The 7 Best Books on Hanoi’s Cuisine: Engaging and Captivating Reads

Hanoi’s Ancient Flavors: Volume 2 is a detailed exploration of the signature dishes of the capital. In this second volume, the author delves deeper into dishes closely associated with Hanoi's past, including forgotten delicacies such as: 'Bánh Sấy' from Vẽ Village, 'Bánh Nhót' from Triều Khúc, 'Bánh Chưng' from Tranh Khúc, and 'Măng Mực Bát Trà,' all brought back to life through the nostalgic lines of a journalist eager to revive these famous local specialties. Along with the dishes, the author also highlights traditional spices like 'Mắm Tép' and 'Tương Cự Đà.'

Hanoi’s Ancient Flavors: Volume 2 offers readers a banquet of culinary delights, from main courses to seasonal dishes enjoyed in late autumn and early winter, such as 'Xôi Sắn.' The dishes span the four seasons, with highlights like: 'Canh Rau Sắng Chùa Hương' in spring, 'Vịt Dấm Ghém' during summer’s duck-catching season, 'Cốm Chiêm' in the fall, and 'Xôi Sắn' in late autumn.

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This book is a collection of essays about the simple, everyday life of Hanoi. It is divided into two main sections: one focusing on the iconic streets of Hanoi, such as Đê La Thành, Hàng Đào, and Hàng Ngang, where history unfolds without embellishment. The author captures just enough information to allow readers to imagine the scene and the people, often focusing on forgotten events. The second part dives into traditional Hanoi dishes that have preserved their original flavors, like 'Bánh Rán,' 'Bún Ốc,' 'Bún Cá,' and 'Phở Bò.'

A deeper portrait of Hanoi, the thousand-year-old city, emerges from the writings of Uông Triều. While many before him have painted the city, his fresh perspective continues to inspire. Writing and reading about Hanoi seems endless. Step by step, he takes readers to the Long Biên Bridge, a lifeline for countless laborers, where you can tell which direction leads to the city center just by watching the flow of people. He introduces a middle-aged woman from Nam Định selling 'miến trộn' and 'bún riêu' on Phan Đình Phùng Street, and not far from her, a vendor selling 'đậu phú mắm tôm' from Thái Bình. Triều also shares encounters with a grey-haired elderly man, shirtless in winter, carrying water to water his vegetables behind Chùa Láng.

These deep reflections and captivating moments are what make the book hard to put down. Some quotes from the book: – West Lake resonates in the minds of Hanoians as a place of cherished memories. I once spent an entire day cycling around the lake, admiring the scenery. It’s a peaceful, poetic space that represents Hanoi’s deep cultural roots. West Lake embodies nature, with its fish, shrimp, and birds, as well as the vibrant life in this thousand-year-old city… – Hanoi is full of streets, full of alleys.

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Hanoians are known for their refined taste in food, with an exceptional flair for cooking, even when it comes to simple, rustic dishes made from easily accessible ingredients. Hanoi cuisine isn’t just about the cooking techniques; it’s about the meticulous seasoning, dipping sauces, and the artful presentation of each dish.

Hanoi’s dining style is far from loud or chaotic; instead, it’s elegant and subtle. This sensibility is evident in the cooking styles of Hanoi’s women—mothers, sisters, and grandmothers. In the book Hanoi Cuisine by Nguyễn Mai Dung, a Hanoi native, she shares: "The recipes here are drawn from my daily cooking experiences and the traditions passed down by my grandparents and parents. We don’t use MSG but rely on fish sauce, shrimp, crab, fish, and seasonal vegetables to bring out the natural sweetness of each dish. The proportions for each ingredient are tailored to the dish itself, while the rest, like seasoning and presentation, depend on the creativity and skill of the cook."

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Here Comes Hanoi’s 7 Dishes is a collection of writings by author Trần Chiến, reflecting on nearly 30 years of change in Hanoi. The book offers a fresh perspective for those living in the city, urging readers to reconsider their view of Hanoi as it evolves. Trần Chiến paints a picture of Hanoi in multiple shades, revealing a city full of contradictions. He depicts a Hanoi that is both charming and chaotic, teeming with life yet at times overwhelming. Through his calm and familiar writing style, he captures the essence of Hanoi’s ‘foggy streets and faces,’ creating a poignant image of the city’s daily hustle.

Trần Chiến’s thoughtful, slow-paced style contrasts sharply with the fast-paced nature of Hanoi. His reflections on the city are both deep and witty, yet always filled with affection for his beloved Hanoi. His works earned him the 2015 'Bùi Xuân Phái - For the Love of Hanoi' award. Trần Chiến, son of the renowned historian Trần Huy Liệu and grandson of the scholar Nguyễn Văn Ngọc, is the only member of his family to follow in his father's literary footsteps. His short story collection *Con bụi* and novel *Đèn vàng* both won literary prizes, and his novel *Bốn chín chưa qua* received an award from the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations.

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The Flavors of Hanoi is an exceptional collection of essays by Hanoi native writer Vũ Bằng, who is deeply knowledgeable about Hanoi’s cuisine. Written in Hanoi during the autumn of 1952, with later revisions and additions made in Saigon in 1956, 1958, and 1959, the work highlights the city’s iconic dishes, capturing the author’s personal experiences and fond memories of Hanoi through its culinary delights.

Each dish in the book represents a narrative, and Vũ Bằng meticulously describes 15 famous Hanoi specialties that have long been beloved by locals. These dishes include pho (both beef and chicken), bánh cuốn, bánh đúc, bánh khoái, bánh Xuân Cầu, cốm Vòng, rươi, roasted corn, baked sweet potatoes, gỏi, bún, and chả cá! These dishes have all contributed to shaping Hanoi’s culinary identity, preserving the rich tastes of the city’s cultural heritage.

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Opening the pages of Hanoi People: Tales of Eating and Drinking in a Bygone Era feels like taking a journey back to the early 20th century, revisiting a time when Hanoi’s residents ate, prepared, and innovated their cuisine. This book delves into how they embraced or rejected, and sometimes even assimilated, new culinary influences brought into the capital through migration and cross-cultural exchanges between East and West, North and South.

What sets this work apart is the fusion of personal experience from a Hanoi native with the thorough research of a scholar. Drawing from historical texts, archaeological artifacts, and oral accounts from the older generation, the author offers readers a rich, vibrant account of Hanoi’s culinary history, allowing us to grasp the depth of its culinary heritage and cultural identity throughout the tumultuous 20th century.

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Hanoi’s Old Flavors: Memories from the Old Quarter Kitchen (Volume 1) is written from the perspective of a Hanoi woman, and every page is infused with her memories and experiences from childhood to adulthood. Journalist Vũ Thị Tuyết Nhung, a woman who grew up during the hardships of the subsidy period, was raised with the teachings of her grandmother, mother, and aunts about traditional Hanoi living and cooking. From selecting ingredients and preparing dishes to seasoning and cooking times, everything is done with precision to ensure each dish is flavorful and the ingredients are perfectly balanced.

The most special aspect of this book is how each dish and drink is tied to the author’s memories of her childhood kitchen in the Old Quarter. It’s a place filled with the warmth of family love, the stern guidance of a father, and the strict customs and values upheld by her hardworking grandmother and mother, who cherished traditions and domestic skills.

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