Dry mixed Quang noodles

Dry mixed Quang noodles is an indispensable dish in ancestral worship ceremonies, memorial services, and even during the days leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year). This dish is like a part of the memories of many generations of people from Quang Nam.

A delicious and flavorful plate of mixed noodles from Quang Nam province - Photo: Provided by the author

Every year, as Tet (Lunar New Year) approaches and spring arrives, when the spring breeze begins to cool the rice fields and the scent of cooking smoke wafts gently through the villages along the Thu Bon, Vu Gia, Truong Giang, Yen, and Tuy rivers, Quang Nam's cuisine emerges with its own unique colors.

In that picture, alongside the familiar "wet" Quang noodles, there is still a quiet, simple yet sophisticated dish - "dry" Quang noodles.

Mixed Quang noodles from Quang Nam province

Dry mixed Quang noodles are unassuming and unpretentious. They quietly appear in the days leading up to Tet, in ancestral offerings, and in ancestral commemoration ceremonies, as a part of the memories of generations of people from Quang Nam.

Dry-mixed Quang noodles are made from flat noodles, which can be fresh or dried. The noodles are boiled until just cooked, then drained and mixed with shrimp, meat, peanut oil, roasted peanuts, herbs, and various spices without broth.

Each step requires careful attention, skill, and experience passed down through generations.

The ingredients for dry mixed Quang noodles sound very familiar: pork belly, fresh or dried shrimp, shallots, red onions, peanuts, Tra Que herbs, and hand-pressed peanut oil. But it is the harmonious combination and precise proportions that create the unmistakable flavor of Quang noodles from Quang Nam province.

A delicious and flavorful variation of Quang Nam-style mixed noodles - Photo: Provided by the author

Ingredients for making mixed Quang noodles - Photo: Provided by the author

Pork belly is boiled until cooked, then chopped into small pieces. Fresh shrimp are peeled, minced or left whole, and mixed with the pork, finely chopped shallots, and seasoned with pepper and good quality fish sauce. Peanut oil is sautéed with shallots until fragrant, then the shrimp and pork mixture is added and stirred quickly. As soon as the aroma rises, remove from the heat; do not let it get too hot.

Once the shrimp and pork mixture has cooled slightly, the Quang-style noodles are added and mixed with crushed roasted peanuts, fish sauce with chili and garlic, and a little fresh lime juice. Serve on a plate and sprinkle with chopped scallions and cilantro. The dish doesn't need elaborate presentation, but just looking at it is enough to appreciate the fullness and harmony of color, aroma, and flavor.

During ancestral commemoration ceremonies, land worship rituals, and welcoming of ancestors, a plate of dry mixed Quang noodles, a specialty of the people of Quang Nam province, is always present - Photo: Provided by the author

Dry mixed noodles are becoming increasingly rare on rural feast tables.

In traditional ancestral commemorations, especially during the difficult years of the subsidy period, mixed Quang noodles were considered a "filler" dish to ensure the descendants had enough to eat. There was little meat or shrimp, but thanks to the chewy noodles, the rich peanuts, and the fragrant peanut oil infused with shallots, the whole meal remained warm and satisfying.

Nowadays, life is better, and ancestral worship feasts no longer lack meat and fish, but in many villages in Quang Nam province, dry mixed Quang noodles are still preserved as a habit, a family tradition. Many elderly women over eighty years old still enjoy this mixed noodle dish because the noodles are soft, easy to eat, and evoke memories of past springs.

In the atmosphere of year-end gatherings, a plate of dry mixed noodles is often served early, accompanied by crispy grilled Dai Loc or Tuy Loan rice crackers, and a glass of rice wine or Hong Dao wine. The rich, sweet flavor of shrimp and meat, the aroma of peanut oil, the crunchy sound of the rice crackers breaking on the tongue—all blend together to create a truly authentic Quang Nam experience, a taste that resonates even before the rain falls.

A plate of mixed noodles from Quang Nam province with many eye-catching colors - Photo: Provided by the author

In fact, mixed noodles are not unique to Quang Nam province. Many regions and countries also have their own versions of mixed noodles. However, Quang Nam dry mixed noodles have a distinct character, linked to the soil, climate, customs, and even the personality of the people here: simple, unhurried, yet profound.

On August 12, 2024, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued a decision to include "the folk knowledge of Quang noodles" in the list of national intangible cultural heritage.

Among them, dry mixed Quang noodles are recognized alongside Quang noodles in soup, as a testament to the depth of Quang Nam's culinary culture. According to many elders, dry mixed Quang noodles are even "several times tastier" than Quang noodles in soup, due to their rich, concentrated, and refined flavor.

However, it is precisely because of this elaborate preparation that dry mixed Quang noodles are becoming increasingly rare at traditional village ancestral commemoration ceremonies. Making a batch of authentic mixed noodles requires many steps, a lot of time, and especially the hands of knowledgeable people. Meanwhile, few young people have the patience to pursue the traditional method.

Sadly, many artisans who prepared dry-mixed Quang noodles – the women and mothers who dedicated their lives to noodles and cooking – have passed away. Their secrets, preserved through memories and a sense of "approximation" or "just right," have quietly faded away with them. As each Tet holiday passes, dry-mixed noodles become increasingly rare on village feast tables.

My grandmother is drying noodles in the yard - Photo: Provided by the author

In the midst of modern life, where Tet (Lunar New Year) is becoming increasingly simple and fast-paced, the absence of dry mixed Quang noodles is not just the loss of a dish, but the loss of a piece of memory. It evokes the image of grandmother drying noodles in the yard, the fragrant aroma of peanut oil in the small kitchen, and the joyful laughter before the ancestral worship ceremony.

Therefore, Quang Nam-style dry mixed noodles are not simply a culinary delight. It's a journey back home, a place where people from Quang Nam find themselves during the spring reunions. And even though it may be absent from today's feast, that flavor remains intact in memory – an inseparable part of the Quang Nam Tet (Lunar New Year) celebration.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/mi-quang-tron-kho-20260131142540464.htm