Congee - a specialty that makes diners mistakenly think of Nghe An
The famous dish in Nghe An is not a combination of banh canh and congee as the name suggests.
If you don't know, many people will think this specialty is a type of porridge. However, the appearance of the dish looks quite similar to banh canh. Coming to Nghe An, especially Vinh city, tourists can easily find places selling this dish. Nghe people eat porridge at any meal of the day.
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| Chao canh is a dish that tourists must try when visiting Nghe An. Photo: Di Vy |
The reason the dish is called "cháo canh" is because the broth must be cooked to a porridge-like consistency. The noodles are boiled for a few minutes and then taken out, not just dipped in boiling water like the way vermicelli or pho are cooked in the North.
To make soft noodles, people often use wheat flour mixed with a little rice flour. The flour is mixed with water before being kneaded until smooth, rolled and cut into noodles. The entire process is done by hand.
After cutting, the noodles are blanched and drained. Only when customers order do they put them in boiling water again to serve. "Experienced people will add an extra step of putting the noodles in cold water to make them chewy and not stick together," said a long-time porridge shop owner.
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| The meal looks simple but has a rich flavor, the average price is 30,000 VND per bowl. Photo: Di Vy |
The "soul" of the dish is the broth made from pork bones and spices, which has a thick consistency and a rich aroma. The broth is usually cooked early in the morning, the longer the bones are simmered, the sweeter the broth becomes. The noodles are also served with a few slices of pork, sausage, boiled quail eggs, fish or shrimp, depending on the place.
The bowl of porridge is always served hot, dotted with a little coriander leaves, green onions, and fried onions to look eye-catching. Ideally, enjoy this dish early in the morning, blowing on it while eating. When enjoying, don't forget to squeeze a few slices of lemon or add some chili to enhance the flavor.
Some places in Vinh city today also serve fried bread to give diners more choices. However, for guests from the South, the dish is "minus points" because almost no place serves vegetables to go with it.
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| Porridge has been transformed into many different recipes since ancient times. Photo: Di Vy |