets Xoi Man apart from other types of Vietnamese sticky rice.
One more interesting thing is the variety of Xoi Man’s Toppings. You can see these toppings come from different cuisines, from Vietnamese Ham to Chinese sausage and French Pâté. It’s hard to find out the exact answer why there is this combination, but in fact, Vietnamese cuisine is inspired a lot by Chinese and French cuisine due to historical events in the past. Vietnamese Xoi Man is an obvious example, beside Vietnamese baguette (Banh Mi, Banh Mi Chao) or Mooncakes.
Ingredients for Vietnamese Savory Sticky Rice
Besides sticky rice, there are plenty of toppings to enjoy in Xoi Man. The most common toppings are:
- Pork Floss: You can select Vietnamese Pork Floss or Chinese Pork Floss. In general, they are not too different. You can easily find them in Asian Grocery Stores, or even make them yourself.
- Vietnamese Ham (Cha Lua): Although Vietnamese Ham is not as diverse as other cuisines like Italian or French, there are also several variations for you to choose from. Besides the basic, most common ham made of Pork, its variations include Pork ham with Pork skin along with Beef Ham or Ham containing cinnamon powder.
- Vietnamese Fermented Pork (Nem chua): Another cold dish made from Lean Pork and Pork Skin. After processing and being wrapped in Guava leaves or Banana leaves, it’s fermented to acquire a sweet-sour flavor.
- Chinese Sausage (lap cheong): Vietnamese people widely accept Chinese Sausage as a part of everyday foods. Also made from lean pork and pork fat, it has a sweet and savory taste and is quite high in fat.
- Pâté: This is a familiar dish globally, adding a very creamy and fatty flavor to Xoi Man.
- Quail Egg: People often boil quail eggs, peel them, and add them to the dish to provide additional protein.
- Spring Onion Oil & Fried Shallot: The aroma from Spring Onion is a perfect match for a savory dish. Fried Shallot adds a bit of crunchiness and its special aroma to the dish as well.
- Many more things: You can try adding Shredded Chicken Breast or Crispy Roasted Pork Belly; it’s so delicious!
Note that the toppings for Vietnamese Savory Sticky Rice are always flexible. You can remove some depending on your preference and availability, or add many more things. Keep in mind that the toppings should match the overall savory flavor of the dish.
How To Make Xoi Man
Step 1. Cooking Sticky Rice
- Of course, the main ingredient of this dish is sticky rice. To cook sticky rice, you can use a rice cooker, an instant pot, or steam it. If you cook it in a rice cooker or instant pot, rinse the sticky rice with water several times, then add a small amount of water so that it just covers the rice in the pot and cook for 15 minutes. For steaming, although it’s more difficult, you can achieve the best texture and flavor of sticky rice. Soak the rice for at least 6 hours and steam for 15-30 minutes. Refer to detailed guide on cooking sticky rice here.
Step 2. Preparing Toppings
While waiting for the sticky rice to cook, you can start preparing the toppings. Many toppings are ready to go, such as pork floss and Vietnamese Ham.
- Frying Chinese Sausage (lap cheong): In a skillet, add 2-3 sausages and turn on medium heat. You don’t have to add more cooking oil, as the fat from sausages will flow out. Fry until the lower side is scorched, then flip. The total frying time is around 3-5 minutes.
- Making Onion Oil: Wash a handful of Spring Onion, then chop it. Heat up cooking oil until boiling, then add the chopped onion and turn off the heat.
- Cutting Vietnamese Ham: Cut the ham into small strips.
- Boiling Quail Eggs: The quail eggs in Xoi Man are usually hard-boiled. Boil the eggs for around 10 minutes to achieve hard-boiled eggs.
- Other toppings (Pork Floss, Pâté…) are all ready to use.
Step 3. Incorporating Xoi Man
- In a dish or a box, add cooked sticky rice first, then add all available toppings. Finally, garnish with Spring Onion Oil & Fried Shallot on top and enjoy.
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Vietnamese Xoi Man – Savory Sticky Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups sticky rice
- A handful of Pork floss Optional
- 200g (7oz) Vietnamese Ham Optional
- 2-4 Chinese Sausages Optional
- 50g (1.7oz) Pâté Optional
- 8 Quail Eggs Optional
- A handful of Spring Onion Oil Optional
- 2-3 tbsp Dried Shallot Optional
Instructions
Step 1. Cooking Sticky Rice
- Of course, the main ingredient of this dish is sticky rice. To cook sticky rice, you can cook in a rice cooker, an instant pot or steam it. If you cook in rice cooker or instant pot, rinse the sticky rice with water several times, then add a small amount of water so that it just covers the rice in the pot. For steaming, although it’s more difficult, you can achieve the best texture and flavor of sticky rice. Soak the rice in at least 6 hours and steam in 15-30 minutes. Refer to detailed guide on cooking sticky rice here.
Step 2. Preparing Toppings
- While waiting for the sticky rice to be cooked, you can start preparing the toppings. Many toppings are ready to go, such as pork floss and Vietnamese Ham.
- Frying Chinese Sausage (lap cheong): In a skillet, add 2-3 sausages and turn on medium heat. You don’t have to add more cooking oil, as the fat from sausages will flow out. Fry until the lower side are scorched, then flip. Total frying time is around 3-5 minutes.
- Making Onion Oil: Wash a handful of Spring Onion then chop it. Heat up cooking oil until boiling then add chopped onion and turn off the heat.
- Cutting Vietnamese Ham: Cut the ham into small strips.
- Boiling Quail Eggs: The quail egg in Xoi Man is usually hard-boiled quail eggs. Boil the eggs in around 10 minutes to achieve hard-boiled eggs.
- Prepare Other Toppings (Pork Floss, Pâté…)
Step 3. Incorporating Xoi Man
- In a dish or a box, add cooked sticky rice first, then add all available toppings on. Finally, garnish Spring Onion Oil & Fried Shallot on top and enjoy.