Culinary Delights in Hue: Must-Try Top 5 Dishes in Nam Pho Village

Nam Pho Village has long been celebrated for its culinary treasures featuring the unique flavors of Hue. When visiting here, you must indulge in the top 5 dishes we recommend below. They may be humble, yet their flavors are irresistibly enticing.

Culinary Delights in Hue: Must-Try Top 5 Dishes in Nam Pho Village

1. Rice Flour Bánh Canh

Mentioning the delectable dishes in Nam Pho Village, one cannot overlook the renowned rice flour bánh canh. The noodles are soft and chewy, made from rice and tapioca flour. The noodles are thick, about 3 fingers long, non-sticky, and buoyant when cooked. Nam Pho rice flour bánh canh comes with a rich broth. The bowl of bánh canh includes shrimp and hand-squeezed meatballs, which are then added to the boiling broth. Both the shrimp and meat are fresh, prepared on the same day. The rice flour bánh canh tastes best when served hot.

Thanks to the delicious fresh broth, Nam Pho bánh canh stands out with its unique taste, making diners remember it after just one try. The finished bánh canh bowl has a red broth, large and fragrant noodles, with a hint of scallions and a side of chili fish sauce to enhance the flavor of the dish.

Photo by: Tú Lê

Bánh nậm, also known as steamed rice cake, is a dish you must try when visiting Nam Pho Village. The cake has a delicious aroma, with a soft and smooth rice flour layer made from high-quality rice flour, filled with shrimp and meat. The rice flour is put into a pot, stirred until it becomes slightly sticky; the shrimp and meat are finely chopped, marinated, and stir-fried until cooked. When wrapping the cake, a small amount of flour is spread thinly and evenly on the dong leaves, then the shrimp filling is spread on the cake and rolled into rectangular shapes. Steamed in water for about 15 - 20 minutes until cooked. Bánh nậm is usually served with delicious sweet and sour fish sauce.

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3. Sticky Rice Dumplings

Sticky rice dumplings are one of the specialties of Nam Pho Village. The cake typically consists of a pair, a combination of ram cake and dumpling, with two parts in yellow and white. The white part is a layer of sticky rice flour wrapped with seasoned shrimp, underneath is a crispy fried glutinous rice layer. When finished, the top will be adorned with green onions and red shrimp paste. Enjoy the cake with a perfectly balanced sweet fish sauce. When eaten, you will feel the flavors blend together in a remarkably impressive way.

Bánh usually consists of a pair, a combination of ram cake and dumpling, with two parts in yellow and white. The white part is a layer of sticky rice flour wrapped with seasoned shrimp, underneath is a crispy fried glutinous rice layer. When finished, the top will be adorned with green onions and red shrimp paste. Enjoy the cake with a perfectly balanced sweet fish sauce. When eaten, you will feel the flavors blend together in a remarkably impressive way.

Photo: Tú Lê

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Nam Pho shrimp cake is a memorable dish with its enticing flavor. The crispy and chewy shrimp cake is made from pork and shrimp, seasoned with spices, onions, pepper, and fish sauce. To make the shrimp cake even more delicious, cooks must use fresh, firm shrimp. To achieve an attractive golden color on the outside, the cake is brushed with a layer of egg yolk before steaming. After steaming, the cake is cut into bite-sized pieces. Shrimp cake is often enjoyed with rice dumplings.

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5. Mini wrapped shrimp cake

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Mini Nam Pho wrapped sausage is made from fresh meat, all fat removed before grinding. After the first grind, the meat is put in the freezer, during which tapioca starch and baking powder are mixed. When the meat is firm, it is ground again with tapioca starch and baking powder. Particularly, during grinding, you need to add cooking oil to enhance the appealing look of the sausage. The sausage is wrapped in banana leaves, paired together and steamed. You can enjoy the sausage with a bit of salty, sour lime salt. If you have the chance to visit Nam Pho, you must try this distinctive wrapped sausage dish.

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Posted by: Thien J-K-G

Keywords: Hue Cuisine: Top 5 Delicious Dishes to Try in Nam Pho Village