Last July, CNN news ranked Hanoi as one of the top street cuisines in the world. One of the renowned dishes in Hanoi is Pho that has a satisfying taste for diners all around the world as well as other dishes such as; steamed sticky rice, pyramidal rice ling, noodles with crab soup, steamed rolled rice pancake and sweetened porridge. Travellive would like to introduce you some of typical food that you can enjoy or give as gifts.
La Vong grilled fish pie
Gourmets often taste La Vong grilled fish when winter comes. To make grilled fish, thin slices of fish have to be mixed with ginger, saffron, fermented cold rice, pepper and fish sauce, and then grilled on a burning charcoal stove and then in a boiled oil pan to give it an excellent flavor. This dish is best served with roasted peanuts, fennel, basil, fresh spring onion, dry pancake or tangled noodles. Shrimp paste is one of the preservatives used in this dish. Grilled fish pies are made from fresh Lang fish – a savory fish or snake-head and mudfish. Visitors in Hanoi always visit Cha Ca street to enjoy the delicious La Vong grilled fish. In 2003, La Vong grilled fish was recorded into the book “1000 destinations before death” by an American journalist, Patricia Schultz and was then also introduced on some famous channels like MSNBC and BBC.
Hanoi Style Vermicelli with Grilled Pork
In the four seasons, tangled noodles and grilled meat is a favorite dish for Hanoians. This food includes a cha (pork sausage patties) and thit nuong. Both of them are mixed with spices, then placed on a grid, and grilled on a burning charcoal stove. Both grilled meats are soaked in sauce, allowing it to soak up all the flavors of the sauce and then served with raw vegetables and vermicelli. The sauce can have some garlic, sugar, vinegar with capsicum or pepper.
Nowadays, Hanoi style vermicelli with grilled meat is popular throughout the country. Hanoi, however has more restaurants than other places. You can find crowded vermicelli with grilled meat restaurants on every city corner.
Taste of young rice
In September and October, early autumn, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy outstanding green sticky rice from Hanoi. Com can be made anywhere but the famous address is Vong village (at Cau Giay district). With the same products and process but green sticky rice in Vong village is so unique that it is not mistaken for any other com.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 early at dawn. After the grains are dried in a large pan over a soft fire and then pounded in stone mortars, it has a light green color and sweet, delicious scent. Hanoians often eats green sticky rice with other autumn specialties such as aromatic banana and persimmon. Green sticky rice cakes and sweetened green sticky rice paste are also specialties of Hanoi to enjoy or give as gifts.
Sugared dry dracontomelum and wampee jam
Hanoians usually have a habit of preparing some candies, sugar dry apricot, jam and a pot of tea to treat their visitors on the Tet holiday. Hanoi is wel-known for its sugared/salted dry apricot made from different fruits, especially, sugared dry dracontomelum and wampee jam. Makers are skilled to keep the fresh taste of these noshes. To make sugared dry dracontomelum, firstly, we have to dry ripened dracontomelums, soak them in sugar for a day, and then soak them in salt and pounded ginger. The sour, sweet and crunchy taste of sugared dry dracontomelum makes Hanoian expatriates crave this candy. Wampee jam is also a little sour and a little sweet but also a bit acrid and hot. It is considered as a long-standing medicine. Boys and girls, nowadays, often bring some sugared dry dracontomelum and wampee jam to keep them from getting car sick or coughing.
Source from Vntravellive
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