It is not difficult to see the image of snack shops always crowded with customers in Hanoi. Because no matter what season of the year, Hanoi cuisine always makes people fascinated. In the middle of cold and freezing days, there is nothing more interesting and warm than stopping at a familiar roadside shop, experiencing the gifts of Hanoi winter.
Rib cartilage porridge
People eat rib porridge regardless of the time of day or the season of the year, simply because they crave the taste, sitting on a low wooden chair at the end of the alley or seeing a porridge stall passing by, all the delicious, simple flavors come flooding back. There are people who go to the capital, can eat delicacies anywhere but must definitely eat a bowl of hot Hanoi rib porridge on a cold windy day.
There is nothing more appealing than a bowl of hot porridge on a cold day.
The original Hanoi rib porridge of the locals is porridge eaten only with fried dough sticks, lots of pepper and a little chili powder if you like spicy food. The hot bowl of porridge is smooth and thick, the ribs are soft enough with a bit of crunchiness, the fried dough sticks are crispy, the pork floss is sweet and fragrant, mixed with the spicy taste of pepper and chili powder, stimulating the taste buds in the fall and winter.
Eat a bowl of hot porridge to warm up your body on this cold winter day.
Nowadays, to make the dish more diverse, unique and more pleasing to the taste of diners, the restaurant owner has transformed the rib porridge dish with many unique side dishes such as minced lean meat braised in fish sauce, stir-fried mussels with onions and Vietnamese coriander, sausages for children, pork floss, fish floss or a little fried onion.
But the most important thing is that the porridge must be thick, smooth, fragrant and sweet with the flavor of Vietnamese rice. Depending on the owner's improvisation, skill and the preferences of diners near and far, each rib porridge shop has its own memorable flavor.
Hot rice cake
Hot rice cake originated from the years of food scarcity in our country. At that time, people had to grind rice into flour to eat to stave off hunger. After a long time, hot rice cake was also upgraded and became a favorite dish loved by the people of the capital, especially when the cold of winter appeared.
Hot rice cake is certainly no longer strange to Hanoians every winter.
Unlike the traditional banh duc of the Northern region, which is eaten cold, with braised fish, braised meat, etc., hot banh duc has a different style: softer, more flexible, eaten while still steaming, with broth and herbs.
A delicious, hot, spicy snack that is not too filling but enough to make many people look forward to enjoying.
To have a bowl of hot banh duc with the right flavor, from the steps of choosing rice, soaking rice, to the rice grinding technique, all need to be meticulous and careful. Besides, the broth is also an important factor, deciding the deliciousness of the dish. The hot, clear broth, with the right sour, sweet, and salty taste, along with minced meat and stir-fried wood ear mushrooms, contributes to making the flavor of the cake more harmonious and easy to eat.
Fried Chung Cake
Fried Banh Chung began to appear when the weather turned cold, on street vendors. Banh Chung sold outside is usually small and thin. The cake is fried until both sides are slightly browned, sprinkled with a little soy sauce and pickled vegetables and you can enjoy it. The dish has a fatty and fragrant taste of the cake and filling, but is not greasy.
Toppings such as sausages, Chinese sausages, and green rice rolls are also fried together, so they can easily create a feeling of fullness.
Fried shrimp rolls
Cha ruoi is a unique specialty dish of Hanoi, often appearing in the fall when ruoi (a type of seafood) is in season. This dish is famous for its delicious, fatty and nutritious flavor.
The fried worm cake has a distinctive aroma. When eaten, you can clearly feel the sweet, fragrant, and fatty taste. This is a "heaven-sent" specialty in many northern provinces in the fall and winter.
The fried crab cakes are made from fresh crabs, mixed with minced pork, chicken eggs, chopped tangerine peel, dill, green onions and other spices. The mixture is mixed well and then fried until golden brown. The tangerine peel is a special ingredient that helps remove the fishy smell and enhances the aroma of the dish. The crab cakes are usually available in two main seasons: from the 3rd to the 6th lunar month and from the 8th to the 12th lunar month. This is the time when the fried crab cakes are freshest.
Baked corn and potatoes
Grilled corn and sweet potatoes are typical snacks that are indispensable when the capital enters the cold season. The golden ripe corn and sweet potatoes grilled on charcoal emit a fragrant aroma that permeates the sidewalks and neighborhoods. These simple snacks are enjoyed on cold days, but are loved by all diners, even the most fastidious ones.
A hot corn cob warms the body in cold weather
Hot tea
Cassava sweet soup, black bean sweet soup, hot sweet soup are often winter dishes that replace black bean sweet soup, green bean sweet soup, lotus seed sweet soup in summer in Hanoi. Among them, cassava sweet soup is often the most popular. Fresh cassava after peeling, soaked in water to remove the sap, then washed and boiled, adding salt until cooked, then scooped out, cut into bite-sized pieces. The thick liquid is cooked from sugar, mixed with flour and poured with cassava. Topping is usually fresh coconut or coconut milk.
Cold wind in early winter with a bowl of hot sweet soup is the choice of many people in Hanoi.
