The "Vietnamese dish drawing attention on social media" after pho and banh mi has emerged from an unexpected place. It's banh ram it (bánh ram ít), a hometown sweet of central Hue. Videos of North American food reviewers eating it in the car spread on TikTok, and creator Julia Vương's introduction video racked up about 2.9 million views, drawing reactions on the scale of millions. A street snack combining crisp fried banh ram and chewy banh it. It's a treat we'd like Japan's food lovers to know as a "next move" to target for souvenirs and mail order. The article was published on June 26, 2026.
A two-layer structure of "crisp" and "chewy"
Banh ram it is a dish that lets you enjoy two different textures on one plate. The base is "banh ram," fried until crisp. On top of it is layered "banh it," chewy mochi wrapping shrimp, pork, mushroom, and pepper. To finish, it's topped with nuoc mam (fish sauce), scallion oil, and dried-shrimp powder.
The heart of its appeal lies in the contrast between the crisp bite of the fried mochi and the chewiness of the mochi. This plate, long enjoyed at Hue's street stalls, is now drawing attention across the seas.
Why it spread on North American TikTok
火付け役は、北米のフードレビュアーたちだ。車のなかで何度も頬張りながら、その美味しさに興奮する動画が次々と作られ、TikTok上で数百万件規模の反応（hàng triệu lượt tương tác）を生んだ。報道ではクリエイターJulia Vương氏の動画が約290万〜330万回再生されたことが確認されているが、具体的な店名までは特定されておらず、米カリフォルニアのベトナム料理店で扱われていることが紹介されている。
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Dish | Banh ram it (bánh ram ít) |
| Origin | Central Hue |
| Composition | Fried mochi banh ram + chewy mochi banh it |
| Fillings / seasonings | Shrimp, pork, mushroom, pepper / nuoc mam, scallion oil, dried-shrimp powder |
| Place of the buzz | North American TikTok (reactions on the scale of millions) |
| Example of serving | A Vietnamese restaurant in California, U.S. |
A new wave of "photogenic hometown sweets"
As pho and banh mi did, Vietnamese cuisine has permeated the world's tables one dish at a time. What's interesting about banh ram it is that its easy-to-grasp highlight of "textural contrast" pairs well with short videos. It comes across easily through sight and sound (the crisp bite), and the reviewer's reaction becomes content in itself.
Social-media-born Vietnamese food booms are happening everywhere. As with the case of the "shouting ice-cream vendor" becoming a fixture at Da Nang's fireworks festival (Related articles), the flow of humble local food spreading at once through video continues.
A discovery for Japanese readers and souvenir demand
Vietnamese cuisine's reach is widening in Japan too, to the point that convenience-store banh mi becomes a talking point (Related articles). As a candidate for the "next" to come, banh ram it is worth remembering. If you visit Hue, have an authentic plate at a stall; if that's hard, hunting for a frozen or dried type at a Vietnamese grocery store or online is another option.
From a souvenir and mail-order angle, the easy-to-explain feature of "crisp and chewy" is a strength. The narrative of the ancient capital Hue is easy to add too, making it a good conversation starter as a gift. It's a treat worth trying early, before the topic spreads to Japan.
Summary
Hue's fried mochi banh ram it has surfaced as a "Vietnamese dish drawing attention on social media," via North American TikTok. The contrast of crisp and chewy textures strikes home in the short-video era. Specific figures and shop names await confirmation, but its appeal as a candidate to target for souvenirs and mail order is ample. If you see it on a Hue trip or at a grocery store, try a plate without hesitation.
Hue's "flour-based" food culture and the wonder of texture
Hue, where banh ram it was born, is a land where court cuisine and common street-stall culture coexisted as the capital of the Nguyen dynasty. Small steamed and fried sweets made with rice flour and glutinous-rice flour are abundant, and many "bite-sized flour foods" such as banh beo and banh bot loc are handed down. Among them, banh ram it is a deft piece that layers the contrasting cooking of "frying" and "steaming" on one plate.
There's a reason texture-focused dishes pair well with short videos. The crisp sound, the chewy stretch, the gesture of scattering seasonings — "deliciousness" comes across intuitively through sight and hearing. The reviewer's reaction becomes content itself and spreads without explanation. Now that pho and banh mi are established as "staples," a hometown sweet with such an easy-to-grasp highlight is a strong candidate to come next.
To try it in Japan, the shortcut is to look for a Vietnamese restaurant serving Hue cuisine, or the frozen and dried corner of a Vietnamese grocery store. As a mail-order souvenir too, the ease of explaining "crisp and chewy" and "from the ancient capital Hue" is a strength. It's worth tasting early, before the topic spreads to Japan in earnest.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of dish is banh ram it?
It's a Hue street snack that layers crisp fried banh ram and chewy mochi banh it wrapping shrimp and pork, eaten with nuoc mam, scallion oil, and dried-shrimp powder.
Where can you eat it?
Its home is central Hue. Overseas, serving examples are noted at Vietnamese restaurants in California, U.S. In Japan, looking for a Vietnamese restaurant is the shortcut.
Can you buy it in Japan?
Reliable information is limited, but the frozen and dried corner of a Vietnamese grocery store is a candidate.
Sources
CafeF: Not just pho — the Vietnamese snack sweeping North American TikTok
