Cold snail noodle soup - a nostalgia

Cold vermicelli with snails. Sounds strange. And that dish is waiting in a small corner of Hanoi.

I love Hanoi like I love Bun Oc, once eaten I remember forever. I accidentally found that dish that seemed "very rustic" in a small corner of Hanoi .

It's been a long time, I wonder if when the streets change, will it still be there waiting for me?

Cold snail noodle soup without fishy smell

Thanh Huyen

Cold snail noodle soup. Sounds strange.

Not the soup that is slurped up and down. Not the eye-catching clear broth with diced tomatoes or perilla, and fresh herbs. On the small plate, there are simply white snail-shaped vermicelli noodles (a type of vermicelli rolled into the shape of a snail, small and bite-sized).

A bowl of broth made from well-boiled pork bone broth, sweet and clear, steamed snail broth, vinegar reduces the remaining richness of bone marrow, making the broth taste mild. Chili peppers are always a part of vermicelli with snails. It reduces the coldness and fishy taste of snails, and also makes the color of the dish more pleasing to the eye.

It's not that I'm a country person , used to the simple things close to the fields, but I'm deeply attached to vermicelli with snails. Cold vermicelli with snails is made from snails stuffed until they fill your mouth, cleaned meticulously and carefully.

After picking out the snail, putting it in a bowl of broth and bringing it to diners to enjoy is an artistic process that requires delicacy and skill like creating a true work of art.

The snails are cold but not fishy. The snails must be crispy and sweet. That piece of white rice vermicelli, with a plump, crispy snail, is submerged in a very cold snail dipping sauce. But you only feel like it is all surrounded by a mild sourness, a whistling sound, a spicy but lingering taste, a crunchy and refreshing taste.

Among the myriad of love of Hanoi lovers, I especially love Bun Oc. The feeling of a weekend in early autumn , when leisurely watching the noisy streets with vehicles passing by, or walking past a row of trees with new leaves, a bit of autumn color clumsily falling on the sycamore trees or old crocodiles. Suddenly stopping to see a very modest cold Bun Oc shop on the side of O Quan Chuong or Bui Thi Xuan street, I will be especially fascinated and turn in without hesitation to order a portion for myself.

Hanoi changes every day. The streets are bustling with majestic high-rise buildings and people are also in a hurry. Only those who are nostalgic and those who truly love Hanoi have enough patience to find dishes that are very Hanoi , only Hanoi, like the cold snail noodles that I love so much.