EXOTIC VIETNAMESE FOOD ( Part 1)
We have introduced to everyone about a lot of tasty and lovely Vietnamese food from our A Taste of Hanoi facebook, blog and website,...Today, we bring to you to a different part of our cuisine, something more adventure and unique "Exotic Vietnamese food". If you ever come to Vietnam, please have a try at least one of them because something doesn't kill you will make you stronger!
1. Chả Rươi or Water Worm Cake in Vietnamese
In Vietnam cuisine, Cha ruoi is not available all year round. Ruoi is a type of sand worm that can only be found from the end of September to the middle of October. The short season is why Hanoians regard cha ruoi as a special but expensive gift from nature. The sand worm doesn’t live in Hanoi – it lives in the mangroves and wetlands along the coast.
In the capital, cha ruoi is a delicacy this time of year – the delicious smell of it cooking is very pervasive, a temptation to passers-by. The combination of fried ruoi and egg isirresistible. It is usually served with vermicelli, salad and fish sauce.
Chả rươi is the meat of a type of worm found close to the shore, particularly in low-tide conditions. They are only available for a month at this time of year, and stalls often pop-up specialising in this before disappearing for the rest of the year. The worms (sometimes referred to as fly eggs) are often cooked into an omellete or mixed with ground pork into a patty and fried.
2. Coconut Worm or Đuông dừa in Vietnamese
Duong Dua is one of the specialties in Vietnam; for many people, however, seeing the fat worms crawling about is enough to give the creeps let alone put into one’s mouth.
Duong Dua is a form of beetle larvae. After the breeding season the beetle usually chooses the healthy coconut, pierces a hole on top and lays the eggs in it. After the eggs hatch, the larvae grow by eating the young shoot of the coconut tree until the tree is pierced through.
Although the coconut is spoiled by Duong Dua, the worms are delicious and are a delicacy in the coconut land of the Mekong River delta. Duong Dua is a harmful species and breeding them is prohibited. Consuming them is believed to enhance men’s sexual abilities. One kilogram of Duong Dua usually costs 500.000 Dong (about 23 USD); out of season the price is even higher.
3. Duck embryos or Trứng Vịt Lộn in Vietnamese
Trung Vit Lon is made from duck eggs when the embryo has developed into shape but not hatched for certain reasons. Trung Vit Lon is processed in many ways such as boil, fried with tamarind. It is one of the most popular dishes in Vietnam and considered a nutritious but scary food when the egg is opened revealing a full small duck with hairy parts.
Trung Vit Lon is sold in every street of Vietnam from rural areas to alleyways. Just a small table, some chairs and a pot of boiled eggs or just by the vendors by walking around and the shop is ready to serve. The Vietnamese have a habit of eating Trung Vit Lon in the morning or late evening.
This is an affordable dish that is delicious and nutritious for locals. For many international tourists, however, it is a horror when they see the Vietnamese eating Trung Vit Lon.
4. Blood Pudding or Tiết Canh in Vietnamese
Tiet Canh is a popular dish of Vietnamese people. It is processed in different ways. Tiet Canh is made from animal blood, fresh after slaughtering, coupled with light fish sauce or salt water, thoroughly stirred with chopsticks and mixed with minced meat, spring onions, and groundnut so that the blood coagulates.
After boiling the meat, the cook cuts some cartilage, gizzard, tripe, chopped into small bits and put in a bowl. The substance on the surface of the blood is brushed off, then some broth is mixed with blood and gently and quickly sprinkled on the dish.
Tiet Canh is popular and can be found easily at road side restaurants in Vietnam. Despite its tastiness it can make you shiver when you see it.
This experience is made by A Taste of Hanoi. Please visit our website and social media for more information about our tours in Vietnam:
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