Bánh đập (smashed rice cracker), Hội An stir-fried baby clams — you must eat them in Cẩm Nam

Bánh đập is a combination of bánh tráng and bánh ướt. When you eat it, you need to break it into pieces, which is why it's called bánh đập. The delicious taste of bánh đập depends on the crispiness of the grilled rice paper, the smoothness and just-right chewiness of the steamed rice sheet, and most importantly, the dipping sauce – a secret that differs from shop to shop.

Bánh đập (crushed rice paper) is often eaten together with stir-fried baby clams, which adds a rich, robust flavor to the dish. Across the Central region in general, and Hoi An in particular, bánh đập is very popular and is considered one of the distinctive street foods of Hoi An. There are many places selling banh dap, but the ones considered the tastiest are the banh dap stalls along Nguyen Tri Phuong street. Price: 20-25k VND for 4 pieces.

When visiting a "banh dap" (crushed rice paper) restaurant, guests are usually treated to a menu full of diverse, delicious dishes. Guests can order a portion of banh dap along with a plate of stir-fried baby clams to enhance the flavor of the meal. Besides that, you can also add an extra portion of grilled meat—these are the 3 main dishes available at our bánh đập restaurant.

To enjoy bánh đập properly, you first need to gently break the outer rice paper layer with your hand — since there's a soft, moist rice cake layer in the middle, it won't crumble, and the cake will separate into small pieces that are easy to eat. Depending on the eatery, the rice paper layer may also include scallions and peanuts. The dipping sauce is each shop's own secret recipe, but it usually includes ingredients such as anchovy fish sauce, peanuts, sugar, and fried shallots.

Guests take each piece of the flattened rice cracker, dip it into the fragrant dipping sauce, and enjoy. As for the stir-fried clams dish, it can be eaten with rice paper crackers or with the flattened bánh đập, and the blending flavors of the two dishes make it even more unforgettable for diners.