Hoi An boy creates unique Quang noodles, making tourists miss it

Mr. Le Minh Canh (35 years old, residing in Cam Thanh commune, Hoi An city, Quang Nam province) began his story of his days in the army. In 2008, at the age of 20, he was a soldier, serving in the logistics team.

“The times I worked in the kitchen in the army helped me hone my cooking skills to satisfy the majority. I always try to find new and unique dishes for my teammates to enjoy at every meal. When teammates enjoy their food, logistics work is also fun…”, said Mr. Canh.

His Quang Nieu noodles are praised by customers from all over the world.

After 14 years in the army, his passion for tours at the Bay Mau coconut forest (Cam Thanh commune) arose, he decided to write a demobilization application, return to his hometown and start pursuing his dream.

Returning to his hometown, he trained and became a tour guide, leading guests on tours in the coconut forest. His job gradually stabilized, and his main goal began to take shape - to research and learn how to create his own Quang noodles.

Mr. Canh continued: “At the end of 2022, I researched the bowl of Quang noodles to find its unique flavor. At first, it was very difficult because Quang noodles are like the “soul” of Quang Nam land, to process and make it really came to a dead end.

Sitting for a while, I suddenly remembered the pottery village, and from then on wondered why I didn't make Quang noodles in a clay pot.

Unique Quang Noodles Clay Pot

Arriving at Thanh Ha pottery village in Hoi An city, he “bought” himself a clay pot to experiment, the difficulty began when the pottery here absorbed water and could not be cooked. Not giving up, he continued to ask the “experts” in the village. From the advice of many people, his clay pot was coated with oil, along with the “tricks” of the artisans to produce a product that does not absorb water and does not leak.

Raw vegetables are an indispensable ingredient in a bowl of Quang noodles.

“The clay pot has something special, the more it is cooked, the more it absorbs the flavor, the more delicious it becomes. The broth consists of meat, eggs, and shrimp, creating a unique feature that is unique to the maker,” Mr. Canh shared.

The biggest difficulty was removed, the young man carried his backpack and set out to find the noodles in the bowl of noodles. He heard that Phu Chiem (Phu Chiem village, Dien Phuong commune, Dien Ban town, Quang Nam province) had noodles for sale since the beginning of the 20th century. These noodles were also famous in the province, they were made from Xiec rice - a type of rice that is only grown on the low-lying fields that are alluvial all year round in the Thu Bon river in Dien Ban.

The noodles are hand-rolled, then cut into strands to create a soft and supple texture. “Everything is almost done, I continue to look for other additives to create a bowl of noodles. To make the bowl of noodles truly delicious, rich in flavor and full of cultural identity, I go to the famous Tra Que vegetable village in the region. The vegetables here are green, delicious, and famous for their ancient wells, which are the main source of water, making the product popular with many people.”

Tourists are excited to enjoy Quang Nieu noodles

Thanks to those specialties, plus the hands of a "chef" in the army, Mr. Canh created a unique bowl of Quang noodles that has made many tourists from all over the world fall in love...

Up to now, after more than 3 months of operation, the Quang Nieu noodle shop has started to have a stable source of income with an average of 30 million VND/month.

“Many tourists who love Quang Nieu noodles have flown from Ho Chi Minh City to enjoy it. One night at 8pm, as soon as I landed at Da Nang airport, a customer called to order a meal… Even though the restaurant was closed, the tourists were excited, so I was happy to go into the kitchen…”, Mr. Canh said excitedly.

From compliments and suggestions, his "brand" of Quang Nieu noodles has now begun to... fly far and wide. Mr. Canh said that this is the motivation to bring the dish - a specialty of Quang Nam to tourists nationwide.

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