Delicious chicken rice with a perfect blend of flavors.
In a small house in a short alley off Trung Nu Vuong Street, connecting Phan Chau Trinh and Tran Phu streets in the ancient town of Hoi An, Mrs. Thuan is scooping fluffy, golden rice onto a plate, then adding shredded chicken mixed with coriander, onions, salt, and pepper... and handing it to her husband, who is holding a bowl of rice water, to serve to guests. Neither hurried nor overly slow, whether there are only a few guests or when the tables inside and outside are full, the elderly couple leisurely take their rice, shred the meat, and mix the salad... with a genuine, simple smile typical of Hoi An.
For decades, it's been the same. Mrs. Thuan said that she and her husband have been quietly running their small chicken rice stall, finding joy in their daily lives. "At this age, we just work to stay healthy, not to get rich, so we sell in a way that's true to ourselves," Mrs. Thuan said.
Perhaps this is one of the places that fully embodies the "essence" of Hoi An chicken rice. The stall is only about twenty square meters, with ancient yellow walls that are unpainted, cool, and clean, tidy stainless steel tables and chairs. All the hustle and bustle of the busy streets outside seems to subside in this small space. It harmonizes with the scene of the elderly couple enjoying their traditional chicken rice with just a few dishes: shredded chicken rice, mixed chicken salad. No frying, stir-frying, or deep-frying...
Because the essence that makes up the unique identity of this famous dish from Hoi An ancient town lies in the way the rice is cooked, the chicken is selected, and the meat is shredded and mixed.
Young free-range hens – the younger the ones that have just laid eggs, the better – weighing about 1.5 kilograms, are prepared and boiled over the right heat and for the right amount of time to ensure the meat is neither tough nor mushy. The meat is then shredded and mixed with Vietnamese coriander, onions, salt, and pepper…; then it's topped with a plate of rice cooked with fragrant rice, washed clean, drained, and stir-fried with chicken fat and chicken broth mixed with turmeric powder.
To truly experience the authentic Hoi An flavor, an essential accompaniment to chicken rice is a small spoonful of Hoi An chili sauce, mixed thoroughly with the rice, chicken, and a small bowl of broth made from chicken liver and gizzard. At that moment, everything blends together, creating an aromatic fragrance and a rich, creamy sensation in the mouth—a taste that every discerning diner will want to savor long after leaving the restaurant…
Elevating the culinary scene of the Old Quarter.
Hoi An's chicken rice is so distinctive, yet it seems no one has truly focused on researching its origins and unique preparation methods; they've only practiced folk knowledge, passing down "secrets" from generation to generation. That was until Nir Avieli, a young Israeli man, unexpectedly arrived in this ancient city in early March 1994. Captivated by Hoi An, he spent many years researching the city from a culinary and community perspective. He added chicken rice to his list of specialties, with numerous interesting documents and perspectives.
Nir Avieli stated that “Chicken rice is actually a very popular dish in Hoi An… Chicken rice is available in the late afternoon every day and is mainly eaten for dinner at more than two dozen places throughout the town… The customers are usually workers and lower-middle-class townspeople, although even well-off people occasionally treat themselves to chicken rice”(*). In particular, at that time, he noted that “chicken rice is a favorite dish of the locals and is rarely found in tourist restaurants catering to foreigners”!
Generations of simple, honest people in Hoi An, like Mrs. Thuan and her husband, quietly "keep the flame alive" for chicken rice, making it a specialty and a "connecting link" that attracts visitors from all over to this unique ancient town.
In the memory of artist Truong Bach Tuong - a resident of Hoi An, in the early 1970s, at the corner of Cuong De Street (now Tran Phu Street) and Le Loi Street - which Hoi An locals often call the International Crossroads, "Mrs. Buoi's chicken rice and Mrs. Minh's chicken rice stalls were located on opposite sides of the street."
If Mrs. Buoi's rice is richer and more fragrant, then Mrs. Minh's chicken is considered the best in Hoi An. Discerning diners often jokingly say, "Buy a plate of rice from Mrs. Buoi, then go over to the other side and put Mrs. Minh's chicken on top, and you'll have the best rice in the world." Mrs. Minh inherited her chicken rice stall from her mother, Mrs. Vong, who had been selling it since 1968. The business was passed down in 1971, and the "Mrs. Minh's Chicken Rice" brand was born from then on, even without a sign...
But the Hoi An chicken rice stalls had disappeared from the streets for a time. That was during the early years of the subsidy period. During those difficult times, chicken rice was considered a luxury, so the vendors packed up their stalls and switched professions. Around 1980, these chicken rice stalls reopened.
Since its integration with the World Heritage site, Hoi An chicken rice has opened up business opportunities for many people in the ancient town. Chicken rice is no longer associated with elderly women like Mrs. Vong, Mrs. Minh, Mrs. Buoi… who used to carry their goods to the streets every afternoon, but has become a "chicken rice street" with names like Gieng Dinh, Anh Xi, Huong Sica, An Hien, Long, Ty…; and is now included in the menus of high-end restaurants and hotels.
Chicken rice, along with cao lầu noodles, bánh bao bánh vạc (steamed buns), clam salad, bánh tráng đập (crushed rice paper), corn sweet soup, etc., helped Hoi An rank among the top 10 most attractive culinary destinations in Asia in 2011, as voted by Tripadvisor.
"The folk knowledge of cuisine is a testament to the flexible and refined adaptation and integration of Hoi An's urban culture," Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Trang (Department of Cultural Heritage, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) remarked when discussing the position and role of intangible cultural heritage in the context of contemporary urban culture - the case of the heritage city of Hoi An.
Therefore, it's time for the relevant authorities in Da Nang in general, and Hoi An in particular, to consider how to turn Hoi An chicken rice into a sustainable brand, spreading its influence not only domestically but also on the global culinary map…
(*) The story of Hoi An cuisine - food and community in a Vietnamese city , by Nir Avieli, translated by Pham Minh Quan (Da Nang Publishing House and Phanbook, 2024).
Source: https://baodanang.vn/goi-ten-thuong-hieu-com-ga-hoi-an-3337814.html
Comment (0)