Vietnamese sour soup

Canh chua (literally "sour soup") is a sour soup indigenous to the Mekong Delta region of southern Vietnam. It is typically made with fish from the Mekong River Delta, pineapple, tomatoes (and sometimes also other vegetables such as okra or bạc hà), and bean sprouts, in a tamarind-flavored broth. It is garnished with the lemony-scented herb ngò ôm (Limnophila aromatica), caramelized garlic, and chopped scallions, as well as other herbs, according to the specific variety of canh chua; these other herbs may include rau răm (Vietnamese coriander), ngò gai (long coriander), and rau quế (Thai basil).

The sour taste of the soup comes from tamarind, which is mixed with a small amount of hot water; the mixture is then stirred for a few moments to release all the essence, and the liquid (minus the tamarind seeds and other solids, which are discarded) is then added to the soup.

When made in style of a hot pot, canh chua is called lẩu canh chua.

When it comes to canh chua (literally means “sour soup”) most people are familiar with canh chua cá (sour fish soup). There are many different variations to canh chua. Some are cooked with bamboo, eel, chicken, pork ribs or prawns. Undoubtedly the original cooked with fish, tamarind, pineapples, elephant ears, tomatoes and okra is the still the best.

Another version of canh chua my mum usually makes is with prawns and water spinach. My husband much prefers this one because he finds the fish one too fishy. Tamarind is use to give the sour taste in canh chua. I would much prefer to use fresh tamarind for this soup but since I can’t get fresh tamarind I used a tamarind sour soup powder (which has a lot of other seasoning in it).

Garnishing canh chua with rice paddy herb (ngò om) and saw tooth coriander (ngò gai) really enhances this dish (don’t you just love the names of these herbs). This herb is called saw tooth herb. It has a very strong taste and smell which is hard to describe. My parents have an abundance of this herb growing in their backyard.

Banh Tam cari

Banh Tam Cari is a Vietnamese preparation made of special rice noodles and and very spicy chicken curry. It is really a Ca Mau specialty. Ca Mau is a Vietnamese name that refers to a province or peninsula in Vietnam.

Banh is a Vietnamese term,which means 'cake','bread' or 'a variety of cooked food'. Vietnamese cuisine is widely available in countries with strong Vietnamese immigrant communities such as Australia, the United States, Canada and France. It is also popular in Japan, Korea , Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Russia, Laos, Thailand and in areas with dense Asian population.

Vietnamese cuisine is influenced by Asian principle of five elements. Many Vietnamese dishes include five spices, spicy[metal], sour[wood], bitter[fire], salty[water], and sweet[earth] corresponding to five organs, gall bladder, small intestine, large intestine, stomach and urinary bladder. They also try to have five colors, white, green, yellow, red and black in their dishes.

In Banh Tam Cari, these five colors are there from rice noodles, herbs, spices, and chicken curry. The principle of 'yin and yang' is applied in selecting the ingredients of a dish, and the dishes of a meal, and in matching dishes,the climatic conditions, the prevalent environment and the current physical well being of the diners are taken into consideration. Chicken is considered "warm" and dishes with chicken are usually eaten in cold winters.

Rice vermicelli soup (Bún riêu)

Bún riêu is a Vietnamese meat rice vermicelli soup. There are several varieties of bún riêu, including bún riêu cua, bún riêu cá, and bún riêu ốc.

Bún riêu cua is served with tomato broth and topped with crab or shrimp paste. In this dish, various freshwater paddy crabs are used, including the brown paddy crab found in rice paddies in Vietnam. The crabs are cleaned by being placed in clean water to remove dirt and sand. The crabs are pounded with the shell on to a fine paste. This paste is strained and the crab liquid is a base for the soup along with tomato. The crab residue is used as the basis for crab cakes. Other ingredients for this dish are: fried tofu, mẻ or giấm bổng (kinds of rice vinegar), Garcinia multiflora Champ., annatto seeds (hạt điều màu) to redden the broth, huyết (congealed pig's blood), split water spinach stems, shredded banana flower, rau kinh giới (Elsholtzia ciliata), spearmint, perilla, bean sprouts and chả chay (vegetarian sausage). This dish is rich in nutrition: calcium from the ground crab shells, iron from the congealed pig's blood, and vitamins and fiber from the vegetables.

Banh Bot Loc (Vietnamese Clear Shrimp and Pork Dumplings)

My mom actually comes from a family of 9 children and never got past the 6th grade in Vietnam because in order to support the family, she had be in charge of selling our family’s meat and butcher stall a local market near our family’s house, Cho Nhat Tao near Nguyen Tri Phuong and Ba Hat street in District 10 of Saigon. The 6th grade! I think I was busy skateboarding, listening to 80′s new wave and playing nintendo at that age.

For those who have never been to Vietnam, some of the best foods are not in restaurants, but at food stalls in markets or make shift restaurants along the street where they make one or two items and make it with pride extremely well. It was here where she learned her cooking skills to cook for the entire family. She taught my uncle and aunt how to cook and now the both have restaurants in Hartford.

So when my family was over a few weeks ago, it was good to cook with her and learn a new dish because most of the time I’m always calling her about certain recipes or techniques. We decided to make banh bot loc which is another central Vietnamese specialty made of tapoica flour which becomes clear and translucent when cooked. While the shrimp and pork filling in these dumplings are similar to many Asian dumplings, what sets this apart is its characteristic chewiness. While it shouldn’t be jaw-numbing, the chewy and sticky consistency is a textural delight that we love.

There are two major variations of this dish. One is that each dumpling is wrapped and steamed in banana leaf. The other is to boil the dumplings sans banana leaf. The banana leaf certainly adds a nice aroma to it, but is certainly more time consuming and requires a totally different method of preparation compared to without banana leaf

Hue royal dinner

When ecotourism and marine tourism are seem to be in saturated in destination, many tourists started targeting culinary tours for their vacation. Food products Hue "royal dinner" is attracting not a small amount of customers is one example.

There was a king named King Tu Duc who ruled from 1848 to 1883 lived a life of truly imperial luxury: at every meal, 50 chefs prepared 50 dishes served by 50 servants and 50 artists to play music and dance. Since then, royal meal became a kind of special talk (story) in cultural life of Vietnam.

Let’s pretending you are the King, beside you is the Queen accompanied by tens of servants, all wear traditional royal clothes. All the served food is royal including dishes reminding dragon, phoenix, or peacock. They are not only looking so nice on the outside but also taste even better.

Furthermore, there is another crucial feature of Royal dinner, a ceremony with a lot of interesting rules. Before the first drink for the King health, there is a short speech made by servant chief. Everyone has to say "Van tue" (which means “10 thousand year”) to wish the King a long life. The best royal music and dance will be performed by artists coming from Hue conservatory. Nothing is better than enjoying a delicious food while listening to melodious music and having a feeling of being the King. That is why Royal dinner is a must for those who come to Hue, Vietnam. 

Here are some royal dishes

Royal Spring roll & Pheonix pate

Kim qui rice

Kim Long Minced pork around sugarcane

Golden fish

Lotus rice

Fried squid with lemongrass and chilli

Vietnamese sauce

Soy sauce is made from fermented soy beans mixed with a roasted grain, normally wheat. It is infected with a yeast mold and after fermentation begins, salt is added. Yeast is added for further fermentation and the liquid is left in vats for several months and then filtered.

Light soy sauce is thin, salty and light in flavor and is used as a condiment and in cooking where its light color will not spoil the colors of the ingredients, particularly seafood.

Dark soy sauce is thicker with a full-bodied flavor and is used to add color where needed. Generally it is less salty than the soy sauce.

Sweet soy sauce is a dark, sweet sauce made with soy sauce, sugar, and malt sugar. It has a distinctive malty taste.

Insect food in Hanoi

There is a restaurant in Khuong Thuong village, Hanoi, where all cuisines are processed from insects. The restaurant opened in 2002, owned by Mr. Nguyen Tat Kien. Kien said that all cuisines are processed by his mother, who lived in Thailand for many years.
Kien is not present at the restaurant often because he has to travel throughout the country to seek insects.

“Ant-eggs are bought from Phu Tho and Hoa Binh province. Coconut worms and balm-crickets come from southern Vietnam. Bugs and grasshoppers are from some northern provinces. Some kinds of bugs are imported form Thailand. Belostomatid and crickets are bought from Laos. Some kinds of herbs are also imported,” Kien said.
The most special cuisines at his restaurant are those processed from ant-eggs, in the styles of Thai people or Muong and Tay ethnic people in Vietnam.

Kien said he would go to Quang Tri province to learn processing a species of worms that live in cassava trees. He also said that the latest cuisine at his restaurant is fried spiders.
According to a recent work by Dutch scientists, in the next several decades, humans will have to change their eating habits and turn from cattle and poultry meat to insects to protect the environment.
Scientists said that in the near future, insects will replace meat in supermarkets. Pork, beef and chicken are rich in protein but they are the sources of methane, which is more dangerous than CO2 in causing greenhouse effect.

Insects are also rich in protein but they are not as fat as meat and they discharge little CO2. Moreover, insects don’t transmit diseases like blue-ear, bird flu, etc.
With 10kg of grass and vegetables, we can have 1kg of meat of cattle and poultry, while with the same volume of grass and vegetables, 6-8kg of insects can be created.

Lotus stem salad

A refreshing dish for hot days, “gỏi ngó sen” is healthy, vibrant, delicious on its own and certainly crunchy. The most special taste comes from the pure flavor and crunchy texture of pickled lotus stem. What is more, it is easy to make. The main ingredients are lotus root, carrot, tender pork, shrimp, shallot, coriander, mint, onion, and roasted peanut with the appetizing dressing being as an integral part of the dish. First, boil the pork shoulder and shrimp separately in water with a little of salt and sugar added; let they cool, then slice the pork as thin as possible, de-shell and de-vein the shrimp. Next, rinse out pickled lotus stem, pickled carrots, cut or slice them into pieces and drain them. Then, coarsely chop the fresh coriander, mint, and cilantro and mix them together with above ingredients with a gentle toss. The dressing poured into the concoction is a perfect combination of hot, sour, spicy, salty, and sweet. Finally, crispy fried shallots, roasted peanuts sprinkled over the dish make it look much tastier with a nutty flavor. It is commonly served with prawn crackers. Enjoy it and you definitely never forget its refreshing flavor and amazing crunchy texture.

Favorite snack in Hanoi - "Bun Dau"

"Bun Dau" or noodles and soya curd (we can call: bean vermicelli)  is a favorite snack in Hanoi. There are also leaf of rice vermicelli (lá bún) is cut into three, fried yellow  soya curd, shrimp sauce aftertaste, sour, bitter, salty, sweet, add a little schizonepeta, perilla, but there was so strange things do not mix between "bún" parks in Hanoi.
During four seasons of Northern origin, many people choose for themselves "bún đậu" as breakfast or lunch. The burden go across many streets then down at a fixed point. Customers create their own routines, where is found "bun dau" is  a fixed point. In Thanh Xuan district, Ms Lan (age 27) from 7am to carry her noodles across Nguyen Quy Duc street to 10am is finish.

At Cau Giay , on the sidewalk in front of Thu Le Park, from 10:00 am to 12:00 am have six street restaurant line of 'bun dau"sitting in there. Customer  is  convenience to eat .
Walk slowly up the Hoan Kiem area, near a pharmacy on Hai Ba Trung street is a familiar point of sale bean vermicelli. Ms Ha (52 years) said: "Sitting on the pavement but clean is also interesting in it" .

Bean vermicelli is not expensive , easy to eat at any season any.
Bean vermicelli are liking of tourists or not depends on the grace of the seller. Mrs. Ngan (55 years), live at Hang Thiet street sold bean vermicelli algae on Hai Ba Trung Street nearly ten years. Even at her best hot still laughed, joked a few more questions so that everyone is satisfied.

Linh, the salesclerk of Nguyen Kim  supermarkets said: "Eating noodles here but hear talk medical sales look exactly like comedy." Although the burden is empty or a large shop, the sellers all have the word "patience."Guests to eat each one counted, so owners that irritability is:  Quarrels all day."

From Khay street has a tray small alley connecting Vu Thach Pagoda. So here is hard to find, but who came here will back. She borrowed the temporary owner of the house an ancient time, though old but very good shade rain cover. Feeling sitting in an old house with the space very interesting particular. The walls were already peeling lime, silver colored wooden doors, small pictures of the owner still hanging on the wall. Apart from the well field is a rainwater tank and a betel rig blue, rustic. She has an enthusiasms of serve for guests and made noodles very careful and clean.

Bean vermicelli are tourists or not depends on the salesgirl.

Mr Dick, (a French tourist) said: "I was a friend of Vietnam led to eat here last week, would love bean noodles, like the low seating, good location bar should be back here today to eat". Outer walls are red brick long bar, if you can save yourself a cute picture.

Mr. Doan, 57, a customer eating noodles on Nguyen Khac Can said: "Eat a bean vermicelli in a delicious and comfortable sidewalks. Hanoi rainy season came, the sun suddenly reminded of medical leaves of Onga Becgon season. "

Sometimes things seemed very simple but also left his heart a sweet aftertaste, and hold a binding elusive, just know that feet get used to a rhythm and go to the old shop. And from that noodles and soya curd that there is still the familiar strange.

Hanoi Steamed Glutinous Rice (Xoi xeo Ha Noi)

I have never seen any places in Vietnam with many kinds of good steamed glutinous rice like Ha Noi. Ha Noi "xôi" is really a diversified picture of agricultural products of Vietnam. They are "xôi gấc" (steamed glutinous rice with Momordica cochinchinensis), "xôi lạc" (steamed glutinous rice with peanut), "xôi vò" (steamed glutinous rice with split peas), "xôi đậu" (steamed glutinous rice with bean), "xôi ngô" (steamed glutinous rice with corn), "xôi cốm" (steamed glutinous rice with green rice flakes), "xôi dừa" (steamed glutinous rice with coconut), "xôi thịt" (steamed glutinous rice with cooked pork), "xôi chả" (steamed glutinous rice with pork pie), etc. Each kind of "xôi" is a real creative art and a wonderful combination of ingredients. Among these kinds of "xôi", I am the most impressive with "xôi xéo" since it is really special even with its name as "xôi xéo".

"Xôi xéo" is normally sold in the morning at almost all alleys in Ha Noi. It is sold by peddlers who carry bamboo frames on their shoulder or ride a bike. No one knows when "xôi xéo" came into being in Ha Noi; however it has become a popularly special dish for breakfast. Students and workers enjoy this dish the most. It is quite understandable since it is cheap, gives feeling of fullness and it is easy to eat.

No matter where you enjoy this dish in the city, its ingredients are the same with steamed glutinous rice, bean, fried onion, and liquid fat. "Xôi xéo" is good thanks to glutinous rice selection to make it glutinous without being much pasty. Bean is steamed, well-kneaded and rolled into big balls so that they can be thinly planed. Onion is fried and it must not be too brown. This dish must be soused with liquid fat which is clear and viscid. In order to keep it as liquid (not to be solidified) in Winter, liquid fat is always put on a brazier.

In the morning, drop by a shop of steamed glutinous rice with lots of choices, seeing seller who skillfully make "xôi xéo", you definitely take it for your breakfast. A big bowl of "xôi xéo" may keep you full till late noon. If affordable, you may require seller to add some salted shredded meat. It only costs you VN3,000 to VND5,000 to enjoy that good dish for your breakfast.

Com hen song Huong (Perfume River mussel cooked rice)

 “Com hen Song Huong” is a dish served at room temperature, made with mussels and leftover rice. It is a complicated recipe that includes sweet, buttery, salty, sour, bitter and spicy flavors.

Com hen Song Huong (or Com hen in short) is the very simple and low-priced specialty of Hue, the ancient citadel of Vietnam. Accordingly, the way of serving this special kind of food is of great ancience, simplicity and deliciousness.

Com hen has a sweet-smelling flavor of rice, onion, and grease, as well as strange tastes of sweet, buttery, salty, sour, bitter, and peppery-hot. You have to arrive to Hen river-islet in the Perfume River to have the original Com hen. However, you can find out the dish on some streets in Hue City. It requires 15 different raw materials to prepare for the dish, including mussel, fried grease, watery grease, peanuts, white sesames, dry pancake, salted shredded meat, chilly sauce, banana flower, banana trunk, sour carambola, spice vegetables, peppermint, salad, etc.

Com hen is always attractive to many customers since it is tasty and, at the same time, economical to anybody.

What makes this simple kind of food popular is revealed in the great endeavor to adopt and process its main ingredient – mussel. Mussels are sea species, which must be dipped in water for a long while before being processed. Accordingly, people often say that com hen somehow expresses the strenuous work of the maker.

Where to find it? Very easy as it is popular everywhere in Hue and these days, elsewhere in Hue restaurants in Vietnam. More favorably, it is a low-priced specialy, thus you could eat it in luxurious restaurants in Hue or even in vendoring mobile shops on the streets.

“Visiting Hue could not miss Com hen, or else you have not come to Hue ever!” is the most common remark of visitors elsewhere to Hue. So, please come and enjoy it yourself!

(Source: Le Trang- Vietnam-beauty.com)

"Banh Chung" - the soul of Vietnamese New Year

"Banh Chung" (Chung cake) is a traditional and irreplaceable cake of Vietnamese people in the Tet Holidays and King Hung’s anniversary (10th March Lunar). For the Vietnamese, making "Banh Chung" is the ideal way to express gratitude to their ancestors and homeland.

Banh Chung
The legend of " Banh Chung"
Chung cake was invented by the 18th Prince of Hung Emperor in the contest of looking for new Emperor. According to the legend, 3,000-4,000 years ago, Prince Lang Lieu, made round and square cakes, the round Day cake symbolizing the sky and the square Chung cake symbolizing the Earth (under the ancient Vietnamese perception), to be offered on the occasion of Spring.
In the ancient conception, the Earth is square, hence Chung cake's shape is square, too, to reflect the Earth shape. Since the cakes he offered were of special meaning and delicious taste, Lang Lieu was selected to be the next Emperor. Since then, in honor of this 18th Prince, Vietnamese people always make and have Chung cake in the Lunar New Year. Up to now, Chung cake has become the most famous and irreplaceable traditional Vietnamese food in Tet Holiday. This legend aims to remind the next generations of the ancient tradition as well as the primary of Chung cake. Besides, it emphasizes the important role of rice and nature in water rice culture.
How to make a "Banh Chung"?
In contrast to the fast food in modern life, the process of making Chung cake is time-consuming and requires the contribution of several people. Main ingredients are glutinous rice, pork meat, and green beans wrapped in a square of bamboo leaves that will give the rice a green color after boiling. The
sticky rice must be very good and was soaked in water in the previous day. Rice cake is wrapped in square shape, and the wrapping power must be neither tight nor loose. Then the cake will be boiled in about 12 hours by wood. The Green Chung cake has nutrition with an original tasty flavor and may be kept for a long time. Eating Chung cake with vegetable pickles will bring you unforgettable taste!
In the traditional conception of Vietnamese people, the process of making Chung cake is the opportunity for family to come together. Sitting around the warm fire, all members in the family tell one another the past stories and are ready for a New Year with wishes of best things. Nowadays, in some big cities, the business lifestyle of modern society prevent people from preparing the cake, however, the habit of worship ancestors with Chung cake never changes. It is the evidence of the Vietnamese loyalty and deep gratitude to ancestors.

Hue beef noodle – the typical culinary art of Hue!

In Hue city, the former citadel of Vietnam, it doesn't take you a lot of money to dine like a King!

Hue beef noodle takes its origin from the Royal Hue City of Central Vietnam. The broth is from cooking beef bones for a long period of time as well as a variety of different spices including lemongrass.
How does it taste? Well, having a bowl of Hue beef noodle, you will easily recognize that it is completely different from Pho since the former’s beef broth is much more spicy.
How to make it? Learning how to make a clear broth from bone and meat is quite a difficult task. After being selected from the market, the fresh beef will be shredded, boiled and taken out of the water to obtain a delicious clear broth. A typical version of Hue beef noodle must include pork, roast beef, pig’s blood, Vietnamese salami, Hue’s style salami, shrimp sauce and chopped lettuce.
The interesting thing is that, the amount of salt put in the beef noodle recipe varies between seasons. For example, during summer, Hue beef noodle soup is served with soy bean, mint and different kinds of lettuce while in the winter, the recipe is saltier added with lemongrass and fish.
The best Hue beef noodle comes from the street vendors who work from dawn to early morning. In Hue, when night lights are on, you can enjoy a good bowl of this noodle soup at restaurants in front of No. 84 Mai Thuc Loan Street. This hot dish represents just a few of the treasures of Hue's traditional cuisine. Clam-rice and the flour pies like beo (streamed flour cupcakes), nam (wrapped shrimp pies) and loc (tapioca and shrimp pies), for examples, are part of the ancient capital's culinary heritage.
Where to have Hue’s beef noodle in Ha Noi?
You are in Hanoi, and wondering if such a Hue’s specialty appears in Hanoi or not. Don’t worry, Hue beef noodle come up quite often in many streets of Hanoi from morning till night. It’s better to ask your hotel to recommend a place nearby or you can refer to the following reliable addresses:
• No. 4 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Hanoi
• No.467 Đoi Can Street, Hanoi
• No.7 Thai Phien Street, Hanoi
• No.22 Phan Boi Chau Street, Hanoi
• No.175 Lang Ha Street, Hanoi
• No.G23 Huynh Thuc Khang Street, Hanoi

Bun (rice vermicelli), the origin for many Vietnamese delicious dishes!

Bun (Rice vermicelli) is made of rice flour which is turned into small, circular and white threads wrapped up into small coils called Con Bun. Vietnamese rice vermicelli is a preferable as well as a popular dish!

The best rice noodles have only two ingredients: rice or rice flour, and water. Rice vermicelli are thin, translucent noodles that are similar to cellophane noodles, with which they are often confused (rice vermicelli are made from rice; cellophane noodles are made from bean starch). There are different varieties of vermicelli depending on their shape: bun roi (stirred vermicelli), bun mam (twisted vermicelli), bun la (vermicelli paper), and bun dem tram (shreded vermicelli).
Rice vermicelli noodles are delicious and easy to prepare. Let’s see how rice vermicelli dishes are prepared step by step!
Before cooking, simply soak rice vermicelli in warm (not hot) water for just two minutes. Then, in order to have a delicious bowl of rice, you should add different kinds of ingredients and vegetables. You can choose one of various ingredients that can be served with vermicelli such as: grilled pork meat, fried rice cakes, snails, fried eggs, lean meat pie, chicken, and crab soup, etc.
Do not be so surprised if you see that each region and locality, even each restaurant, has its own vermicelli dishes with their own recipes. There are a variety of ways to enjoy rice vermicelli, each dish having its own unique taste, for example: “Bun Cha” (vermicelli and grilled chopped meat), “Bun Rieu” (vermicelli and sour crab soup), “Bun Bo” (vermicelli and beef ), “Bun Oc” (vermicelli and snails) and so on.
Let’s try the very delicious taste of Bun Cha and Bun Oc! Bun Cha (Vermicelli and grilled chopped meat) includes rice vermicelli, grilled pork and spicy, raw vegetables and well mixed fish sauce. For a dish of Bun Cha, you take a dish of rice vermicelli, a dish full of vegetables and a bowl of fish sauce combined with vinegar, sugar, hot chilly, garlic and pepper. The sauce will then contain all the essential tastes, sour, hot, salty and sweet. Grilles of well cooked pork would be opened and the contents dropped into the bowl of fish sauce. There are two kinds of Cha (grilled pork) used, depending upon the cut of the meat. If the pork is cut into small pieces, it is called Cha Mieng (piece of grilled pork). If it is minced prior to being shaped into small cubes, it is named Cha Bam (minced grilled pork). Bun Oc (Rice vermicelli with fresh water snail) has fresh water snails as main ingredient. These snails will have been kept in clean fresh water for about ten hours before being boiled for the dish, to allow sufficient time for the snails to release any organic matter they may have in their shells. The boiled snails after being taken out of their shells would be cleaned. The soup for the dish is made from the water in which snails have been boiled in. To the soup is added tomatoes and several kinds of flavour and vinegar.
Rice vermicelli are a part of different Vietnamese cuisines.Walking along some streets and stopping at one rice vermicelli vendor in Hanoi or Sai Gon, you will have chances for tasting various dishes of rice vermicelli with unforgettable flavor!

Cao lau Hoi An

Visitors to Hoi An never forget Cao Lau (vermicelli), the special Hoi An and Quang Nam special symbol

Cao Lau is the foremost traditional Hoi An food. Visitors to Hoi An always remember Cao Lau, which was considered by Quang Nam people as a special symbol for Hoi An.
Cao lau noodles are carefully made from local new sticky rice. Water used to soak rice must be taken from wells in the Ba Le Village; noodles thus will be soft, enduring and flavored with special sweet-smelling.
On the Cao Lau noodles were some meat slices mixed with fat made from fried noodles served with vegetables and bean sprouts. Sharp-witted eaters would find out the specific flavor of the dish.
Dry pancakes used as ingredient must be thick with much sesame on the surface. Greasy coconut quintessence and bitter green cabbage are also indispensable. The so-called genuine Cao lau Hoi An must satisfy all above requirements.
It was said that only some wells in Hoi An were used to make Cao Lau noodles. What is more, only some Hoi An families were able to produce Cao Lau by their own traditional way, but the quality was not as good as it was before. Cao Lau did not have Vietnamese flavor. Despite its Chinese-like appearance, no Chinese accepted it as Chinese food. Until now, the origin of Cao Lau still remains in mystery.

Bottoms up

In Hanoi, you can find the simplest corner bar on Earth with tiny plastic stools on the sidewalk, small tables on the ground, laden with glasses of beer. Come to Vietnam to try Vietnamese beer and see how men drink beer with favorite refrain such as “tram phan tram” (100 percent), "drain your glass of every drop”…
Bia hoi (draught beer) is one of things you should not be missed when you come to Hanoi. There are plenty of local as well as imported beer brands in Hanoi such as 333, Carlsberg, Hanoi, Tiger, Saigon, LaRue, San Miguel and Heineken. However, bia hoi is the most popular beverage throughout the country and the cheapest beer in the world (2,000 VND for a glass only). It accounts for more than 30% of total beer consumption in the country. Of course, it is an unpasteurized beer with low alcohol content (approx. 3%) that is sold in mugs in simple street restaurants. Bia hoi is an integral part of the North Vietnamese beer culture. Typically, most male beer consumers drink it at least 4-5 times a week during peak season.
As a developing nation, Vietnam's per capita beer consumption remains relatively low at roughly 12 liters a year, especially compared with such giants of the suds-swilling world as Germany, which consumes more than 120 liters per person per year. Nevertheless, Vietnamese tend to drink beer in large quantities. Yes, that is true! It is not uncommon to see a group of four or five men with 24 empty bottles on their table at lunchtime. Humorously speaking, as well as their drinking capacity increase, their business prospects seem to be bright.
That the reason why Vietnam’s bottled-beer market has been enjoying double-digit growth for several years. Upscale brew pubs are also starting to crop up with more than a dozen opening in Hanoi in the last year. “This is a very interesting industry - a rapidly growing industry” said Van Dinh who opened a brew pub in a Hanoi discotheque last year.
When opening Red Beer brand (or Bia Do) in Hanoi a year ago, Truong Viet Binh expected to sell about 200 liters a day. Now, he's selling 300 to 400 daily and planning to open a new Bia Do in Ho Chi Minh City where at least four brew pubs already have been opened
Despite all the changes in Vietnam's beer industry, the most popular drinking establishment remains the traditional bia hoi. These ubiquitous establishments are always on the sidewalk where customers sometimes will raise their voices over the din of motorbike traffic or the clouds of diesel belch over the plastic tables from a passing bus. The customers have no need for the sleek furniture and fancy entertainment that they might find in a brew pub.
Nobody minds if the tables are dirty and the sidewalk is littered with paper napkins. This is simply the place where everyone comes to unwind - from truck drivers returning from a stressful shift to college professors who use bia hoi as a sort of street-side salon. “We come here twice a day” said Le Vinh, 67 years old, sitting at a bia hoi in the shadow of the central Hanoi train station. As a retired doctor, Vinh's drinking pals include a retired soccer star, a film maker, an engineer and finally, a newspaper photographer. They gather for an hour or two at lunch and, of course, reconvene at the end of the day. “We share our ups and downs” said Nguyen Trinh Thai, a painter.
At Bia hoi Viet Ha - a humble stall just down the Lang Ha Street, five friends are gathering after a hard day at a Hanoi print shop. They have come to this place four times a week for six years now. They suck down eight glasses right after sitting, but claim they are sober. “If we come home drunk, our wives will be furious” as one of them explained. “If we have less than eight glasses, we are fine,” said Pham Tien Anh, 55 year olds, while picking at a plate of fried tofu with his chopsticks. “Chuc suc khoe!” they cheered and ordered another toast “Here's to your health!”
Vietnam has a unique beer culture, said Nguyen Hong Linh director of planning for Hanoi Beer, which has recently doubled its production capacity. “When people go to a bia hoi, it will promise a special atmosphere,” Linh said. “Everybody is very happy. That’s all!
Now, wondering on a certain street in Ha Noi, you can accidentally hear the sentence “Bottoms up!” and question yourself “what is the only thing that will make these men forget their wives and their homes?” The answer is “beer only”!

“Mứt Tết”, very delicious preserved fruit

In Vietnamese New Year party, beside traditional dishes, no family can forget to make a tray of "Mứt Tết”, a cup of tea, betel and areca ready to entertain their visitors.
“Mứt Tết” refers to fruits or vegetables that have been prepared and canned for long term storage. The preparation of preserved fruit traditionally involves the use of pectin as a gelling agent, although sugar or honey may be used as well. There are various types of fruit preserves made in Vietnam, and they can be made from sweet or savory ingredients.
“Mứt” is made from all sorts of fruit, including mandarin oranges, apples, banana, coconuts, persimmons and breadfruit. Vegetables like patatoes, carrots and squash are also turned into “Mứt”, as certain types of blossoms.
The most famous variety of “Mứt” is made from rose petals or peach blossoms. The raw materials are cleaned and peeled, then soaked in sugar and cooked until dry. Other types of “Mứt” have the sticky consistency of jam. Some varieties, like “cu lac” (peanut jam) are covered with a thick layer of sugar, but most have thin layer of sugar.
The colors are often quite intense and people serve different types of “Mứt” together, arranged in a colorful display.
In Hanoi, Hang Dieu or Hang Duong Streets in Old Quarter are famous for shops that sell “Mứt”. Preserved fruits are masterpieces in these shops. They make all kinds of preserved fruit such as ginger, waxy pumpkin, apple, orange, lemon and carrot in various shapes and colours.
To welcome Tet is to welcome the spring. However, in January, which is spring time, the weather in Vietnam is still cold. It is a good idea to warm up with a cup of hot tea and a slice of preserved ginger with golden yellow colour and a special flavour...

Fish Sauce – a famous Vietnamese condiment

When having most Vietnamese food, “nuoc mam” or Fish Sauce is the indispensable spice of much deliciousness.

Whoever coming to Vietnam and most Southeast Asian countries (such as Thailand, Laos, Cambodia) is much fond of a special condiment - Fish sauce (or nuoc mam in Vietnamese). It is a staple ingredient of numerous food like curry and sauces, and is derived from fish that is allowed to ferment.
The origin of fish sauce in Vietnam dates back to ancient times as a primary source of protein. Early fishing boats were unable to venture into the deep ocean to catch larger fish for more fish meat. Instead, they mostly stayed close to the shore and net small fish. Later on, it was found that they could produce a richer protein sauce by layering these small fish in barrels with salt. Since then, there appeared such a delicious sauce!
Ingredients and production process: Only the fresh small fish makes good-quality fish sauce, which is found in clear color and good smell. In Vietnam, fish sauce is very popular and can be any of various mixtures based on the liquid of salted, fermented fish. First, small fish and salt are put in wooden boxes to ferment. Then, it is slowly pressed so as to yield the salty, fishy liquid.
This extremely pungent, strong-flavored and salty liquid can range in color. For the pure fish sauce, fresh anchovy fish sauce is selected and mixed with salt by applying the unique Vietnamese traditional process. Fermentation is started once a year, during the fishing season. After about 3 months in the barrel, the liquid drips from an open spigot, to be poured back into the top of the barrel. Six months under the sunlight will make the fish sauce of much better smell.
The unique characteristic of fish sauce is salty flavor and fishy smell. An interesting characteristic of fish sauce is that it loses its fishy odor once mixed with other ingredients. It is commonly used for cooking and dipping seafood and many other Vietnamese foods as well. In Vietnam, it is generally called nước mắm (well known by these brand names: nước mắm Phu Quoc or Phu Quoc fish sauce, and nước mắm Phan Thiet or Phan Thiet fish sauce).

Quang noodle, so good speciality

Knowing Vietnamese noodles can be extremely helpful, as “pho” is to Hanoi and beef rice noodles is to Hue, Quang noodles is very popular in Quang Nam and Da Nang.


Quang noodle soups differ than most normal noodle soups in that the soups have just enough broth to barely cover the noodles. Unlike other Vietnamese noodle soup bowls whose broth will cover the noodles almost completely, Quang noodle broth is barely enough to slurp during the meal. If you do not eat a Quang noodle bowl fast enough, the broth will generally quickly be soaked up by the noodles. Quang noodle soups are generally pork and dried shrimp broth based, although some regional and family recipes will use chicken and even duck. What makes Quang noodle soups unique is the richness of the broth, the lack of it and the crushed peanut toppings on the noodles.

The mystery of Quang noodle is in that pot above. This is ‘nuoc sot mi quang’ or Quang noodle sauce. This makes the stock slightly sweet and a smidgen spicy. This dish's ingredients include rice, vegetables and meat. After being soaked in water, the rice is ground to a fine powder and made into attractive smooth white noodles. Accompanying vegetables are water morning-glory, cress, young banana flowers and herbs. Especially, the famous Tra Que savory of Quang Nam Province will give the dish more flavour. You can use pork, chicken, fish, crab or shrimp to make the broth. If chicken is chosen, the meat is separated, seasoned and stir-fried while the bones are stewed. Finish the stock by adding cooked chicken meat.

There are many Quang noodle restaurants in Quang Nam and Da Nang. Each area is famous for one certain recipe. For example, Thanh Chiem Village in Dien Ban District, Quang Nam Province is known for shrimp noodle, while chicken noodle is at its best in Tuy Loan, Hoa Vang District, Da Nang City.

A traditional version says: “I make for you, darling, green tea and Quang noodles to express my feelings”. Thus, you can visit a Quang noodle kiosk in Danang City to enjoy the typical flavor of the soups, for instance: Ngan Quang Noodle at 108 Dong Da Street, Lu Quang Noodle at Ham Nghi Street, Vi Quang Noodle at 155 Trung Nu Vuong Street and so on.

“Bun goi da”

“Bun goi da” is a special noodle soup which is one of the most appreciated by visitors to Soc Trang Province.

The strange dish is originated in My Xuyen Town, Soc Trang Province. Leaving the city of Soc Trang some 5 km to My Xuyen Town, you can see a board "bun goi da" suspended before the small stall. While waiting for the dilicious dish moved out, you can view the cool green trees, smelling the fragrance of delicious dishes.

The best “bun goi da” is served at a small and shady stall in a quiet street at old Bai Xau, a site which used to be buoyant port serving the 6 Southern provinces. The shop-owner Trinh Thi Nu, is a retired school teacher in Can Tho City. She takes a very good care to ensure the best quality of the dish which requires a number of ingredients including rice noodles, pork, prawns, soybean paste, sliced red chilli and some herbs. Having put these things into a decoratively presented bowl, a flavoured hot broth, the most important thing to decide the taste of the dish, is added to the mixture.

“Bun goi da” is even more appealing with some fresh vegetables. It has been one of the favourite dishes for both locals and visitors in Soc Trang Province. Each bowl is a mere 12,000 to 15,000 VND. For many years, “bun goi da” have made the journey to Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City, help to improve people’s living standard. Moreover, “bun goi da” is also served in Hoang Cung Restaurant of Saigon - Can Tho Hotel. Although the price is 20,000 to 25,000 VND for a bowl of “bun goi da”, the luxurious seat will help you delight in watching the street and the bowl of “bun goi da” is much more delicious.

Not only the favourite for many visitors, “bun goi da” is one of traditional dishes in Soc Trang Province. Once enjoying and you can feel the typical fragrance of the dish.

“Cốm” - Autumn’s special gift

"Cốm" (green sticky rice) is a delicacy that is made only in autumn and cherished by all Vietnamese. For Hanoians, nothing evokes autumn like the taste of young rice from Vong village, the grain so sweetly scented that they left a lasting impression...


Served with red persimmons or ripe bananas, "Cốm" is truly delicious. Vong village, on the outskirts of Hanoi, is said to produce the best "Cốm" in northern Vietnam. When autumn comes, Hanoians everywhere always remember the special taste of "Cốm" which is a special gift from the soil made by hard-working peasants, holding a simple and fresh fragrance.

Every autumn, when the cool north-westerly wind brings a cold dew, the sticky rice ears bend themselves into arches waiting for ripe grains because these rice grains are at their fullest and the rice-milk is already concentrated in the grains, and the local farmers will know it is time to make “Cốm” – a specialty made from young green sticky rice.

"Cốm" is often eaten by hand, directly from the lotus leaves, a pinch at a time. When eating “Cốm”, you must enjoy slowly and chew very deliberately in order to appreciate all the scents, tastes, and plasticity of the young rice which is sweet, nutty and buttery.

From the complicated process...

Visitors to Hanoi during the "Cốm" making season are invited to go to Vong Village where they will have a chance to listen to the special rhythmic pounding of wooden pestles against mortars filled with young rice and see women shifting and winnowing the pounded young rice.

In Vong village, making “Cốm” used to be a common trade. People from Vong village are said to have the most complicated process for making "Cốm". Firstly, glutinous paddy is planted. To produce their famous "Cốm", residents of Vong village grow a special variety of sticky rice. The sticky rice must be harvested at just the right moment. When the paddy begins to ripen and still contains milk it is reaped but only at early dawn. The rice is plucked off manually so that the grains are not broken. Next, the choice grains are carefully selected, sifted and washed. At night, the grains are dried in a large pan
over a soft fire and then pounded in stone mortars. Following this, the young rice is removed from the mortar and winnowed before being poured again into the mortar and the process repeated. This is then repeated exactly seven times so that all the husk is removed from the young sticky grains. There is an art to this part of the process. If the pounding is done irregularly and in haste, or it is not repeated seven times, the green colour of the grains will disappear and be replaced by an unexpected brown colour. Then the whole process will have been to no avail because customers will refuse to buy such produce. This should go some way to explaining exactly how difficult the whole process of "Cốm" making is.

“Not every one can dry and pound "Cốm". It is a closely guarded secret in some families that is never revealed to the mothers or daughters!” says 72-year-old Pham Thi Nguyet, whose family still produces “Cốm”. After the “Cốm” has been pounded, the crystal spring rice is wrapped tightly in emerald lotus leaves to keep it from drying and allowing it to absorb lotus flavour.

...to other specialities

Better than any other person, peasants are the only ones who truly understand when the rice ears are ripe enough to be reaped to begin making “Cốm”. From then on, “Cốm” is still available, however, as it is used in different local specialties.

“Cốm” is an ingredient used in many specialities of Vietnam, including “Cốm xào” (browned green sticky rice), “Bánh cốm” (green sticky rice cake) and “Chè cốm” (sweetened green sticky rice paste) and so on.

“Bánh cốm” is the well-known as it is found at every engagement ceremony. The cakes are wrapped with bananas leaves into squares, tied with a red string and stamped on the outside with a Chinese character meaning "double happiness". With these characteristics, “Bánh cốm” is believed to be a symbol of steadfast and eternal love.

Green sticky rice cakes are sold on Hang Than Street. Sticky cakes stuffed with green rice are sold on Hang Dieu Street and Quoc Huong green rice paste is sold on Hang Bong Street. Restaurants also offer dishes involving “Cốm”, such as chicken stewed with herbs and green rice, or green rice served with fried shrimp.
Nowadays, thanks to convenient means of transport, many Hanoians send Vong Village’s "Cốm" to their relatives in other parts of the country, and even abroad, as a special gift. By this way, the delicious taste of "Cốm" always stays in the hearts of Hanoians wherever they live. To those who have ever been involved in farming, eating "Cốm" often reminds them of a fresh and fragrant paddy.

“Banh it” - sticky rice cake

It is true that “Banh it” is a must try specialty of the Central Region in Vietnam!

Commonly, there are two kinds of “Banh it”. The first one is “Banh it la gai”, which is sticky rice cake with coconut or green bean stuffing wrapped in pinnate leaf. The second one is “Banh it tom thit” - glutinous rice cake with meat and shrimp, its name means “little meat shrimp cakes”, the stuffing is made of ground pork and shrimp mixed with spring onion and other spices.

A popular saying goes: "If you wish to eat banh it la gai, get married to a Binh Dinh man to increase your life experience". It shows how essential “Banh it la gai” is to the people in the central region. Originating in Binh Dinh Province on the central coast, “Banh it la gai” has become a veritable specialty of that region of Vietnam.

"Banh it la gai" is made from five ingredients - sticky rice, "la gai" (a type of thorn leaf popular in the central region), sugar, green beans (or black beans) and a banana leaf. The “la gai” is boiled and then ground in a stone mortar until its green colour turns black. The sticky rice is ground into flour. The sugar is dissolved in water and then boiled down to make syrup. Then the three ingredients are mixed together to make the dough. Meanwhile, the green beans are soaked in water for hours and then whipped before steaming. After that the well-done beans are ground and rolled into balls used as fillings for the dough.

The dumpling can also be made with sweetened ground coconut instead of beans. Either way the banana leaves are usually put quickly on the fire or dipped in hot water to make them soft so that it is easier to wrap the cake with them. The little packages usually are shaped like pyramids with square bottoms. Then people arrange the packets into a pot for steaming.

Visiting Binh Dinh, tourists can discover how “Banh it” often stands right in the centre of locals' lives. In death anniversaries, it is acceptable for there to be no fish or meat, but there must be “Banh it la gai”. In marriage rituals, a tray of “Banh it la gai” is the gift of the bride’s family to that of the groom to show the skillfulness of the bride who has made the Banh it together with other villagers.

In the former imperial capital of Hue in Thua Thien-Hue Province, tourists can also find “Banh it la gai” and another type of “Banh it” called “Banh it tom thit”. The cake is a little ball of sticky rice flour stuffed with shrimp and pork. The tasty morsel is served plain or wrapped in banana leaves and is one of the indispensable dishes in the death anniversaries of a Hue family.

“Banh it” is also popular in the historic town of Hoi An in Quang Nam Province. There tourists can find “Banh it” not only at family parties, wedding ceremonies and death anniversaries but also at restaurants. Hoi An has two types of “Banh it”: one with green bean filling and wrapped in banana leaves called “Banh it la gai nhan dau xanh” and the other also filled with green beans but served plain called “Banh it la gai tran”. Unlike common “Banh it la gai”, “Banh it tran” usually is pink and smells like la dua (a type of leaf that smells when it is steamed). A famous “Banh it la gai”-making family lives on Nhi Trung Street in Hoi An. Stopping by their ancient house, tourists can learn all the stages of making “Banh it”. They can see how people prepare “la gai”, whip beans, grind sticky rice and form the dumplings. Above all, they can enjoy “Banh it” right after it is steamed.

Once visting the central region of Vietnam, you should not miss a chance to enjoy the so delicious taste of “Banh it”...

“Banh Phu The”– Vietnamese conjugal cake

In Vietnam,“Banh Phu The” is a special cake, which symbolises the loyalty of a husband and wife...

The conjugal cake is normally served at Vietnamese weddings and used as a wedding invitation or taken by the man’s family to the woman’s family on engagement day. The stickiness of the cake is said to signify the stickiness of the marriage ties. Traditionally, a guy would offer these to the girl he wants to marry. Now these cakes are still an essential part of a wedding banquet, or the gift packages that the groom's family send over to the bride's.

“Banh Phu The” is a Vietnamese sweet with a jelly-like texture made of tapioca flour, pandan, mung bean paste, sugar, sesame seeds and coconut milk. It is very unique with a leaf covering that looks like a tiny square box, made from coconut leaves. The reason it is called Banh “Phu The” is because of how it is wrapped: a box on the top fits perfectly with the box on the bottom. If you would like ton know how to make this special cake, you can visit Dinh Bang - a famous Vietnamese village in Bac Ninh Province

“Chè” - Vietnamese Sweetened Porridge

Black bean sweetened porridge
"Chè” is a Vietnamese term that refers to any traditional Vietnamese thick, sweet dessert soup or sweetened porridge. Sweetened porridge is a kind of sugary flavored beverage which is protein-rich.

As such, it may, with the addition of qualifying adjectives, refer to a wide variety of distinct soups or puddings, which may be served either hot or cold. Some varieties, such as “chè xôi nước”, may also include dumplings.

Chè are often prepared with one of a number of varieties of beans and/or glutinous rice, cooked in water and sweetened with sugar. Other ingredients may include tapioca starch, salt, and pandan leaf extract. Each variety of chè is designated by a descriptive word or phrase that follows the word chè, such as chè đậu đỏ (red bean sweetened porridge), chè đậu đen (black bean sweetened porridge) and so on.

In southern Vietnam, chè are often garnished with coconut milk. Chè may be made at home, but are also commonly available freshly made in plastic containers, in Vietnamese grocery stores

Cha ca La Vong (grilled minced fish)

Hanoi now has several stores selling Cha ca La Vong, but none of them can be equal to the Cha Ca Road’s in terms of quality and flavor. As a popular dish, La Vong grilled fish pie is indeed a remarkable culinary invention.
The long history…

In ancient days, there was a street selling paints, called the Paints Street. The Doan family, located at house No, 14 of this street, hit upon a new idea that sold fried fish pie served with soft noodles and seasoning. Encouraged by the appreciation of customers, the family specialized in this trade and the shop was called as "Cha ca La Vong store" as a wooden statue of an old fisherman (La Vong) holding a fishing rod and a string of fish stands at the door. As the specialty grew famous with every passing day, the street was renamed by the people as Cha Ca Street (fried fish pie street).

Imagine that you are one of the guests…

While you sit down at the table, the waiter starts laying there some seasonings includes a bowl of well - stirred shrimp paste sauce mixed up with lemon. After dropping the liquor, he will decorate the bowl with a few slices of red fresh pimento, a plate of grilled ground nuts of gold yellow color, various species of mint vegetables o­nions in small white slices.

To many customers, the sight of such seasoning already greatly stimulates their appetite. A few minutes later, fried fish, yellow in color and flagrant in smell put o­n a plate of anethum vegetable, is brought in. But that is not all. A few seconds more, as soon as a cauldron of boiling fat is brought in, the waiter starts pouring it o­n each bowl of grilled fish, thus producing a white smoke and sputtering noise.

Now, this is the time for picking and choosing what you like from the dishes on the table; sticking them into your bowl. Everything in all dishes should be eaten together. Let’s taste…

Tea with longan and lotus seed

Tea with longan and lotus seed is considered as the Vietnamese quintessence...

With longan and lotus seeds, the Vietnamese can create a kind of special-flavor tea. It is considered the quintessence of the heaven and earth. The tea is aromatically fragrant with an original flavor.

Containing longan fruit pieces and lotus seeds, this kind of tea is fragrant with a full-bodied taste. The original and naturally flavored beverage is rich in glucose, sucrose, proteins, and other minerals. Longan flesh is sweet and contains niacin, which aids metabolism and keeps the skin, nervous, and digestive systems healthy. Lotus seeds can treat nervous depression and sleeplessness.

Longan and lotus tea is a nourishing drink with natural sweetness. When both of the ingredients combined, it is effective in fighting against anemia and fatigue, and boosting energy levels. Or in other words, they are good in building blood and regenerating Qi. It has a pleasant taste and high nutritional value, and is recognized as valuable medicinal herb.

The flavoured tea is tasty and refreshing; and can easily satisfy your thirst as well as refresh your minds. The rich composition of natural nutrient factors entails the tea with healthy characters, which makes you keep up your spirits among the clean, free and happy mood. If you would like to make a cup of the flavoured tea yourself, you are able to try the simple direction as follows:

Ingredients:

12 lotus seeds, washed and cooked

10 longan fruit pieces, pitted

5 cups of water

Method:

1. Boil and simmer ingredients in 5 cups of water for 45 minutes until the liquid is fragrant and tasty.

2. Serve warm.

When you are in Vietnam, this kind of tea should be a must try of Vietnamese local product. The taste is excellent and it is a health drink. It could help ease sleep problem if you drink a cup of longan and lotus tea before going to bed.

A unique “banh xeo” in Vietnam

“Banh xeo” is Vietnamese style crepe with whole shrimp, thinly sliced pork and bean sprouts.

Like the salad roll, the “banh xeo” is a do-it-yourself dish that involves the messy but delicious process of wrapping the crepe in lettuce with cilantro and basil. Though the filling might fall out on your table, you will be completely lost in the crispy, warm combination of lettuce and crepe, and the attentive staff will happily clean up after you.

Different styles of “banh xeo”

“Banh xeo” is prepared differently throughout the country. Tourists traveling about in Vietnam are sure to encounter a different recipe, and sometimes even a different name, for “banh xeo” depending on which region and province they are visiting.

These are a pale yellow spicey Vietnamese style crepe. One piece on the bottom, and another on top encase what is usually a salad consisting of been sprouts, prawns, boiled pork, taro and carrot. Drenched in fish sauce, and you have a deliciously messy slice of fine pleasure. The dish is round, and you cut it into slices, like a pizza, so it resembles a triangle on the main platter, but usually by the time it arrives on your plate, it could resemble anything really.

In the Southern region, the “banh xeo” is the size of a large dish and yellow in color due to the employment of turmeric powder. The Southern people always add coconut milk to the rice flour to make the crepe extra delicious. The crepe is stuffed with bean sprouts, mung beans, shrimp and pork. A sweet and sour fish sauce and fresh vegetables are used as accompaniments.

In the Central region, “banh xeo” cooks make a smaller crepe that is white in color. In Hue, the crepes are called “banh khoai”, which is similar to “banh xeo”, but smaller in size and stuffed with fennel, sour star fruit, green banana and a thick soy sauce.

In addition to selling the crepes to patrons, vendors also prepare them en masse for birthday parties and festivals. Northern preparations of “banh xeo” are similar to the ones down south, but include special fillings like slices of Indian taro and manioc. In some regions, “banh xeo” is prepared thick, but Southern crepes are characteristically thin, crispy and served fresh out of the frying pan. The secret to extra-thin crepes is a deep frying pan and a quick wrist to coat the frying pan with the batter before it starts to set.

Where to enjoy “banh xeo”?

In Hanoi, there are a lot of addresses for you to enjoy “banh xeo”, such as 22 Hang Bo Street, “Quan Ngon” restaurant at 12 Phan Boi Chau Street or “Chin Tham” restaurant on Thai Ha Street.

In HCMC, southern-style “banh xeo” can be found at Banh Xeo 46A on Dinh Cong Trang Street, District 1 or An la ghien Restaurant at 54A Nguyen Van Troi Street, Ward 15, Phu Nhuan District. Those seeking a meatless version of “banh xeo” can find them at vegetarian restaurants on An Lac Restaurant, 175/15 Pham Ngu Lao Street, District 1, and Thien Nguyen Restaurant, 174 Calmete street, District 1.

“Giò” – Vietnamese dainty morsel in Spring

On the Tet traditional tray of food according to Vietnamese culture, with traditional dishes such as Chung cake, chicken meat, spring rolls and so on, “giò” is one of the dainty morsels. Today, when “giò” almost become daily food and there are more various and attractive dishes on the tray, delicious dish of “giò” cannot be missed...

There are many types of “giò” such as: giò lụa (pork-pie), giò bò (beep dumpling), giò bì (pork and skin paste), giò mỡ (lean and fat pork paste), giò xào (fried pie), etc. Each type has a particular taste but the most important thing to make “giò” dish really attractive is that the fragrance of banana leaves and fish sauce combined in the piece of “giò”.

Giò xào (fried pie)

In all kinds of “giò”, fried pie is the easiest one to prepare, so families often make it themselves when Tet is coming. The main materials are parts of pork such as: ear, nose tongue, pork cheeks and “mộc nhĩ” (cat’s ear). The materials must be subjected to premilitary treatment, boiled through hot water, sliced, mixed with spices, pepper and fried.

After wrapping the fried pie, keep it in the refrigerator so that all the materials link together. The pie that is delicious must be wrapped carefully, raw materials must not be too dry and the dish will stir fragrance of the spices.

Giò bò (beep dumpling)

Also processed as fried pie, beep dumpling is often added for more fat so that it is not too dry. When cutting a piece of beep dumpling, it is slightly pink as the color of the beef. Especially, pungency and fragrance of pepper feature the typical characteristic of beep dumpling.

Giò lụa (pork-pie)

Pork is chosen to make pork-pie must be lean, delicious and fresh meat. It is continuously ground until the meat is fine. These days, the meat is ground by machine, which makes the process more quickly and helps to save the maker’s strength.

However, the pork-pie is make in the traditional way remains the delicious flavor that is different from the one ground by

machine, since the makers must use more strength so they take proper care of their product. Fish sauce for making pork-pie must also be tasty and fragrant. When being cut, the pie must has the color of ivory-white and the surface has some small holes, surely that the pie is so delicious!

Giò bì (pork and skin paste)

Pork and skin paste is a local specialty of Pho Xuoi (Hung Yen Province). It is also made from uncooked pork-pie and pork skin that are sliced, then wrapped into small ones like fingers. Pork and skin paste is delicious, it means that pieces of pork skin must be white, clean, boiled, cut into small ones and mixed with uncooked pork-pie. The piece of pork and skin paste is so crispy and crunchy.

In Vietnam, once try to taste these kinds of “giò”, it is certaintly that you cannot forget the tasty flavor and fragrance of the dainty morsels...

“Ô mai” – a dilicious nosh!

“Ô mai” is salted dry apricot or sugared dry apricot that is a favourite nosh for many people in Hanoi and other provinces.


“Ô mai” is produced for traditional method, since chosing material, the company also send staff to gardens in Hung Yen, Hai Hung, Hoa Binh, Lai Chau in order to gather all crop of kinds of sour fresh fruit like plum, apricot, dracontomelum, star, tamarind, kumquat, pineaple, canari, lemon. That is the secret of Hang Duong experts, they plus sugar, ginger, add chilli, stir liquorice to have smooth yellow food with sweet-smelling.

This product is for instant all year and you can enjoy with a pot of tea and a few friends to chat. This is also valuable present from Ha Noi people giving to their friends.

How to make dried apricot?

If you would like to make dried apricot, you can use the following recipe and you can make the perfect nosh. First, you soak the apricots in water to cover overnight. Then, place them to cook in the same water. Cook until tender. Mash them or chop in blender. After that, peel, core, and cut the pineapple into small pieces. Cover with water and cook until tender. Measure the fruits and juices. Last, place equal amounts of sugar with the measured fruits into a heavy kettle and cook slowly until thick and clear.

Spring roll (Nem rán)

“Chả giò” (or Nem Rán in the North) is one of the most popular traditional Vietnamese food, literally meaning minced pork roll.
The most common English translation of “Chả giò” is spring roll, though this is just a fancy name since the food has nothing to do with spring.

Ingredients
The main ingredients of a roll of “chả giò” are commonly seasonal ground meat, mushrooms, and diced vegetables such as carrots and jicama, rolled up in a sheet of moist rice paper. The roll is then deeply fried until the rice paper coat turns crispy and golden brown. The ingredients, however, are not fixed. The most commonly used meat is pork, but one can also use crab, shrimp, sometimes snails (in northern Vietnam), and tofu (for vegan chả giò). If diced carrots and jicama are used, the stuffs inside the rolls are a little bit crunchy, and match well with the crispy fried rice paper. Nevertheless, the juice from these vegetables can soon cause the rolls to soften after only a short time. To keep the rolls crispy for a long time, mashed sweet potato or mung beans may be used instead. One may also include bean sprouts and rice vermicelli in the stuffing mix, yet, this is a rare practice. Eggs and various spices can be added based on each one's preference.

“Chả giò rế” is a rare kind of “chả giò” that uses “bánh hỏi” (thin rice vermicelli woven into a sheet) instead of rice paper. The stuffs inside the roll are the same as normal chả giò, and the roll is also deeply fried. Since the sheets of “bánh hỏi” themselves are not very wide, and the rice vermicelli is too easily shattered, “chả giò rế” rolls are often small and difficult to make. They are only seen at big parties and restaurants.

Side notes
At some restaurants, “chả giò” is incorrectly translated in English as "Egg rolls", and sometimes "Imperial rolls". Egg rolls are significantly different from “chả giò”, as the wrapper is a wheat flour sheet instead of moistened rice paper. However, many Vietnamese restaurants in America have adopted the wheat flour sheet to make their “chả giò”, since it makes the rolls harder to shatter when fried, and the rolls stay crispy for longer time.

Pho noodle in Hanoi

Phở noodle soup first appeared in the 1920s, ie it’s less than 100 years old. However, it developed incredibly fast. First, there was only beef noodle soup and it was hawked around the streets. During the 1940s, when there was a shortage of beef, people started making Phở with chicken as they had become addicted to it. And now Phở is so popular that almost no street in Hanoi is without a Phở restaurant. In some areas, there are even 3-4 restaurants, from luxurious to simple ones inside alleys, but not every restaurant can satisfy the strict requirements of Hanoian gourmets, who eat Phở every morning or late at night during the four seasons. 

A good bowl of Phở first requires the flavor of soup, which comes from cooking the ox bones, not from seasoning, along with taste of cardamon, grilled ginger and onion, all mixed together. Noodles must be soft and plastic. Next, brown beef is dipped into the hot soup, and finally spices, including onion and “thơm” vegetable. The southerners love to eat Phở with various types of vegetables, but Hanoians do not eat it that way. 

Exceptional cases are Phở bought specially for sick people without  meat or for children without onion, but these are not really Phở. To appreciate Phở properly, it should be eaten in restaurants with the atmosphere of people going in and out, the sound of bowls, chop sticks and knives, and the passionate faces. 

Phở is the delicious speciality food of Hanoi. In Vietnam, you can find Phở everywhere, but even some tens of km away from Hanoi, Phở is longer so delicious. 

In addition to Phở made from beef and from chicken, there are other types of local Phở like Phở thịt vịt (duck meat), Phở thịt lợn (pork), Phở chua, Phở cuốn etc., but only Phở noodle soup made in Hanoi has the special attraction that is found no where else in Vietnam. It is, indeed, “a feature of Hanoi”. 

Some types of Phở noodle soups in Hanoi: Phở bò tái (rare beef), Phở bò chín (well done beef), Phở bò nạm gầu (beef), Phở bò sốt vang (beef and tomato), Phở gà (chicken).