Top 10 Most Famous Specialty Dishes of Quang Nam Province

If you ever find yourself passing through Quang Nam, be sure to stop by the Cầu Mống Grilled Beef village to taste this local specialty. The key to its deliciousness lies in the quality of the ingredients. The beef is carefully selected to be just the right size, ensuring tender meat without being mushy. The grilled beef should have a vibrant red color without being undercooked, and the skin is golden but not dry, tender, and free from any smoky odor.

It’s hard to resist—spread a piece of rice paper, place a few slices of grilled beef on it, roll it with fresh herbs, dip it in a bowl of fermented fish sauce, and take a bite with a slice of green chili. Chew slowly, savoring the rich sweetness of the beef, the umami of the fish sauce, and the fragrant herbs. It’s guaranteed that anyone who has tasted Cầu Mống Grilled Beef will fall in love with its unique and enticing flavor.

Le Pass Hill Quail is sold at the top of Le Pass in Quế Sơn district, Quảng Nam province. The name 'quail' originates from the fact that locals raise these birds in bamboo tubes. The quail must be at least six months old before it is harvested. Raising them in bamboo tubes produces birds with firm, tender meat and a delicious flavor.

Notably, when taken out of the bamboo tube, the quail is quite small, weighing just over half a kilogram. Le Pass quail is commonly cooked in various ways such as grilled, steamed with onions, boiled, or rotisserie-style. Accompanying these dishes is often a hot bowl of porridge made from the broth and the bird’s internal organs. The finished quail is typically served whole, garnished with aromatic herbs like coriander and finely chopped lime leaves.

Crushed Rice Paper is a simple yet beloved dish in Quảng Nam. It is so popular that you can find it sold on almost every street corner here. The dish consists of a thin grilled rice paper covered with a layer of thinly rolled cassava, generously brushed with peanut oil sautéed with shallots for a fragrant aroma.

Before eating, the rice paper is lightly tapped to break it into pieces, making it stick to the cassava layer, creating a crispy and chewy texture. It is always served with fermented fish sauce. Although the preparation of the sauce varies by location, the basic recipe includes anchovy fish sauce mixed with oil, fried shallots, garlic, chili, and lime juice.

Traditional Rice Cake is a specialty originating from Quảng Nam, with a long-standing tradition of being made during Tet celebrations. It is commonly prepared in various regions of Quảng Nam. The main ingredients are glutinous rice and sugar. The rice is carefully selected, dried, and ground into flour. The flour is then mixed with sugar and cooked until smooth, filtered to remove impurities, and flavored with fresh ginger juice to enhance the aroma.

The mixture is placed into bamboo woven molds, typically 10 to 15 cm in diameter, lined with dry banana leaves. The cakes are sealed with bamboo skewers along the edges of the leaves. After steaming, the cakes are left to cool before being stored in a cool, dry place. The unique characteristic of Hội An rice cakes is their chewy texture and rich, delightful flavor, which can be stored for a long time without becoming moldy. While some prefer to eat it right away by cutting it into pieces, the most popular way to enjoy it is by slicing and frying it with peanut oil.

When it comes to specialties in Hội An, people often mention dishes like Cao Lau, Mi Quang, White Rose Dumplings, Black Sesame Soup, etc. However, it would be a mistake to visit the ancient town without trying Hội An Chicken Rice – a dish found not only on street corners but also in upscale restaurants and hotels.

Anyone who has visited Hội An and tasted its famous chicken rice will surely remember the unique flavor. Long-standing restaurants like Bà Buội Chicken Rice or Cô Mận Chicken Rice are well-known among locals and tourists alike.

Hội An Chicken Rice stands out with its bright golden-yellow rice, which is shiny, fluffy, and soft without being dry. The chicken is crispy and tender, with a beautiful golden color, shredded and mixed with onions, Vietnamese coriander, and spices, creating a rich, savory flavor with a hint of spice.

Tapioca noodles are a beloved dish commonly found in central Vietnam. However, when you try them in Hội An, you'll notice a unique taste that sets them apart. This is what makes the dish so famous in this town.

Hội An Tapioca Noodles is one of those local specialties that every visitor should try. With its smooth, white noodles, pork bones, and fish cakes, topped with a squeeze of kumquat, this dish brings a taste of the countryside that locals and tourists love alike.

The broth, made from pork bones, and the kumquat's tangy flavor are complemented by dipping it with small, freshly baked baguettes, which are cooked over charcoal—adding a distinct flavor unlike any other soup.

A visit to Hội An would be incomplete without trying Tofu, also known as Tàu Phớ. This simple yet beloved sweet treat is a staple in the town. Though made from soybeans, the process of crafting the perfect tofu is intricate and requires a special, traditional technique passed down through generations. To make tofu, soybeans are peeled, soaked, ground, and then wrapped in cloth to extract the soy milk. This milk is then boiled and combined with gypsum to help it set.

Before adding it to the soy milk, the gypsum must be heated and ground into a fine powder. The precision required in this step is crucial, as the right ratio of gypsum and water ensures the tofu sets properly. The perfect tofu is complemented by a carefully made sugar syrup, which adds a sweet and fragrant taste. A small amount of ginger is often added to the syrup, giving it a unique, sweet, spicy flavor.

The tofu is traditionally served in earthenware jars, wrapped in straw to keep it warm, and protected by a woven bamboo basket for easy transportation.

Mỳ Quảng is one of the most iconic dishes of Quảng Nam, and you can find numerous Mỳ Quảng stalls along National Highway 1A and in every corner of the region. The dish features thinly sliced wet rice noodles, which are served with a rich broth made from fresh shrimp, pork, chicken, or snakehead fish.

The dish is enhanced with crispy rice crackers, fresh herbs, green chilies, slices of lime, roasted peanuts, and a bowl of spicy fish sauce. The quality of Mỳ Quảng largely depends on the selection of fresh herbs, which may include perilla leaves, thinly sliced banana blossom, and young mustard greens. Over time, Mỳ Quảng has become a beloved daily meal in many Quảng Nam households.

Cao Lầu is a unique dish that is deeply associated with the ancient town of Hội An. This noodle dish features yellow noodles served with shrimp, pork, fresh herbs, and a small amount of broth. The star of Cao Lầu lies in the noodles, which are made with great care. The rice used for the noodles is soaked in lye water, which comes from burning wood collected from Cu Lao Cham, an island 16 kilometers off the coast of Hội An. This special lye water gives the noodles their characteristic crispness, chewiness, and dryness.

The fresh herbs used in Cao Lầu are sourced from the famous Trà Quế herb village near Hội An. The pork used is typically from grass-fed pigs, known for their lean, fragrant meat, and their tender skin. The rich, sweet flavor of the pork adds depth to the dish. When eaten, Cao Lầu offers a delightful combination of chewy noodles, the fresh, complex flavors of herbs, the tanginess, spiciness, bitterness, and sweetness of the vegetables, and the savory richness of the fish sauce, aromatic powder, and soy sauce, all topped with crispy fried pork skin that melts in your mouth.

Located in Đại Lộc, this region is famous for its unique rice paper rolls. Đại Lộc Rice Paper is not only chewy and soft, but it also has an aromatic fragrance. These rice papers are skillfully crafted by the local people, making them both delicious and distinctive.

Alongside the rice paper, the pork from Đại Lộc is also noteworthy. The pork is tender and flavorful, especially from the pig's hind legs, where the meat has a perfect balance of lean and fatty layers. Once the pork is boiled and sliced, it exudes a mouth-watering aroma. The fresh herbs served alongside are carefully picked from local gardens, including fragrant herbs, water spinach, lettuce, bean sprouts, and a few slices of tangy green mango and cucumber. The dipping sauce is a blend of fish sauce, perfectly balanced with saltiness, a mild tang, and a hint of sweetness, along with a splash of lime juice, creating the perfect flavor combination.