Cao Lầu is likened to a “delicious delicacy” in Hoi An, so it is difficult for visitors to ignore this special dish when visiting the Old Town. Many people who have lived for a long time in the old town say that Cao Lầu appeared in Hoi An in the 17th century. That may be why this dish is heavily influenced by Chinese cuisine and the Udon cold noodles of the Japanese. However, Cao Lầu in Hoi An still has its bold character, and only Hoi An has the best Cao Lầu.
Cao Lầu is made very elaborately. Unlike Pho noodles, the chef must choose pure rice from Quang Nam if they want to make Cao Lầu. In particular, local people do not choose old rice but also do not choose new rice. When that standard is met, the new Cao Lầu noodle is soft and chewy and smells like the typical rice of the Central region. The cook must soak rice in ash water taken from Cu Lao Cham. After washing, the rice will be light yellow, like the color of turmeric.
Then, the cook must also carefully select char siu meat from lean pork for the Cao Lầu. Chopped pork in large pieces is marinated with salt, five flavors to absorb evenly, and then simmered. When the pork is cooked, the chef will take out the meat, add tomatoes, chopped onions, and oil to the broth, and then continue to heat the above mixture to make the sauce. Cao Lầu becomes special thanks to this char siu meat. The meat is cooked just right, soft, and has a beautiful brick-red color.
Enjoying Cao Lầu without vegetables is a significant omission. There are 12 types of vegetables: herbs, cinnamon, chrysanthemum, bitter vegetables, cilantro, bean sprouts, lettuce, lettuce, baby cabbage, bananas, cucumbers, and star fruit, that diners can eat with Cao Lầu. However, three essential vegetables are indispensable: chrysanthemums, bitter greens, and cinnamon.
Guests can enjoy Cao Lầu at Emerald Restaurant
Hoi An’s Dumplings – Cauldron Cakes, also known as “White Roses,” are two types of cakes with similar ingredients and methods, often eaten together on a plate. Another is the cauldron cake made from crushed ground shrimp mixed with some pepper, garlic, onion, lemongrass, and esoteric spices. Dumpling filling is made from pork, mushrooms, and thinly sliced scallions and then stir-fried with that secret spice. Perhaps this spice is also why those dumplings – cauldron cakes are the best in Hoi An than in other places in Vietnam. Visitors can easily find “White Rose” on the menu at any restaurants in the Hoi An Ancient Town.
The cake’s dough is made from rice flour, but it is very meticulous, from choosing the rice to molding it. For the cake to taste sweet, the surface must be white and smooth, so it is necessary to select the rice carefully. It is a new type of rice, fragrant and soft, milled and filtered many times through water. The rice powder must not have bleach and not use solder. Then, the dough is kneaded into elliptical shapes; rotating a few turns will quickly produce a tiny piece of dough. From that piece of dough, they lightly roll in a circle into a pretty thin crust. Cauldron cake is made from ground shrimp mixed with pepper, garlic, onion, lemongrass, and esoteric spices.
Dumplings are made from pork, wood ear mushroom, and thinly sliced green onions and then fried with esoteric spices. After having the cake filling, people put the filling in the middle of the cake shell and then gather it into a cauldron shape and lightly contour the crust into a rose-like shape to make dumplings. Gently place the cake into the steamer for about 15 minutes; when the cake is cooked, the rice’s color is white, soft, and chewy.
rice’s color is white, soft, and chewy.
Along with the meticulous baking process, the preparation of fish sauce must also have all three flavors sour, spicy, and sweet. The sweetness is just enough, not too sour, and especially the chili in a bowl of fish sauce must be green and red peppers. With that, the new bowl of fish sauce is fragrant and bright yellow.
Enjoying Cao Lầu without vegetables is a significant omission. There are 12 types of vegetables: herbs, cinnamon, chrysanthemum, bitter vegetables, cilantro, bean sprouts, lettuce, lettuce, baby cabbage, bananas, cucumbers, and star fruit, that diners can eat with Cao Lầu. However, three essential vegetables are indispensable: chrysanthemums, bitter greens, and cinnamon.
Guests can enjoy Cao Lầu at Emerald Restaurant
