The flavor of the seaside town

When you visit the port city of Hai Phong, you'll easily be tempted by its street food. It all has a rich flavor, reflecting the sunshine, the wind, and even the people of this place.

If you could only choose one dish, say: Crab noodle soup.

On the culinary map, when mentioning crab noodle soup, Hai Phong is definitely the place to go, just like Hanoi's pho, Hue's beef noodle soup, or Saigon's hu tieu. A bowl of crab noodle soup is attractively presented with dark red noodles, brownish crab roe, bright red tomatoes, dark green betel leaf rolls, golden brown meatballs, crispy fried shallots, and vibrant green scallions… The chef must be very meticulous to offer diners a bowl of rich, flavorful crab noodle soup with the distinctive aroma of crab, perfectly cooked noodles, and tender, sweet betel leaf rolls. The crab noodle soup at Bà Cụ's shop on Cầu Đất street is already very famous, but tucked away in the nooks and crannies of Hàng Kênh market, Lửa Hồng alley (Tôn Đức Thắng)... there are also crab noodle soup stalls worth a visit.

Square spring rolls - a taste of Hai Phong.
Perhaps because of its proximity to the sea, the people of this region have created square spring rolls – a delicious dish with a rich taste of the ocean. "Crab spring rolls" is another name for this famous dish, but the main ingredient, besides crab, must include shrimp. The best shrimp and crab come from Cat Hai. The locals always steam the crab and shrimp for about 15 minutes to preserve their sweetness. These shrimp and crab are then mixed thoroughly with shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, finely ground lean pork, chicken eggs, vermicelli, bean sprouts, and pepper. The spring rolls are wrapped into large, square shapes and then fried in a pan with plenty of oil or lard. Spring rolls must be eaten hot; otherwise, their deliciousness is diminished. The accompanying dipping sauce should be light and refreshing, yet have a prominent balance of sour, salty, sweet, and spicy flavors. It should be prepared well in advance to allow the ingredients like fish sauce, vinegar, garlic, pepper, chili, and sugar to blend together. The accompanying fresh vegetables must also be carefully selected and kept clean. Square spring rolls are undoubtedly a delicious and elaborate delicacy, from preparation to enjoyment. The perfect finished product should have a thin, crispy wrapper. If it's crispy but slightly hard, it's not yet perfect. It seems that this is related to the spring roll wrappers, which connoisseurs often recommend, suggesting the wrappers from Chieu village ( Ha Nam province), with a history of over 700 years. Square spring rolls are now on the menus of many restaurants in major cities, but if you've ever tasted them in Hai Phong, you'll agree with me that the most memorable experience is in Hai Phong. For delicious crab spring rolls, you can visit Cat Bi Market, Co Dao Market, or Ba Cu restaurant (Cau Dat)...

Red jellyfish salad - a delicious summer dish. Red jellyfish, a gift from the salty sea, is transformed into a unique and appealing salad in this region. After initial preparation, the jellyfish is cut into pieces about two finger lengths thick using bamboo knives made from bamboo stalks to prevent a fishy smell while preserving the flavor. In Hai Phong , the red jellyfish season lasts for about four months in early summer, and the fishing season ends around the end of June. Therefore, jellyfish vendors only sell their goods until the end of August. Calling jellyfish salad a summer dish also implies that enjoying cool, refreshing slices of jellyfish on a hot day is simply incomparable. "If you can eat shrimp paste, you can eat red jellyfish salad," a connoisseur would say. However, with Hai Phong jellyfish salad, shrimp paste isn't as commonly used as "bong" (fermented rice wine lees). Perhaps most people unfamiliar with "bong" are from the South. Bong – also known as fermented rice wine lees or rice wine lees – is a popular condiment in the North. Its sour taste comes from the natural fermentation of rice wine lees. Making bong is quite simple: glutinous rice is cooked, then yeast is added, fermented, water is added, and it's distilled into white wine. The remaining rice wine lees are called "hem."
First, the rice wine lees are boiled, then fermented rice paste, ground galangal, sugar, and cooked tomatoes are added and seasoned to taste. A little tapioca starch is needed to thicken the mixture. Finally, shredded coconut is sprinkled on top of this dipping sauce. A unique dipping sauce for an equally unique dish – red jellyfish salad.

Heritage Magazine