Cao Lau

11/11/2019

Hoi An Cao Lau is a special dish from ancient times, the people of Quang Nam have a folk saying:

“Who passed through Hoi An ancient town?

Visit Phuc Kien and eat Cao Lau”

Diners can enjoy Quang noodles, chicken rice or To cake, Bot filter cake, Beo cake ... in many provinces of the Central region, but only Cao Lau is available only in Hoi An. In the 17th century, Lord Nguyen allowed trade in Hoi An port, the Chinese and Japanese came here to do business, trade and live, that's when the "delicious delicacy" named Cao Lau appeared.

Famous Hoi An Cao Lau cuisine

Cao lầu Hội An

Cao Lau is likened to a "delicious delicacy" in Hoi An (Collection photo)

Cao Lau yarn is processed very elaborately. Unlike noodle soup, to make Cao Lau, the chef must choose pure rice from Quang Nam. In particular, local people do not choose old rice but also do not choose new rice. When that standard is met, the new Cao Lau fiber is soft and chewy, and smells like the typical rice of the Central region. Rice must be soaked in ash water taken from Cu Lao Cham. After soaking, the rice will have a light yellow color like turmeric.

The water for kneading the dough to make Cao Lau must be taken from the ancient well of Ba Le, because the alum in the water mixed with the flour makes the Cao Lau fiber flexible and firm. Many Cao Lau restaurant owners, when moving out of Hoi An, even want to make this dish to sell, but cannot because they do not have that unique well water.

Nhào bột làm sợi cao lầu Hội An (Ảnh sưu tầm)

Knead dough to make Cao Lau (Collectible photo)

In the stages of making Cao Lau yarn, the way to knead the dough to make it flexible but dry is the most important secret, determining the quality of the product. Unlike other types of noodles, pho, and rice paper, people do not make Cao Lau by coating it with flour, but after kneading, the dough will be rolled and steamed. When it is ripe, the new flour is cut into large strands.

Cao Lau yarn (Photo collection)

Enjoying Cao Lau without vegetables is really a big omission. Name the full vegetables that can be used in Cao Lau dish with up to 12 vegetables such as: Herbs, Cinnamon, Chamomile, Bitter vegetables, Coriander, Bean sprouts, Lettuce, Lettuce, Baby cabbage, Banana cabbage, Cucumber , Sour star fruit. However, there are 3 basic vegetables indispensable: Chrysanthemum, Bitter vegetables, Cinnamon.

Cabbage vegetables (Collectible photos)

Bitter Vegetables (Photos collected)

Cinnamon Vegetables (Collectible photos)

Cao Lau's char siu meat must also be made from whole lean pork, carefully selected. Pork left in large pieces is marinated with salt sauce, five flavors to absorb evenly and then simmer. When the meat is cooked, the chef will remove the meat and continue to add tomatoes, chopped onions, oil to the broth and then continue to heat the above mixture to make the sauce. Cao Lau becomes special thanks to this char siu meat. The piece of meat is cooked just right, soft and has a very attractive brick red color.

Chế biến thịt xá xíu cho món cao lầu Hội An (Ảnh sưu tầm)

Processing char siu meat for Hoi An Cao Lau (collected photos)

When eating, diners can easily feel that the taste of this meat is not entirely Vietnamese, but it is not like the dishes of Cantonese, Fujian, Chaozhou or Japan. It can be considered as a unique taste of Hoi An Ancient Town.

Char siu meat (Collection photo)

To make a bowl of Cao Lau, the chef cuts a part of Cao Lau fiber into short pieces and then deep-fried it to make "shrimp", then roasted with peanuts and then covered that "shrimp" on top of the already spread Cao Lau fibers. thick in the bowl. At this point, the chef continues to lay out thin slices of fresh pink char siu with red border around the mouth of the bowl and then pour the sauce over.

Cao Lau (Photo collection)

When enjoying Cao Lau, you must mix well to absorb the spices. Cao Lau is often eaten with grilled rice paper (Hoi An people often choose thick rice paper, sprinkled with a lot of white sesame). Another special thing about Cao Lau is that Hoi An's specialty dish has no broth, only two or three spoons of sauce, so it retains its rich, greasy taste. Those who like to eat bold can add fish sauce or soy sauce.

It can be said that enjoying Cao Lau helps diners awaken all senses from the sound of noodles, the aroma of fish sauce, soy sauce, the greasy smell of fat shrimp mixed with the sweet aroma of shrimp, char siu meat, mixed with with enough pungent, bitter, acrid taste of cilantro. A dish aftertaste can only be found in Cao Lau Hoi An.

Quán cao lầu Hội An mang đậm phong cách phố cổ

Hoi An Cao Lau restaurant has old town style (collected photos)

In the past, Cao Lau was still considered a high-class dish. The people in rural Quang Nam every time they have the opportunity to come to Hoi An wish to once enjoy Cao Lau Hoi An and bring it back for their loved ones to enjoy. Today, this dish has become very popular in restaurants in Hoi An from spacious to popular. After hours of exploring and learning about Hoi An, visitors should take some time to experience this delicious and unique dish.

According to: https://www.vntrip.vn/cam-nang/cao-lau-mon-an-dac-trung-o-hoi-an-1086

Visitors can find the following delicious Cao Lau restaurants:

Hoi An Green Space Cao Lau
  Address: 687 Hai Ba Trung Street, right in the city center. Hoi An, Quang Nam
Hoi An Cao Lau Central North
  Address: 87 Tran Phu street, city center. Hoi An, Quang Nam
Hoi An Cao Lau Ba Thanh
  Address: 26 Thai Phien Street, in the city center. Hoi An, Quang Nam
Hoi An Lien Cao Lau
  Address: 16 Thai Phien Street, City. Hoi An, Quang Nam
Delicious and cheap Hoi An Cao Lau Ba Be
  Address: inside the food court of Hoi An market, in Tran Phu ward, City. Hoi An, Quang Nam
Hoi An Market
  Address: The intersection of Bach Dang, Tran Phu, Nguyen Thai Hoc streets; City. Hoi An, Quang Nam

 

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