Buzz
During the chilly winter days, when the air in Hanoi turns brisk, all you want to do is snuggle up in blankets. Let Mytour guide you through 7 enticing winter dishes in Hanoi that will lift you from the cold and urge you to indulge.
Unveil the top 7 winter delights in Hanoi that you simply cannot miss.
1. Steaming Hot Rice Cakes
Considered a delightful treat for diners on chilly winter days, this dish is essentially a variation of traditional rice cakes. Instead of being cooled and sliced into pieces to be dipped in sauce, these rice cakes are consumed while still piping hot.
These cakes are enjoyed with a distinctive sweet and sour dipping sauce, minced meat sautéed with wood ear mushrooms, coriander, and dried shallots. Some eateries even add fried tofu to this dish. The sticky, chewy rice cakes soaked in rich dipping sauce, combined with other ingredients, create a flavor that is unforgettable.
2. Floating Rice Cakes
Crafted from glutinous rice, mung beans, black sesame seeds, ginger, fresh coconut, sugar, and peanuts, a bowl of floating rice cakes typically consists of 2 balls: one round ball filled with mung bean paste and one oval ball filled with black sesame seeds.
The outer layer of the cakes is chewy and fragrant, while the inner filling of mung bean paste or black sesame seeds, enjoyed with hot aromatic ginger water, will surely enchant you with its rich flavor.
3. Hot Pyramid Dumplings
These steaming hot dumplings have a outer crust made of sticky rice flour that is chewy and flavorful, while the inside is filled with a savory mixture of meat, shiitake mushrooms, and wood ear mushrooms that delights the palates of Hanoi locals. For a more elaborate experience, you can enjoy these dumplings with various toppings such as skewered meat, pickled radish, sausage, and young sticky rice cake.
4. Grilled Meat and Nem
Grilled meat, offal, or various grilled internal organs are definitely favored by many during the winter season. Gathering around the grill, enjoying some rolled meat with fresh greens dipped in the special sauce of grilled dishes will surely get you addicted to this dish.
5. Fried Dough Sticks
Fried dough sticks have long been a favorite snack of Hanoians. On cold winter days, with drizzling rain, it's truly delightful to savor crispy, hot fried dough sticks, feeling the crispy texture melting on your tongue. Just a bit of fermented dough deep-fried until golden, puffy like inhaling the chilly winter air, dipped in sweet and sour fish sauce accompanied by pickled radish, and you're set for a feast.
6. Fried Sticky Rice Cakes
When it comes to sticky rice cakes, they're already a familiar dish to Hanoians. Fried sticky rice cakes are easy to make, satisfying to eat, so they're an indispensable dish in the list of Hanoi's winter dishes.
Simply frying the cakes on both sides until golden, with a touch of oiliness, pickled radish is all it takes to serve the guests. For those seeking a more elaborate dish, adding a bit of sausage or skewered meat is optional. This dish has a rich and fragrant flavor from the cake, the inner filling, yet balanced by the crunchy pickled radish so diners won't feel overwhelmed.
7. Grilled Corn and Sweet Potatoes
During the cold days of winter, enjoying grilled corn and sweet potatoes will warm the hearts of travelers. Juicy kernels of corn, roasted to perfection, emit a fragrant aroma. Taking a bite will mesmerize diners, making them want to snuggle into their blankets while relishing the corn and a bit of grilled sweet potatoes on chilly winter days.
As per Mytour
***
Reference: Travel guide by Mytour
MytourSeptember 6, 2022
