A Brief Introduction of The La Vong grilled fish (Chả cá Lã Vọng)

La Vong grilled fish (Chả cá Lã Vọng) is a specialty of Hanoi. This dish is made from fish. Fish is seasoned, grilled on charcoal then fried in hot fat pan. Doan Family living in 14 Cha Ca street, Hanoi Old Quarter (originally Hang Son street) invented this stunning dish and has preserved it up to now.

The fish used in process is mullet and catfish; however the best kind of fish for this dish is Hemibagrus. Fish is filleted, cubed and seasoned with crushes galingale, turmeric, pepper, fish sauce, sugar, cooking oil and let it infuse in at least 2 hours. In the next stage, the cooks arrange seasoned fish pieces ơn the grill, and cook on charcoal stove. When fish is cooked, and turns light golden brown, put it in small pan and lay on the table so that diners can fry the fish by themselves. Grilled fish is served with crispy roasted peanut, shrimp paste, fresh lime juice, chilli, chopped spring onions and fennel. Shrimp paste is stirred well with a little lime juice, fat liquid, sugar, sliced chilli, a little Ca Cuong (lethocerus indicus) essential oil and some drops of rice wine. Cha ca La Vong is best served hot. Each fish piece is dipped into shrimp paste, sprinkled some crushed peanut and enjoyed with some fennel branches, chopped spring onions and tangled vermicelli. A well-cooked grilled fish must be juicy, firm, flavorful and attractive with nice golden brown color.

A Brief Introduction of The Spring rolls (Nem Hanoi)

Spring rolls (Nem Hanoi) is the traditional feast trays of the Hanoians on Tet, on every important occasions and even in daily meals. Spring rolls are tasty, easy to make, often served with rice vermicelli and fresh vegetables.

Ingredients for this stunning dish are unbelievably simple: minced shoulder pork, chopped soaked cellophane noodles, crushed soaked dried shiitake mushroom, wood ear mushroom, and finely chopped spring onion. Besides, we can also use bean sprouts, grated kohlrabi, carrot, jicama, eggs, pepper and even crab meat to make the stuffing tastier. All that ingredients are mixed well, creating a flavorful mixture. A moderate amount of stuffing is put in a rice sheet, wrapped into rolls, dropped into pan and deep fried in boiled cooking oil. Charming smell of fried rolls spreads out the whole kitchen – an unmistakable flavor: very tasty and attractive. In the sizzle sound of boiling fat, spring rolls turns nicely golden brown, and creates charming smell like soliciting the diners.

Lettuce, watermint, perilla and marjoram is carefully washed, drained and presented in a plate. Dipping sauce, with balanced sweet, sour and spicy taste will make the food much more attractive. Some pickles made from sliced carrot and kohlrabi mixed with vinegar and sugar, served with spring rolls also add flavour to the dish.

Reputation of spring rolls has spreaded beyond the country to all over the world. Foreigners coming to Viet Nam, when being asked about the food they like best, often reply “it is sping rolls”.

A Brief Introduction of The Uoc Le pork ham (Giò Chả Ước Lễ)

Uoc Le pork ham (Giò Chả Ước Lễ) is the specialty coming from Tan Uoc suburban village, Thanh Oai district, which is famous not only across the country but also all over the world.

Uoc Le village is well-known for many products: Gio mo (Fat pork ham), gio bi (ham with pork skin), gio xao, cha ran (Vietnamese fried sausage), nem chua (fermented sausage), in which the most famous ones are gio lua (lean pork ham) and cha que (Vietnamese cinnamon sausage). Uoc Le pork ham requires a sophisticated process from pork selection, to cleaning and braying. Pork used in process must be lean ham. We continually bray the pork and remove all tendons at the same time. Once the pork is well-brayed and turns into paste, add the best quality fish sauce, some spices and mix well. Wrapping banana leaves are also carefully selected. Young leaves are used for the innermost layer, medium ones for middle layer and old leaves for the outer, so that boiled pork ham has nice color and attractive smell. A well-cooked pork ham once being sliced is round shape, and pinky white in color. The pie’s surface is wet, not sticky, not mixed with any fat or sinew and rather spongy with tiny bubbles.

Uoc Le people also has equally distinctive dishes such as Cha que (Vietnamese cinnamon sausage), cha ran (Vietnamese fried sausage), cha com (Vietnamese fried sausage with young rice). Cha que of Uoc Le village is exceptionally appetizing. It is made the same way as Gio within addition of cinnamon powder. Cha que is grilled on charcoal stoves with a pipe cylinder. The cook cover the cylinder with a thin layer of pork paste, put on stoves, spin gradually so that the pork layer is evenly grilled. When the first layer is cooked, continue to make the second and third ones until Cha has appropriate thickness. Finally, the cooks daub the pork pie panel with Hoa hien (daylily) colorings and honey, continue to grill on charcoal until the surface gets dry. The charm of Cha que lies in its wonderful taste – buttery taste of grilled lean meat, spicy taste of cinnamon, sweetness of honey blends well with passionate aroma of daylily.

A Brief Introduction of The Nereidae pie (Chả Rươi)

From late September to early October in lunar calendar, can easily catch nereidae vendors selling this tasty specialty in Hanoi. Nereidae (Ruoi) is often fried with eggs to create a stunning dish called “Chả Rươi”.

Ingredients for this dish is so simple, including minced pork, eggs, shallots, tangerine skin, fennel and a little chopped chilli which is mainly to enhance flavor and reduce fishy taste. Ingredient ratio depends on the cook’s preference and sensitivity; however, 500 grams nereidae normally goes with 3 eggs and 200 grams minced pork. Tangerine skin is the key ingredient making specially charming flavor for this dish. Furthermore, essential oil in tangerine skin will make this high-protein food more easily digestible and help the diners to avoid abdominal distension. Tangerine skin – favourably the thin one is left to dry for a short time because dried tangerine skin is more aromatic than the fresh. Tangerine skin, shallot, fennel, chilli are finely chopped, and put into a bowl with nereidae sandworm. We add the eggs to the bowl, season with a little fish sauce then beat well until the mixture turns smooth, thick and flavorful. After that, we heat the pan, scoop a little prepared mixture into the pan and fry in low heat so that it will be evenly cooked without scorch. Finishing one batch, we continue with another batch. The kitchen during frying is pervaded with the charming scent of Cha ruoi.

Nereidae is only available in a short time of a year when the rising water floods the parched fields. Writing about this delicacy, author Vu Bang once wrote: “In Bac Viet, eating nereidae has become a routine. Wasting a chance to enjoy nereidae in its season is like a beautiful woman wastes her youth".

A Brief Introduction of The Phung Fermented pork (Nem Phung)

Phung Fermented pork (Nem Phung) is a specialty of Phung Commune, Dan Phuong District, Hanoi, that can be seen no where else across the country.

Ingredients for Phung Fermented pork (Nem Phung) is quite simple with pork, pork skin, glutinous rice, long-grain rice, soy bean and fig leaves. To make Nem Phung perfectly, we must choose fresh pork, rump or loin.The pork is cut into tubes and teamed. Once the pork is cooked, we fillet it into lean, fat and skin separately, then cut them all into thin strips. The pork is only medium rare cooked, we need another ingredient to make the pork fully cooked. It is "Thinh" (finely grinded roasted rice). Thinh is made from ordinary rice, glutinous rice and soy beans with proportion of 7:2:1. Rice and soybean are carefully rinsed, soaked in warm water then thoroughly roasted. Remember to stir gradually in roasting process to assure it is evenly cooked. Roasted rice and soybean are put into the miller, and finely ground.

After that, mix "Thinh" with chopped pork, and a little julienne lime leaves to enhance flavor for the dish. Wrapping the mixture first in fig leaves, then in fresh banana leaves and tie it by wire strips, we have a guava-sized square pack of Nem called Qua Nem (a ball of fermented pork). Fig leaves is carefully selected. We should not select too young leaves that are too small to wrap the Nem, and also the too old ones that are tough and acrid. The best ones are hand-sized leaves, still young and having rough spots. Wire strips are splitted from Giang tree (one of bamboo species). It looks very dazzling and eye-catching in green leaves. Qua Nem is strung into five or ten-pack bunches, look very delicious.

Having one pinch of Nem Phung dipped in chilli sauce, we feel like all the wonderful tastes of nature converge in the dish. Nem Phung is also popular as an alcohol pairing, often goes with Vietnamese rice liquor and beer. The sapid taste of meat, buttery taste of fig leaves, aroma of Thinh, all blend together in Nem Phung and make it an unforgettable dish.