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The picturesque sight of Hue clam rice vendors, elegant women in ao dai dresses with neatly done hair, gracefully carrying baskets through the city, remains in the memories of many from the ancient capital.
Hue Clam Rice - A Simple Yet Memorable Dish
Con Hen, located in Huong Luu commune, Vinh Da ward, is considered the prime spot to savor delicious Hue clam rice. Originally a sandbank emerging in the middle of the Huong River, this area was known as “Ta Thanh Long” in the architectural records of Hue Citadel, but it's commonly referred to as Con Hen by the locals.
The Huong River flows through Con Hen, offering clear, sediment-free water with a deep layer of mud on the riverbed, ideal for mussels to thrive. Perhaps that's why the mussels at Con Hen are renowned for their quality, often served to royalty in the past.
The residents of Con Hen specialize in clam digging, collecting, serving, and processing. This occupation is so vital that Con Hen Village houses a shrine dedicated to the Clam Deity, known as Giang Hen. The annual clam deity worship ceremony occurs from the 24th to the 26th day of the 6th lunar month. As a village tradition, clam digging is prohibited on the 2nd day of the full moon and the end of the lunar month.
Only the river snails harvested by the villagers of Con Hen submerged, extracted from the depths of the river around Hen Island, can create the unique dish of Hue snail rice. The snails are boiled, reserving the boiled broth, while the snail meat is separated from the shells.
The popular dish of Hue snail rice today
Snail meat is the basic ingredient for making this dish. However, the deliciousness of snail rice is not solely determined by the snails; they are just one component in a combination of many to create a bowl of Hue snail rice.
To enjoy snail rice on Hen Island, tourists must arrive early to savor the delicious bowls of rice. The rice for this dish must be cooked just right, neither too sticky nor mushy, and then spread out to cool before being fluffed.
Scoop the rice into a bowl, then top it with stir-fried snails, followed by other ingredients such as shredded banana flower, starfruit, bean sprouts, a few sprigs of split water spinach, half a tablespoon of roasted peanuts, a handful of puffed pork skin, a little fried shallot, some shrimp paste, and a few slices of red chili... in just a moment, the bowls of rice are full, fragrant, and ready to be served.
In the past, snail rice was characterized by its intensely spicy flavor, bringing tears to the eyes while eating. Now, on the dining tables of rice eateries, there are various spicy condiments like chili sauce, sliced chili, pounded chili, fresh chili, dried chili, dangerous chili... for diners to customize according to their own preferences.
Original Hue Mussel Rice Straight from the Ancient Capital
For those from afar, the tradition of eating Hue mussel rice with cold rice might seem strange. The boiled mussels are stir-fried with vermicelli, dried bamboo shoots, and thinly sliced pork. It's served with finely shredded banana blossom, sour starfruit, and fragrant herbs.
The accompanying condiments are meticulously prepared, offering a wide range of flavors: spicy, salty, sweet, and savory. These include chili paste, colored chilies, crumbled grilled rice paper, roasted salt, crushed peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, crispy pork skin, rendered pork fat, and shrimp paste... Among them, the raw shrimp paste plays a crucial role in determining the deliciousness of the mussel rice bowl.
The boiled mussel broth is cloudy and scooped out by vendors from a smoking pot using a coconut shell dipper. It carries the fragrant aroma of ginger, and the broth is always piping hot, adding sweetness to the bowl of rice. The harmonious blend of spices in the traditional Hue mussel rice fills the air with a fragrant aroma, the sweetness lingers on the tongue, and the richness spreads in the mouth...
Over time, it's rare to see vendors selling mussel rice from shoulder poles in Hue. All are sold in restaurants or even at home by the owners. And they often offer mussel vermicelli as well, substituting rice with cold vermicelli, a common adaptation in Vietnamese cuisine.
Although a specialty of Hue, Hue mussel rice can be found everywhere. However, its deliciousness is incomparable to its place of origin. Only mussels living in the Perfume River, around the Hen Islet area, can create such a simple yet deeply flavorful dish of dreamy land!
According to Mytour
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Reference: Travel guide by Mytour
MytourSeptember 29, 2022
