As a bustling trading port from the 15th to 19th centuries, connecting the East with the West, Hoi An’s landscape and cuisine both bear the imprint of the ancient past. Considered by many to be the culinary capital of Vietnam, Hoi An has a wide variety of dishes to satisfy the taste of every visitor.
UNESCO recognized Hoi An ancient town as a World Cultural Heritage since 1999.
"Hoi An is a unique city and the food here is equally unique," Trinh Diem Vy, a celebrity chef, culinary expert and owner of nine restaurants in Hoi An, told CNN. "There's a little bit of Europe and a little bit of Asia here, so everyone can find something for themselves."
Although Hoi An has countless dishes that make every food lover crazy, the dish considered the culinary symbol of this place is cao lau.
Cao Lau is a dish that everyone should try at least once when coming to Hoi An.
Cao Lau is not well known because it is not delicious, but because this delicious dish is... humble. The ingredients to make a bowl of Cao Lau only include: noodles, pork, shrimp fat, raw vegetables and very little broth.
Another characteristic of Cao Lau is the origin of its name. "Cao Lau" means that you have to eat this dish on the... upper floor of the restaurant. In the past, merchants in the port city, wanting to look after their goods, often climbed to the upper floor of the restaurant and ate right there. Today, you can still see this old culture in the Cao Lau restaurants scattered throughout the old town - the restaurants all have 2nd and 3rd floors, and the staff will proactively invite you to go upstairs to enjoy Cao Lau.
Restaurants with an old, quiet style all have upper floors for perfect Cao Lau enjoyment.
However, because of the "hotness" of Cao Lau, today tourists can still enjoy this dish everywhere on the streets of Hoi An.
Cao Lau, although "humble" and simple in appearance, is extremely elaborate and sophisticated in its preparation. The essence of Cao Lau lies first in the noodles, which are often very elaborately prepared. The rice must be soaked in ash water taken from Cu Lao Cham, 16 km from Hoi An, the rice-grinding water taken from Ba Le well, made by the Cham people thousands of years ago..., then go through many stages of rolling, slicing, steaming and drying many times to produce the perfect noodles - soft, firm, and fragrant.
Cao Lau is often eaten with bean sprouts blanched in boiling water but not too soft. Raw vegetables are indispensable, taken from the famous traditional vegetable village of Tra Que in Hoi An. Char Siu meat is only made from grass-fed pork, the meat is firm, fragrant, thin-skinned, lean and its broth has a sweet taste. When eaten, Cao Lau gives the feeling of the crunchy noodles, the full flavors of sour, spicy, bitter, astringent, sweet of raw vegetables, the flavor of fish sauce, aromatic powder, soy sauce... and the fat shrimps that melt in the mouth.
When enjoying cao lau, mix well.
Nowadays, Cao Lau has appeared in many restaurants and shops in all regions of the country, but has not left a deep impression on diners. Not all restaurants in Hoi An make Cao Lau according to the above "secret" recipe. But many people still believe that it is Ba Le well water and Cu Lao Cham ash, along with enjoying it from a high floor overlooking Hoi An city - that are the factors that make up this quintessential culinary dish.
