About Hoi An City
Hoi An is a small town which is situated on the bank of Thu Bon river located in central Vietnam. There is no airport, and no train station either, that’s why the only way to get to Hoi An is by road. You can also take a flight to Da Nang city, then rent a motorbike or take a bus to go to Hoi An.
Hoi An was a bustling international trading port in Southeast Asia from the 15th to the 19th century. Although large-scale trading had long moved elsewhere, Hoi An has been successful in preserving and restoring its charming roots and was recognized as the World Heritage by UNESCO in 1998. Nowadays, Hoi An is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Vietnam.
Tradition is still very much alive in the Old Town, even though many of the old shops have been converted to modern businesses which aim to foreigners and tourists, Hoi An is considered as a living museum of architecture and urban lifestyle. Most traditional houses here are the combination of different architectures from different cultures such as Chinese, Japanese, French, and British and of course Vietnamese style.
For those who love sea, sun, and sand, Hoi An offers two lovely beaches which are five kilometers away from the town center. Renting a bike, riding around the town to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere is really enjoyable.
The great thing about Hoi An’s Old Town is that it is small enough to get around on foot. All Hoi An’s major attractions or landmarks are located within walking distance, and some of the streets are only for pedestrians. These factors make Hoi An, even more, inviting for most travelers to Vietnam, especially those who have passed through big cities with crazy traffic like Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi.
Hoi An is also known for its great food with reasonable price. The highlights of the meal often include local specialties such as banh mi (Vietnamese baguette) and Cao Lau (a pork noodle dish).
Cao Lau Hoi An
Cao Lau noodle soup, a specialty of Hoi An ancient town in Quang Nam Province, has been listed among the most attractive rice noodles in Asia by CNN. The dish highlights tasty broth, flat pieces of fried pork, attracting both locals and foreigners who taste it.
Most people are curious about the name of the dish. An explanation says Cao Lầu is actually the local pronunciation of “delicious dish” in Chinese. Another says a long time ago, traders coming to Hoi An wanted to enjoy noodles served on the top floor of eateries to easily look after their goods. This is the reason why the dish is called “Cao Lầu,” which means high buildings in Vietnamese.
Like Quảng-style noodle soup, Cao Lầu is a specialty of the central region in general and Hoi An in particular. However, some may not tell the difference between the two dishes. In reality, ingredients and the preparation of Cao Lầu and Quang-style noodle soup both have their own features.
The noodles used for Cao Lầu are shorter than those for Quảng noodle soup. The rice for Cao Lầu has to be soaked in water mixed with cajuput firewood ash. The step helps the noodles have a light yellow color. In addition, rice after being ground has to be mixed with water from the well-known Ba Le well in Hoi An which is believed to create the special taste of the noodles.
Another difference is the crispy rice paper served with Cao Lầu is brown while that for Quảng-style noodle is rice paper with black sesame. At some local eateries, cooks use roasted pork skin instead of rice paper.
The balance of flavor is what makes Cao Lầu special—including noodles, slices of grilled pork, crispy rice paper, herbs collected from Tra Que vegetable village, and Hoi An-style chili paste.
Read More: Banh Mi – Cultural Features of Vietnamese Cuisine
