Bap Nuong, Bap Nuong Mo Hanh
Sweetcorn grilled over charcoal until charred at the edges, then brushed generously with scallion oil made from spring onions fried in hot oil. One serving is about 170 g (one ear). This vietnamese grilled corn recipe serves 4 in 25 minutes, straight off the grill.
Bap nuong is Vietnam's charcoal-grilled corn, sold from pushcarts and roadside braziers in Saigon and Da Lat, where vendors fan the coals and brush each ear with mo hanh — scallion oil. Corn came to Vietnam from the Americas centuries ago and became a highland staple; the grilled, oil-brushed version is an evening street snack, eaten hot off a bamboo skewer while walking.
Pairs well with: Iced sugarcane juice and a second ear — nobody stops at one.
Provenance
Vietnam
Vietnamese Street Food
East & South Asia
Time Dedication
25m
10m prep • 15m cook
Batch Yield
4 Servings
252 kcal per serving
1 serving ≈ 170 g
Technical Skill
Easy
Easy (Grill)
Meal Timing & Digestive Fit
Breakfast
Not Advised
Lunch
Inappropriate
Dinner
Inappropriate
Snack & Tea
Ideal Light Bite
Vietnamese Street Food
Photo: Memberofc1, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Heritage Formulary
Estimated cost: Low — about $1–2 per serving at home (USD)
Made the street-vendor way: whole ears over real charcoal, turned often, brushed with hot scallion oil.
Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique
Prep Stage: Corn & Scallion Oil
10 Mins • Husking & Slicing
Husk the corn and push a skewer into the base of each ear. Slice the spring onions thinly. Heat the oil in a small pan until it shimmers, pour it over the spring onions in a heatproof bowl and stir in the salt — the onions will sizzle and wilt in seconds.
Maestro Tip: Pour the hot oil over the onions, not the other way round: the sizzle wilts them without frying them brown.
5 Mins Hot charcoal, ~230°C (450°F)
Light the charcoal and let it burn down to glowing coals with a thin coat of ash, or preheat a gas grill on high. Brush the grate clean and oil it lightly so the corn does not stick.
Wait for the ash coat — fierce flames scorch the corn before the inside cooks.
Done when: Glowing coals with a thin grey ash coat, grate hot and clean.
12 Mins Medium-high heat, ~200°C (400°F)
Lay the ears on the grill and cook for about 12 minutes, turning every 3 minutes, until the kernels are tender and flecked with dark char.
Turn often and keep the ears moving — a few seconds too long in one spot burns the kernels black.
Done when: Tender kernels that give easily when pressed, with dark charred spots all round.
3 Mins Off the heat, ~60°C (140°F)
Take the corn off the grill and brush generously all over with the scallion oil, turning each ear so the oil runs into every row of kernels.
Brush while the corn is still hot — the heat wakes up the onion flavour.
Done when: Every kernel glistening with oil and flecked with green onion.
2 Mins Room temperature, ~20°C (68°F)
Rest the ears for 2 minutes so the oil settles, then serve at once on their skewers.
Two minutes is enough — any longer and the corn starts to cool and dry.
Done when: Hot, glossy ears that smell of smoke and fresh onion.
Finishing Touches & Plating
Eat straight off the skewer while hot, with the scallion oil still glistening. Have napkins ready — this is a hands-on snack.
Nutritional Physiology & Benefits
Energy
252
kcal / serving
Protein
5g
Complete AA
Carbs
29g
Complex
Fats
16g
Healthy
| Energy | 252 kcal |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 29 g |
| Fat | 16 g |
| Fibre | 3.3 g |
| Sugar | 9.6 g |
| Sodium | 218 mg |
| Energy | 148 kcal |
| Protein | 3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 16.9 g |
| Fat | 9.1 g |
| Fibre | 1.9 g |
| Sugar | 5.7 g |
| Sodium | 128 mg |
Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.
Vitamins & minerals: Corn supplies vitamin B1 and folate, and spring onions add vitamin K and vitamin C.
Fibre from Whole Corn
One ear carries 3.3 g of fibre from the whole kernels, which helps the snack feel filling.
Quick Energy
At 252 kcal per ear, grilled corn is a satisfying snack that gives steady carbohydrate energy.
Simple, Whole Ingredients
Just corn, oil, spring onion and salt — nothing processed, nothing hidden.
Food Pairings
To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:
Sides
Grilled Pork Skewers
Smoky pork skewers share the same charcoal flavour and turn the snack into a proper evening meal.
Drinks
Sugarcane Juice
Iced sugarcane juice is the street-side drink with grilled corn — sweet, cold and refreshing against the smoke.
Iced Green Tea
Unsweetened iced green tea is light and clean, and it keeps the meal from feeling heavy.
Vegetables
Pickled Vegetables
Sharp pickled carrot and daikon cut through the oil and reset the palate between bites.
Complete menu
Serve the corn hot off the grill with grilled pork skewers and pickled vegetables, then iced green tea — a small street-food spread for a warm evening.
Digestive Guardrails
To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:
Buttering on Top of Scallion Oil
The corn is already brushed with 60 ml of oil across the batch, so butter on top adds a lot of extra fat for no extra flavour. This is general food information, not medical advice.
Very Salty Snacks Alongside
One ear carries 218 mg of sodium, so salty crisps or cured meats in the same snack push the salt up fast. This is general food information, not medical advice.
General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.
Who Should Eat It
Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid
If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.
Storage & Use
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WARNING: This dish is made from raw duck blood and eating it is NOT recommended. Raw blood can carry Streptococcus suis (which causes meningitis and sepsis — people in Vietnam have died after eating pig-blood tiet canh), avian influenza from duck blood, salmonella and other dangerous germs. Vietnam's Ministry of Health advises against eating tiet canh, and no preparation method — not even blood from a fresh or trusted source — makes raw blood fully safe. This page describes the traditional Hanoi preparation, tiết canh vịt, for cultural knowledge only. One serving is about 241 g: a small bowl of fresh duck blood mixed with fish sauce, poured over finely chopped cooked duck meat and left to set into a soft, trembling jelly, then finished with crushed roasted peanuts, fresh herbs, lime and chili, and served cold.
Cultural Discovery
A traditional northern Vietnamese snack of raw duck blood set into a soft jelly with cooked duck meat, herbs and peanuts — described here for cultural knowledge, with a serious safety warning.
