Tourists are impressived when coming to Hoi An Ancient Town because there are interesting activities to do there. Particularly, for those who want to find out Vietnamese Cuisine.
Central Vietnamese cuisine has stolen hearts of locals and foreigners alike, and for good reason. The dishes are generally more flavorful, and come with a lot more spices than those served throughout the rest of Vietnam. Wander around Hoi An to discover the unique cuisine here:
Cao Lau
Cao lau is one of Vietnam’s delicacies solely associated with Hoi An’s Ancient Town. The essence of this dish is situated in the noodles which are processed meticulously. Cao lau is made with noodles, pork, and local greens, that is found only in Hoian. Its unique taste and texture is achieved by using water from an ancient Cham well named Ba Le Well. In the last few decades, new restaurants with modern versions have added shrimp or chicken, and additional herbs.
Quang noodle
Quang Noodle is another specialty that you shouldn't miss in Hoi An. Also a type of rice vermicelli like pho and hu tieu, and similar in structure, Quang noodle (mi quang) possesses a completely different shade and flavor. As the name implies, this noodle is a specialty of the Quang Nam province. And just like other dishes that have originated from Central Vietnam, this is a very sophisticated dish, full of flavors.
To soften, the rice is soaked in cold water and then ground into a fine powder. Then, a small amount of alum powder is mixed in to make the noodles tougher. After boiling, the noodles are carefully taken out and cooled on a griddle. Also a thin layer of vegetable oil is spread on the noodles to avoid them sticking to one another. A bowl of mi quang consists of quang noodles, shrimp, pork, chicken, roasted peanuts, quail eggs, fresh herbs, and only a little amount of broth.
Banh Mi
Dubbed as “the best baguette in the world”, banh mi is a favorite street food for travelers. Hoi An’s banh mi is famous for being overly delicious and this is due to the sophisticated cooking style of the central people.
Bread must always remain hot to ensure the crunchiness of the crust and the softness of the powder inside. Instead of using cold meat like in other places, the highlight of banh mi Hoi An comes from the use of delicious spicy fillings. Another important part in addition to the meaty fillings that creates a characteristic scent for banh mi Hoi An is the pate. The pate is cooked exactly to the minute in the oven to ensure the product is fat, soft, not too dry, and aromatic. Besides, the baguette is also filled with handmade butter sauce made from fresh chicken eggs, pork, ham, organic vegetables from Tra Que Village, and flavored with spicy gravy.
White Rose (Bánh Bao, Bánh Vạc)
Banh Bao and Banh Vac are two names of different dishes often served together in a meal. These dishes have two little shapes like roses. So many places are called by the name as rose cake. Ingredients include rice cakes, fresh shrimp mixed with salt, pepper, onion and other spices. Meanwhile, the ingredients of the Banh Vac cakes also add mushrooms, bean sprout, scallions, pork…
Chicken Rice (CÆ¡m GÃ )
Hoi An is the best place in Viet Nam serving up chicken rice. This dish will definitely change your current mind of rice. Chicken rice is eye-catching with fresh color of rice, the green of vegetables and the white of chicken, an additional choice for those who love spicy dishes by add more red color of chili. Chicken is torn into smaller pieces and mixed with chopped herbs, sliced onions. Then, it is served with rice that has been cooked with the broth of the chicken. This is why the rice has a light yellow color. The dipping fish sauce which is served along with chicken rice brings to you a sentation in your mouth.
Diners may think this dish is similar to any regular chicken dishes. But after just one bite, you will realize how deliciously unique this dish really is. Hoi An locals have really created a chicken rice that is unlike any other.
Black Sesame Sweet Soup (Xà mà phủ)
Xà Mà Phủ was imported to Hoian from Fujian province in China when Chinese traders came to this city long time ago. The sweet soup consits of several ingredients as black sesame, coconut, rice flour, and sugar. This dish looks unappetizing but tastes amazing.
Grilled Pork with rice paper (Thịt nướng bánh ướt)
When you are in Hoi An, don't forget to try the street BBQ. From the distance, you can smell the attractive smell when marinated pork skewers are grilled on charcoal. It's more toothsome when you wrap the pork with rice paper, vegetables and a special sauce made from peanut and sesame.
With the dishes suggested above, whether for the first time to visit Hoi An, you will not miss any interesting things. Enjoy and explore Hoi An in the fullest way.