Rice Meals · Vietnam

How Many Calories in Xoi Xeo?

Also known as Xôi xéo, Xôi, Vietnamese Sticky Rice with Mung Bean, Hanoi Sticky Rice.

Turmeric yellow glutinous rice pressed into a banana leaf, topped with shaved steamed mung bean paste, a drizzle of liquid pork fat and a handful of fried shallots. Hanoi's 10,000 to 15,000 dong breakfast from a basket on the pavement.

600kcal / 1 packet (goi)
A standard packet of xoi xeo is around 600 calories, based on the published figure of about 332 per 100g for a 180g portion. The sticky rice is 330, the mung bean paste 80, and the fat drizzle and fried shallots together nearly 190. Add cha or ruoc (pork floss) and it is over 700.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 packet (goi) (180g)AmountPer 100g
Calories600 kcal333 kcal
Protein12 g7 g
Carbs90 g50 g
Fat22 g12 g

Where the calories come from

Turmeric glutinous rice (cooked)140g
330 kcal
Steamed mung bean paste30g
80 kcal
Liquid pork fat drizzle15g
130 kcal
Fried shallots in oil10g
60 kcal

The real talk

Xoi xeo is the densest breakfast on the street and the cheapest, which is a bad combination. Glutinous rice cooked with turmeric is about 235 calories per 100g cooked, so the 140g of rice in a normal packet is 330. The mung bean shaved on top is 80 for 30g. Then the seller ladles on mo, liquid rendered pork fat, and a spoon of fried shallots that were cooked in more of it: 190 calories for 25g of topping. Total 600 for something the size of your fist.

Per 100g, xoi xeo is 332 calories, which puts it in the same league as fried rice and well above pho at around 90 per 100g. The problem is there is no water in it. A bowl of pho weighs 500g and is 450 calories; a packet of xoi weighs 180g and is 600. You will be hungry again by 10am because 180g of anything does not stretch the stomach.

The xoi man version from Saigon carts is worse. Plain white sticky rice with cha lua, lap xuong (Chinese sausage), pate, quail eggs and pork floss runs 650 to 750 for a similar size packet, and the sellers pack them bigger. The one lighter option is xoi gac or xoi lac, sticky rice with gac fruit or peanuts and no fat drizzle, at about 380 to 450.

How the portions compare

450 kcal
Small packet
600 kcal
Standard packet
720 kcal
With cha and pork floss

Xoi Xeo variants, ranked by calories

VariantCaloriesNotes
Xoi gac (gac fruit)380 kcalNo fat drizzle
Xoi lac (peanut)450 kcalPeanuts and sesame salt
Xoi xeo600 kcalMung bean, pork fat, shallots
Xoi ga (chicken)650 kcalShredded chicken and shallot oil
Xoi man (Saigon style)700 kcalCha, lap xuong, pate, quail egg

How to eat it lighter

Common questions

How many calories in 100g of xoi?
About 330 for xoi xeo with its toppings, and around 235 for plain steamed glutinous rice. The fat drizzle and fried shallots are what push xoi xeo higher.
Is xoi good for weight loss?
Not really. A 180g packet is 600 calories with only 12g of protein, so it is dense and not filling for long. Xoi gac or xoi lac without the fat is a better choice at around 400.
Is xoi healthier than banh mi?
A packet of xoi xeo (600) has more calories than a banh mi thit (500) and less protein. Banh mi is the better breakfast of the two on numbers.
Why is sticky rice so high in calories?
Glutinous rice is not higher per gram than normal rice; it is that it is eaten compressed with no water, so a small packet holds a lot of rice, and it is topped with fat.

Related foods

See all Rice Meals calories, ranked ›

Calorie and macro figures are estimates for a typical street stall or quan serving. Actual numbers vary by stall, recipe and portion size. Use them as a guide, not gospel.

Calorie figure based on Long Chau (664 per serving, 332 per 100g); scaled to a 180g street packet. Macros estimated from the ingredients.

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