Banh xeo, chicken rice, and Phu Yen pork vermicelli wrapped in grandma's kitchen

Phu Yen is famous for its chicken rice, pancakes, and pork intestine rice vermicelli. All of these delicious dishes are contained in the kitchen of my grandmother - my close friend's grandmother whom I had the chance to visit at the end of the year.

Grandma diligently made banh xeo to treat her grandchild's friends. Her hospitality and love moved us - Photo: HOANG LAM

And perhaps as we joked, my grandmother was also a "specialty" of Phu Yen that I was lucky to meet. And then when I returned to Saigon, I missed her.

Phu Yen pancakes

Starting our culinary journey at home, my grandmother treated us to a hot banh xeo dish just out of the oven in the chilly early morning air when we arrived.

Unlike Western-style pancakes, which are usually big and have a turmeric yellow color, Phu Yen pancakes are small, just the size of a hand, and have a white color.

Grandma's pancakes - Photo: HOANG LAM

This cake not only retains its rustic simplicity with the familiar shrimp and meat filling, but the small size of the cake also prevents us from getting bored, and we can eat several at a time.

The crust of Phu Yen pancake is thin and crispy, with the fatty taste of the batter that grandma prepared the night before, plus the fresh taste of shrimp and meat filling and especially the chewy and fragrant taste of chives.

Banh xeo is eaten with a basket of fresh green vegetables and a bowl of fish sauce with garlic and chili or spicy fish sauce.

Rice vermicelli with pork offal

A visit to Phu Yen cannot be complete without rice vermicelli with pig offal, a dish that seems simple but requires meticulousness, delicacy and thoroughness.

Banh hoi is made from finely ground rice, steamed and arranged in thin layers, which she buys at the market.

Rice vermicelli with pork offal - Photo: HOANG LAM

Between each layer of rice vermicelli, she adds a layer of scallion oil instead of onions as is commonly seen in Saigon, along with fried onions, which further increases the aroma and attractiveness.

The rice vermicelli is served with pig intestines, including intestines, heart, liver... boiled with shallots and a bit of ginger to remove the characteristic odor. The pig intestines she makes are rich in flavor, both crispy and soft, melting in your mouth.

End the meal with a bowl of hot porridge with green onions and cilantro with a little pepper, everyone will be amazed and crave it.

Chicken rice

Phu Yen chicken rice is an indispensable dish in the "specialty" dishes of grandmother's kitchen.

Before enjoying it, I heard a lot of compliments from everyone for this dish.

From Uncle Ut, Aunt Tu to the children, everyone loved the chicken rice that grandma cooked so much that they could eat it continuously for many days. And as "advertised", grandma's chicken rice was really delicious.

Phu Yen Chicken Rice - Photo: HOANG LAM

The chicken is carefully selected by her, the meat is firm, sweet and fragrant with crispy skin, this breed of chicken is rarely found in Saigon.

She cooks chicken rice the traditional way, sautéing garlic and onions with rice, adding a little turmeric powder and cooking it with chicken broth, so the rice grains are sticky, shiny and have a light yellow color.

Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces and serve with hot rice and pickles. Fish sauce mixed with lime, garlic and chili further enhances the flavor of the dish.

In particular, Phu Yen chicken rice is eaten with pickles made from bean sprouts, chopped carrots, and pickled onions, balancing the fatty aroma of the rice and chicken, making it impossible for us to put down our chopsticks.

Banh xeo, banh hoi long heo and com ga are not only delicious dishes but also the love of a grandmother for her family and for her children and grandchildren's guests.

She not only let us taste the typical flavors of Phu Yen but also sent warm emotions through each dish she served to the children.

Special fish sauce jar

It seems that on every meal tray of people in the Central region in general and Phu Yen in particular, there is a jar of fish sauce.

A jar of good fish sauce combined with crushed garlic and chili, a little sourness from lemon or lime, seasoning to taste.

At my friend's house, her fish sauce is her "secret" that brings every dish to the most delicious and memorable level.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/banh-xeo-com-ga-banh-hoi-long-heo-phu-yen-goi-tron-trong-gian-bep-ba-noi-2024122523431066.htm