Xin chao!: Hoi An Food and drink

1/ White rose
A vacation in the historic town of Hoi An in Vietnam’s central region is not complete without a foodie fiesta. Among the many mouthwatering delicacies dished out in the town is the elegantly named white rose.

Almost every restaurant in town now serves up its own white rose, but only one family holds the secret recipe that made the dish famous.

At 533 Hai Ba Trung Street, Tran Tuan Ngai is a third generation secret keeper of the traditional white rose recipe.

Ngai’s grandfather first created the light and fluffy dumplings for family dinners. They became so popular that he started selling the dumplings to his neighbors. When demand increased, he turned a part of his house into a bistro.

A French reporter traveling through Vietnam was so taken by beauty and flavors of the dumpling that he coined the name “Hoa hong trang” (white rose).

Since then, white rose, which actually is a plate with two different kinds of dumplings – banh bao and banh vac – has become an iconic part of the town’s culinary culture.

Ngai’s mother Trinh Thi Hue passed on the recipe to him. “We have the original recipe of the dough, minced filling and the dipping sauce,” he said. “It takes at least three years to become an expert at making the white rose.”

Making the white rose is not as easy as it looks.

Ngai cooks and grinds white rice from the Mekong Delta. He only uses the water drawn from the old Ba Le well, which is filtered and purified 15-20 times before being mixed with the rice paste to form airy dough.

Then, he rolls out the dough and cuts into small circles. He takes some filling - made of minced shrimp mixed with spices - places it in the center of each circle of dough, and deftly wraps it in the shape of a rose.

The unique dipping sauce is made of shrimp broth, hot chilies, lemon and sugar. A plate of steaming white rose cost about US$4.

A French tourist Karpiel Sebastien, 27, said that he had been eager to try the delicacy after seeing it in many guide books.

Ngai says his shop makes about two to three thousand dumplings everyday to serve at their café and also supply to restaurants and bistros in the town.

Dumpling - White Rose
Add: 533 Hai Ba Trung St, Hoi An
Tel: (+84.510) 3862784

(Source: Thanh Nien newspaper)

2/ Black sesame sweet soup (Chi ma phu)

Hoi An City attracts tourists relying on its ancient houses, lanterns and various specialties. Besides the local foods, there are many foods that were imported many years ago. Chè mè en (black sesame sweet soup) is very popular for local residents and tourists alike.

Chè mè en, also known as chí mà phù, was imported to Hoi An from Fujian Province in China when Chinese traders came to this city long time ago. The sweet soup has various ingredients such as black sesame, coconut, rice flour, sugar... So, it is not only considered a delicious dessert, but also a good medicine.

Chè mè en is cooked in a metal pot and is usually sold by hawkers. This sweet soup is the tastiest when it is served hot.

You can enjoy balck sesame sweet soup at night market along Hoai river near Japanese bridge

(Source: Saigon Times Online)

3/ Green bean cake (Banh dau xanh)

Cake made of ground green beans in Hoi An ( Green bean cake) has long-standing history. Since the 18th century, green bean cake had been a precious gift to offer to mandarins. In royal progresses of Minh Mang King to Quang Nam, he was offered the Hoi An top-ranking green bean cakes. Dai Nam Nhat Thong Tri, book II, volume VII, page 397 wrote “ green bean cake made in Hoi An is the best taste”.

The cake here in round or square shape.

You can buy green bean cake in Hoi An market

(Source: hoianworldheritage)

4/ Quang noodle (Mi Quang)

This is the popular country dish in Hoian and Quang Nam. The noodle is yellow in color and made from rice flour. It is mixed with shrimp, pork and vegetables, and topped with grilled rice paper and spices.

After being soaked in water, the rice is ground to a fine powder and made into attractive smooth noodles. You can use pork, chicken, fish, crab or shrimp to make the broth. The noodles are yellow, somewhat distinct from Pho. However, the main reason for having this color is to be in harmony with the colors of shrimps and crabs.

Quang soft noodle soup tastes best when being served with a variety of herbs, such as mint leaves, cabbage, onion, coriander and so on. What makes Quang noodle soups unique is the richness of the broth and the crushed peanut toppings on the noodles.

(Source: hoianworldheritage)

Pic: vietnamguidebook

5/ Cao Lau vermicelli

Cao Lau is the foremost traditional Hoi An food. Visitors to Hoi An always remember Cao Lau, which is considered by Quang Nam people as a 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.

On the Cao Lau noodles are some meat slices served with vegetables and bean sprouts. Eating lovers would find out the specific flavor of the dish.

6/ Hoi An chicken rice (Com ga Hoi An)

Hoi An chicken rice: fragrant rice, small pieces of chicken meats (chickens raised in countryside gardens), Vietnamese coriander, very spicy chili sauce, pepper, green papaya, and salted onions.

The spicy dish might burn your tongue a little bit, but it’s an essential part of the cultural experience in central Vietnam.

7/ Hoi An fresh beer
Enjoy fresh beer at riverside lantern restaurants with 4,000VND/glass. Chatting with friends of just watching other tourists passing by