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Through thousands of years of history, each land has preserved its unique cultural and culinary values. In the land of Quang Nam, travelers can indulge in the distinct culinary delights with flavors that leave a lasting memory after just one taste.
1. Green Eel Porridge in Quang Nam
Visiting Binh Dinh village, Thang Binh (Quang Nam), one might find it hard to resist the timeless local specialty: green eel porridge (served with green mustard), also known as green eel rice porridge. The local 'gao si' rice is cooked with finely ground mung beans in a separate pot. The freshwater eel, cleaned and cut into small pieces, is skillfully mixed with spices and simmered in a clay pot covered with banana leaves.
As the steaming hot porridge with fragrant eel is served, locals often add a handful of mustard greens and various herbs or break small pieces of rice paper into the bowl. Enjoying the delightful combination of textures and flavors, some prefer to leisurely add a few sprigs of green mustard into each spoonful of porridge, experiencing the slightly spicy taste of the mustard greens, the rich and aromatic flavor of the eel, and the subtle sweetness with the lingering scent of the local rice fields.
A bowl of green eel porridge made with 'gao si' rice is priced at only 15,000 - 20,000 VND. The best green eel porridge in Binh Dinh village can be savored at the eatery of Mrs. Truong Thi Cam in the fourth hamlet, approximately 5km from Phuoc Ha dam.
2. Tet Flavor - Bánh tổ in Quang Nam
The cake comes in various colors - white, ivory, coffee milk, or even 'as dark as a bowl of sugar.' This depends on the type and amount of sugar used in the processing, and it is topped with a layer of sesame seeds. Holding the bánh tổ, your sense of smell can still catch the fragrant aroma of ginger intertwined with the cake's flavor.
What's remarkable about bánh tổ is its ability to last long, making it a slow indulgence over the entire month. The cake is both soft and sweet, making it suitable not only for the ancestral altar on the Tet Lunar New Year but also for the farewell ceremony bidding farewell to the Kitchen God. Deep-frying bánh tổ in peanut oil adds a distinct flavor, not just sweet, soft, and fragrant with ginger and sesame but also a hint of richness that makes it irresistibly appetizing without being overwhelming.
In the markets of Quang Nam on the days leading up to Tet, you will find bánh tổ abundantly displayed for sale.
3. Clear Flour Cake
Clear flour cakes, though simple and rustic, are incredibly delicious. Those who have visited Tam Ky in Quang Nam cannot forget the fantastic taste of this type of cake.
4. Quang-Style Noodles
Quang-style noodles are made from rice paper, finely cut into strands. The filling often consists of various ingredients such as shrimp, chicken, pork, beef, snakehead fish, crab... Regardless of the filling, the dish is incomplete without grilled rice paper, green chili, sliced lime, a sprinkle of peanuts, and a plate of fresh vegetables on the side. It's essential to enjoy Quang-style noodles while they're still hot.
In Quang Nam, you can easily spot many Quang-style noodle eateries along National Highway 1A: Binh Nguyen chicken noodle shop (Thang Binh district), Ky Ly chicken noodle shop (Tam Ky town), Cay Tram shrimp and crab noodle shop (Nui Thanh district), Cam Ha beef noodle shop (Hoi An town)... A bowl of noodles won't cost you more than 20,000 VND.
Top-notch Quang-style noodle spots in Hoi An's ancient town: Morning and noon: try chicken noodles on Ly Thuong Kiet Street; Noon: chicken and pork noodles with egg in Cam Ha, on the way to Thanh Ha pottery village; Evening, after 7 PM: indulge in Mr. Hai's chicken noodles, formerly sold at the fabric market, now relocated to Nguyen Duy Hieu Street.
5. Nui Thanh Anchovy
The Nui Thanh anchovy is used to create various delicious dishes: grilled anchovies, compressed fried crispy anchovies, anchovy soup with coriander and water spinach, cooked rice porridge, braised, and boiled... but no dish is complete without the flavorful addition of fermented anchovy paste.
