Grilled fish rice paper, eaten with Vietnamese coriander and chili sauce, is a delicacy distinctive to coastal town Quy Nhon. 

The main ingredients of this dish (banh trang cha) are fish, a little bit of tapioca starch to create plasticity, cornstarch and some spices to purify the fishy smells and enhance the characteristic aroma of grilled fish.

The mixture is cut into thin slices, grilled and deep-fried until brown yellow.

A portion of banh trang cha in Quy Nhon in the south-central province of Binh Dinh.
Photo by VnExpress/Hong Anh.

To properly eat Quy Nhon banh trang cha, put a few stalks of herbs, a little central Vietnam-style fried chili sauce, the highlight of the roll, on a piece of grilled fish rice paper, roll it up and enjoy.

You can also roll grilled fish rice paper with Vietnamese coriander leaves and a dab of chili sauce mixed with a little soy sauce, which makes a salty, sweet, well-seasoned dipping sauce.

Banh trang cha is a childhood delight of many Quy Nhon culinary buffs. The snack can be brought from any place in Quy Nhon at affordable prices, though the best way to enjoy it is at the seaside.

In the afternoon, you can catch young locals gathering to enjoy the sea breeze, ordering a plate of banh trang cha, along with a glass of cool sugarcane juice.

A roll of banh trang cha with Vietnamese coriander and chili source costs
about VND2,000-5,000 ($0.1-0.2). Photo by VnExpress/Hong Anh.