If you are about to travel to the land considered the cradle of Vietnamese culture but still don't know what to eat or where to stay, then refer to the suggestions of delicious Northern dishes that Vietravel reveals below!
1. Characteristics of Northern cuisine
Northern traditional tray on Lunar New Year (Photo source: Collected)
Northern cuisine is a harmonious, delicate and skillful combination of both senses and skillful combination of ingredients for the dish. The characteristic of Northern cuisine is that the dishes have a moderate, light taste, lightly seasoned with a little sourness for hot summer days, not too spicy, sweet, fatty but often use diluted fish sauce or shrimp paste as spices, accompanying dipping sauces and especially the colors of the dishes are very colorful and outstanding. The spices used a lot in Northern dishes are lemon, vinegar, sour plum, pepper, chili, ginger, onion, garlic, diluted fish sauce and shrimp paste. The favorite ingredients of the North are many types of vegetables or easy-to-find seafood such as shrimp, crab, fish, mussels, clams, etc.
On each occasion of the festival, the ingenuity and sophistication are more clearly shown through the image of "full trays and dishes", which means each tray must have "four bowls and six plates" that are elaborately prepared, eye-catching and very delicious. In eating, the behavior of Northern people is also very delicate and gentle, shown through proverbs such as "Eating while watching the pot, sitting while watching the direction", "A greeting is higher than a tray of food", "A piece in the middle of the village is worth a basket in the corner of the kitchen". Therefore, when eating, the elderly and respected people are always invited to eat first or when eating, they should pick up the best pieces first for others. Northern people like to be picked up and invited enthusiastically, so when eating, it is very difficult to invite them to eat, but must be very skillful and tactful. Northern cuisine is very diverse and rich, elaborate in presentation but still very attractive because of the freshness of the ingredients as well as the harmonious and delicious seasoning. All bring unique characteristics to the culinary culture of the North.
2. Famous dishes with typical Northern cuisine
2.1. Hanoi Pho
Pho Hanoi - The quintessential dish of Vietnamese cuisine (Photo source: Collected)
Hanoi Pho is famous for its clear broth simmered from beef bones and delicious spices for 12-24 hours. The noodles must be white, thin, and chewy, the rare beef must be soft and sliced thinly. The special thing is that Hanoi Pho is only served with green onions, onions, and herbs, not too many types of vegetables like other places.
2.2. Hanoi vermicelli with grilled pork
Bun Cha Hanoi: Rich flavor of the Capital (Photo source: Collected)
Bun cha is the quintessence of Hanoi street food with fragrant grilled meat on a charcoal stove, grilled meatballs evenly golden brown. The rich sweet and sour dipping sauce is carefully mixed from good fish sauce, sugar, lemon, garlic, chili and spices. The dish is served with pure white rice noodles, fresh raw vegetables and crispy fried spring rolls.
2.3. La Vong fish cake
La Vong fish cake - A famous delicacy of the capital's people (Photo source: Collected)
La Vong fish cake was born in the 19th century on Cha Ca street, made from fresh catfish cut into bite-sized pieces, marinated with turmeric and special spices, fried until golden brown and then grilled over charcoal. This unique dish is enjoyed with vermicelli, dill, green onions and especially fragrant shrimp paste.
2.4. Braised fish from Vu Dai village, Ha Nam
Braised fish from Vu Dai village - Taste of hometown on traditional Tet holiday (Photo source: Collected)
Vu Dai village's braised fish is famous for its traditional way of braising fish in large earthenware jars. The fish is selected from 4-5kg black carp, braised for 12-15 hours with galangal, guava leaves, and special spices. The dish has a beautiful, glossy brown color, the fish meat is soft but not mushy, and has a rich aroma of galangal and fish sauce.
2.5. Ha Nam perch vermicelli
Ha Nam's famous specialty of vermicelli with perch is fresh perch fried until golden brown, with clear broth made from fish bones and vegetables. The dish is decorated with the green of mustard greens, green onions and herbs, creating a rich yet elegant flavor of the Northern countryside.
2.6. Banh Chung Lang Dam, Ha Nam
Banh chung Lang Dam is famous for its rich traditional flavor of more than 200 years. The special feature of the cake is carefully selected sticky rice, soaked and crushed green beans, and marinated pork belly with rich spices. The dong leaves used to wrap the cake must be fresh, the cake is wrapped in squares and cooked for 12 hours with traditional firewood. When cutting the cake, one can see the golden layer of filling nestled in the middle of the green sticky rice.
2.7. Hai Phong fish noodles
Hai Phong fish noodle soup is different with the broth made from fresh sea fish bones, combined with tomatoes and pineapple, creating a natural sweetness and mild sourness. The fish served with it is usually mackerel, barracuda or snakehead fish, fried until golden brown. The unique highlight is that the dish is served with green mustard greens, green onions and especially sliced fresh pineapple.
2.8. Hai Phong crab rice noodles
Indulge in the flavor of Hai Phong crab noodle soup that makes you miss it so much (Photo source: Collected)
This Hai Phong specialty stands out with its crispy red rice paper made from brown rice, sweet and fragrant broth made from crab roe and fresh crab meat. The dish is enriched with fish cakes, squid cakes, green vegetables and green onions. The special thing is that it is served with hot and crispy fried dough sticks and spicy chili sauce typical of Hai Phong.
2.9. Hai Phong crab spring rolls
Hai Phong crab spring rolls are a sophisticated dish with fresh, sweet crab filling mixed with minced lean meat, wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, bean sprouts and special spices. The spring roll skin is made from thin rice paper, which has a beautiful golden color after frying. The dish is dipped in sweet and sour fish sauce carefully prepared according to Hai Phong's own recipe.
2.10. Ha Long squid cake
Ha Long squid cake is made from fresh squid caught in Ha Long Bay, pounded by hand to preserve the natural toughness and sweetness of the squid. The simple seasoning with onion, pepper, and salt creates a unique flavor. The cake is grilled on a charcoal stove until golden brown, giving off an attractive aroma.
2.11. Ha Long pearl yogurt
This dessert is famous for its handmade yogurt, which has a moderate thickness and a natural refreshing sour taste. The black tapioca pearls are cooked to be chewy, moderately sweet, and perfectly combined with the yogurt. What's special is that the dish is often served in a small, pretty glass cup, sprinkled with crispy roasted peanuts to add an attractive flavor.
2.12. Lang Son braised pork
Braised pork belly: The sophistication that creates the famous delicious dish of Lang Son (Photo source: Collected)
Khau nhuc is a typical dish of Lang Son cuisine, made from delicious pork belly, marinated with special spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, and star anise. The meat is stewed for many hours until it is tender but still retains its shape, with a beautiful shiny brown color. The dish is often enjoyed with hot white rice and sweet and sour pickles.
2.13. Lang Son roasted pig
Lang Son roasted pork is famous for its special marinade recipe of mac khen, doi seeds, lemongrass, and local herbs. The pork is roasted in a special charcoal oven, resulting in a product with crispy skin, soft meat, and a fragrant aroma of herbs. In particular, this dish is often enjoyed with wild vegetables and dipped in a special sauce prepared by Lang Son people.
2.14. Bamboo rice of Bac Kan
Bamboo rice from Bac Kan is made from delicious sticky rice, cooked in fresh young bamboo tubes. The cooking process is special when the bamboo tube is placed at a 45-degree angle next to the fire, rotated regularly so that the rice is cooked evenly. When cooked, the rice is ivory white, fragrant and has the characteristic flavor of wild bamboo. The dish is often enjoyed with sesame salt, grilled meat or grilled chicken, a specialty not to be missed when traveling to the mountainous North.
It can be said that Northern cuisine is not only a valuable cultural heritage of the land of thousands of years of civilization but also the pride of Vietnamese cuisine. Through each dish, each way of presentation, and even in the culture of enjoyment, we see the crystallization of intelligence, soul and identity of the Vietnamese people. In the current trend of integration and development, preserving and promoting the unique values of Northern cuisine is not only the responsibility of a region but also the task of the whole nation, in order to preserve and spread the quintessence of Vietnamese culinary culture to the world.
Source: https://www.vietravel.com/vn/am-thuc-kham-pha/am-thuc-mien-bac-v15867.aspx
Comment (0)