Joanna James
Nestled in the heart of Vietnam, Hanoi, the capital city, boasts a rich culinary heritage found in its bustling street markets and elegant eateries tucked away in colonial-era buildings. In Hanoi, food is not just sustenance; it's identity. Exploring the culinary scene here provides a profound understanding of Vietnamese culture and cuisine.
This dish dates back more than 130 years. It was invented as a special meal to be served to troops during French colonial rule. Nowadays, Cha Ca is so popular among locals that there's a street in Hanoi called Cha Ca Street where eateries have set up shop to sell this seafood delicacy made of fried white fish seasoned with garlic, ginger, turmeric and dill. A bowl of rice noodles and condiments like peanuts, chopped spring onions, parsley, nuon cham sauce and red chili slices are served alongside the main dish to be mixed together.
Pho Bo is considered to be a national dish in Vietnamese food culture. It originated in Nam Dinh, a farming province in Hanoi. A breakfast staple among Hanoians, Pho Bo consists of delicate rice noodles submerged in a fragrant beef broth enriched with bone marrow and tender slices of beef. Chopped ginger and fresh spring onions are added for flavour. Pho Bo can be found in nearly every Hanoi Restaurant, where chefs guard their secret recipes closely, ensuring each bowl boasts a distinctive and unforgettable flavour profile.
Xoi Xeo is a sweet sticky rice with toppings of mung bean paste, soy sauce and dried shallots. Other condiments you can add as toppings include Vietnamese ham, marinated pork belly, preserved eggs, pate or boiled chicken. This dish can also be served as a dessert with crystallized sugar, roasted sesame seeds and coconut. To truly explore the different flavours of Hanoi dishes, one must take to the streets and explore the city's food culture. Book a stay at an accommodation that is right in the middle of the bustle such as a property like Pan Pacific Hanoi to easily visit nearby cafes and eateries.
In Vietnamese, Bun translates to rice vermicelli and Thang means traditional Chinese herbal medicine. So, Bung Thang is a flavourful medicinal herbal soup with around 20 ingredients. Rice vermicelli noodles in chicken or pork broth topped with salted shrimp floss, shredded chicken, Vietnamese ham, scrambled eggs and shitake mushrooms, the dish is served with condiments like lime, rice vinegar and fried shallots. The clear broth has an earthy aroma and an appealing look to it.
For those of you who dare to try out new flavours, this dish would turn out to be interesting. Bun Ngan consists of a sweet flavoured broth made of duck meat and bones. A duck type called Muscovy duck is used as the main ingredient for this dish. Usually, before the meat is offered for each serving, the bones are put back into the pot of broth so that the duck broth becomes richer in flavour. A serving includes slices of Muscovy duck, duck blood curd, moc (pork paste balls), wood-ear mushroom and ground pork with bamboo shoots.
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