A wide row of humped bánh chưng gù on a bamboo tray, with a cut cake showing rice, mung beans and pork.

Yield 4 cakes, cut into 8 portions

Cook time 6 hours

Passive time About 4 hours 30 minutes (soaking and cooling)

Total time About 12 hours

Calories About 790 kcal per half cake

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Bánh chưng gù (Hà Giang humped sticky-rice cake)

Bánh chưng gù takes its name from its curved, humped shape. Its compact form encloses layers of sticky rice, mung bean and pork in leaves, then slowly cooks in a pot of water. Hà Giang sources connect the cake with Tày culture, while other published accounts make different ethnic attributions; this recipe keeps the regional identity without claiming a single uncontested origin. Some versions use galangal leaf for fragrance or color, and ratios and simmering times differ.

This recipe makes four small cakes, each cut in half to serve eight. Soak the rice and mung beans while the pork is chilled, mash the cooked beans to a firm paste, then wrap each filling tightly. A long simmer lets the rice and pork cook through and bind into neat layers. The cakes are filling, mildly seasoned and well suited to a festive table or a make-ahead meal.

The humped parcel is the defining shape: it is smaller and more curved than a square bánh chưng, while keeping the familiar rice, mung-bean and pork layers. Lá dong leaves provide the wrapper and a gentle, grassy aroma. A long boil softens the grains and sets the filling into slices that hold together.

Practical

Tips for successSoak the rice and beans in separate bowls, then drain them thoroughly so the filling is not waterlogged. Cook the mung beans until soft enough to mash, but keep the paste thick so it stays in a layer. Use overlapping, flexible leaves and tie each parcel firmly without cutting through the wrapper. Keep the water at a steady simmer and the cakes submerged; top up with boiling water during the long cook. Check the center of a cake after cooking with a clean thermometer. Continue cooking if the dense filling has not reached 74°C / 165°F. Cool and refrigerate cooked rice cakes promptly; do not leave them at room temperature overnight.

Ingredients

For the rice

800 g glutinous rice
8 g fine salt
2 g ground white or black pepper

For the filling

400 g dried split hulled mung beans
400 g boneless pork belly, cut into 4 long strips
8 g fine salt
3 g ground black pepper
15 ml fish sauce

For wrapping

8 large fresh or thawed lá dong leaves, washed and dried
About 4 m cotton kitchen string

Method

Soak and season the rice. Rinse the glutinous rice until the water is mostly clear. Cover generously with cool water and soak for 4 hours. Drain very well, then mix with 8 g salt and 2 g pepper.
Cook the mung beans. Rinse the beans, cover with cool water and soak for 4 hours. Drain, then steam or simmer until fully tender, about 20–30 minutes. Mash while warm to a thick, moldable paste and let it cool until easy to handle.
Season the pork. Mix the pork belly with 8 g salt, 3 g pepper and fish sauce. Keep it refrigerated while you prepare the leaves and assemble the cakes.
Prepare the leaves. Wipe both sides clean with a damp cloth, trim tough stems and briefly soften the leaves over steam or in hot water if they crack when folded. Pat dry. Overlap two leaves for each cake, glossy sides facing the rice, with their midribs aligned.
Fill and shape. For each cake, lay a band of rice on the leaves, add one quarter of the mung bean paste, one pork strip, another quarter portion of paste, then cover with rice. Fold the leaves firmly around the filling into a compact humped parcel and tie snugly with string. Make 4 cakes. Keep raw pork away from ready-to-eat foods; wash hands and surfaces after handling it.
Simmer the cakes. Stand the cakes snugly in a deep stockpot and cover with water by at least 5 cm. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer steadily for 6 hours. Check regularly and add boiling water as needed to keep them submerged; never let the pot boil dry.
Check the center. Lift one cake with clean tongs. Carefully open a small spot at its center and check the pork and dense filling with a clean instant-read thermometer. The center must reach at least 74°C / 165°F. If it is cooler, rewrap if practical, continue boiling and check again.
Cool and serve. Drain the cakes and cool on a clean tray for 30 minutes. Snip the strings and cut each cake crosswise in half with a clean knife to show the rice, bean and pork layers. Serve warm or after safe cooling.

Practical

Practical guidance

Leaf availability: Lá dong is the characteristic wrapper. Thawed leaves should be fully flexible and clean; no substitute has quite the same aroma. Shaping: The parcels should be curved and compact, not tightly compressed into hard blocks. Secure the folds so rice cannot escape during boiling. Water level: Keep the cakes covered throughout the long simmer. Add boiling water, not cold water, to restore the level. Make ahead: Cook the cakes, cool them promptly, then refrigerate in shallow portions. Reheat until steaming hot throughout and at least 74°C / 165°F. Serving: The cakes are rich and filling; serve in halves with fresh vegetables or a light pickled side if desired. Storage: Refrigerate within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the temperature is above 32°C / 90°F. Keep at 4°C / 40°F or colder and use within 3–4 days. Because cooked rice can be risky when held warm, do not leave the cakes out overnight.

Troubleshooting

The rice is hard in the center: The parcel may be too large or the simmer too gentle. Keep it submerged and continue cooking, then check the center again. The layers fall apart when sliced: The mung bean paste may have been too loose, or the rice insufficiently drained. Cool the cake before cutting and use a sharp clean knife. Rice leaks through the leaves: Overlap the leaves more and tie firmly, without tearing them. Check that the wrapper stays intact before boiling. The cake tastes bland: Seasoning is restrained in this version. Serve with a small amount of fish sauce or a crisp pickled accompaniment. The water level drops: Add boiling water to cover the cakes and continue the simmer; never leave the pot unattended for long periods.

Frequently asked questions

Why is it called bánh chưng gù? “Gù” refers to the cake’s humped or curved shape. It is a recognizable Hà Giang style, while exact shapes and wrapping methods vary by maker. Can I make the cakes without lá dong? Lá dong gives the characteristic aroma and flexible wrapper. If you cannot find it, use another clean, food-safe leaf suitable for boiling, understanding that the flavor and appearance will differ. Can I freeze cooked cakes? Yes. Cool and portion them promptly, wrap well and freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat until steaming hot throughout and at least 74°C / 165°F.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size1/2 cake (one of 8 portions)
CaloriesAbout 790 kcal
CarbohydrateAbout 112 g
ProteinAbout 27 g
FatAbout 25 g
FibreAbout 8 g
SodiumAbout 820 mg

Allergens and food safety

Fish sauce contains fish. Check packaged ingredients for additional allergens. Keep raw pork refrigerated until assembly, separate it from ready-to-eat foods, and wash hands, knives, boards and surfaces after handling it. Use clean leaves and utensils. After boiling, check the center of a cake with a clean thermometer and continue cooking until the filling reaches at least 74°C / 165°F. Refrigerate cooked rice cakes within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 32°C / 90°F, in shallow portions at 4°C / 40°F or colder. Use within 3–4 days. Reheat portions until steaming hot throughout and at least 74°C / 165°F; discard cakes left out overnight.

Closing notes

Keep the parcels submerged during the slow simmer and verify the center is hot throughout.
Cool promptly, refrigerate in portions and reheat thoroughly.

Bánh chưng gù (Hà Giang humped sticky-rice cake)

Practical

Ingredients

For the rice

For the filling

For wrapping

Method

Practical

Practical guidance

Troubleshooting

Frequently asked questions

Nutrition per serving

Allergens and food safety

Closing notes

Vietnamese National Dishes

Bún thang (Hanoi chicken and egg vermicelli soup)

Bánh canh cua (Southern Vietnamese crab noodle soup)

Bánh canh chả cá (Vietnamese thick noodle soup with fish cakes)