For a long time, the culinary culture of Quang Nam has been famous for its distinctiveness, with delicious dishes that are well-known and leave a good impression on international visitors. Join us as we explore the most famous and delicious specialties of Quang Nam that you must try when visiting this land
Mi Quang
Speaking of Quang Nam specialties, one cannot overlook Mi Quang – the renowned dish of this land. Among the myriad specialties here, Mi Quang always holds a special place in the hearts of those who love Quang cuisine. Apart from the main ingredients of noodles and broth, Mi Quang is also served with chicken, pork, shrimp, char siu, rice crackers, peanuts, and a variety of herbs to enhance the flavor. The distinctive feature of Mi Quang in Quang Nam is that the noodles are made from rice flour, and the broth is cooked thicker rather than thin.
Mi Quang
Cau Mong Veal
Cau Mong is a place located in Dien Phuong commune (Dien Ban district, Quang Nam province). The veal here is famously delicious. The veal is often roasted with riverbank grass, giving the meat a fragrant sweetness, pink inside but not raw. The golden veal skin is crispy yet moist, with the aroma of grass but no smoky flavor. Cau Mong veal is best enjoyed with fresh vegetables, rice paper, and dipping sauce made from premium fish sauce, caught along the central coast of Vietnam; vegetables such as bean sprouts, banana blossom, star fruit, basil, cilantro, and young mustard greens. The rice paper must be small, thin, and chewy, produced in Dien Ban.
Cau Mong Veal
Hoi An Banh Mi
When visiting Hoi An (Quang Nam), do not miss out on the Banh Mi for a breakfast full of energy. The Banh Mi here is known as the “best in the world” with various fillings for customers to choose from. The special feature of the Banh Mi here is its perfectly crisp crust and generously filled interior.
Hoi An Banh Mi
Pork Belly Wraps in Rice Paper
Pork belly wraps in rice paper is a famous dish in Dai Loc (Quang Nam). This dish combines the finest ingredients from the region. It includes Dai Loc rice paper made from 100% pure rice and Dai Loc pork with firm and sweet meat. To make this dish, locals also gather fresh garden-grown vegetables such as herbs, Vietnamese coriander, lettuce, green onions, bean sprouts, along with a bit of sour mango and some slices of cucumber. The dish is completed with a spicy, sweet and sour fish sauce.
Pork Belly Wraps in Rice Paper
Tam Ky Chicken Rice
Chicken rice is a long-standing famous specialty of Quang Nam, especially in the cities of Tam Ky and Hoi An. A plate of Tam Ky chicken rice is visually appealing, with the yellow color of turmeric rice, the ivory color of chicken, the green of papaya, Vietnamese coriander, and the purple of shallots. The main ingredient to make this dish indispensable is Tam Ky chicken, a free-range chicken with firm meat and thin skin. The rice is cooked, served with chicken, surrounded by side dishes and a bowl of savory garlic fish sauce.
Tam Ky Chicken Rice
Ram Tom Dat (Shrimp Spring Rolls)
Ram Tom Dat in Quang Nam is different from Ram Tom in Binh Dinh or Quang Ngai in that Ram Tom in Quang Nam is neatly wrapped, without the shrimp tail sticking out, and the taste is distinct. The best way to enjoy Ram Tom Dat is to wrap it with fresh vegetables, rice paper, and dip it in a sweet and sour fish sauce.
Ram Tom Dat (Shrimp Spring Rolls)
Mountain Bamboo Shoot Salad
Mountain bamboo shoot salad is a simple snack of the people in Quang Nam. To make this dish, large mountain bamboo shoots are used, removing the outer layers to take the core and cut it into strips. The bamboo shoots are then mixed with garlic fish sauce, and fried peanut oil is added. To make the dish more flavorful and visually appealing, you can sprinkle some pepper, peanuts, and basil on top.
Mountain Bamboo Shoot Salad
Hoi An Banh Canh
Hoi An Banh Canh is a dish that “mesmerizes” diners with its chewy noodles made from glutinous rice, which do not break when boiled. Depending on the secret recipes of each shop, Banh Canh is cooked with different ingredients such as pork leg, snakehead fish, shrimp, crab paste, etc. When enjoying, you will feel the chewy texture of the noodles blending with the rich flavor of the broth, making you want to eat more.
Hoi An Banh Canh
Hoi An Cao Lau
Cao Lau gives diners a close and rustic feeling, associated with the image of the ancient town of Hoi An. It looks quite similar to Mi Quang but is prepared in a very meticulous way. For this dish, the noodles are fried to be crispy, and the broth is replaced with pork broth. A bowl of Cao Lau usually has noodles, pork, fresh herbs, bean sprouts, and crispy fried crackers. The unique combination of ingredients creates a special flavor for the dish.
Hoi An Cao Lau
Le Pass Chicken
Le Pass (near Nuoc Mat stream – Que Son district, Quang Nam province) is famous for Le Pass chicken, which is considered the best in Vietnam. The free-range chickens here have firm and sweet meat. This chicken can be prepared in many ways such as grilling, steaming, boiling… all of which offer unforgettable flavors.
Le Pass Chicken
Tam Ky Grilled Sausage
Tam Ky grilled sausage belongs to the “nem lui” group, made without fermentation. One stick is a bamboo skewer wrapped with minced pork, and well-seasoned pork paste, grilled over charcoal. A portion of grilled sausage is often eaten with rice paper rolls, crispy fried rice paper, fresh vegetables, and vermicelli, along with a dipping sauce that stimulates the taste buds.
Tam Ky Grilled Sausage
Grilled Flying Fish
Rang Beach (Tam Quang commune, Nui Thanh district, Quang Nam province) is the capital of flying fish with various types such as flying fish, flying gills, flying surface, flying pectoral, flying dorsal, and flying green. Flying fish is used to make many dishes, but the best is still grilled flying fish. Grilling flying fish requires meticulousness. Fresh fish is selected, cleaned, and lightly dried in the sun before marinating. Marinating spices are carefully and characteristically prepared in Quang, such as shallots, crushed fresh turmeric, minced lemongrass, a little salt, sugar, green pepper from Tien Phuoc… After marinating for about 15 minutes, the fish is placed on a grill and grilled over charcoal. When enjoying grilled flying fish, it can be eaten with rice paper rolls and dipped in chili fish sauce.
Grilled Flying Fish
Cassava Noodle Soup
Cassava noodle soup is a famous dish in Dong Phu town (Que Son district, Quang Nam province). Cassava noodle soup is prepared in various ways, suitable for many broth flavors cooked from snakehead fish, eel. Que Son people usually eat cassava noodle soup with fresh mackerel or tuna broth. Besides the cassava noodle soup with broth, there is also a mixed cassava noodle soup with silkworm pupae and banana tree, bringing a rich and rustic taste that lingers with diners after tasting it.
Cassava Noodle Soup
Green Eel Porridge
Green eel porridge is a rustic specialty in Binh Dinh village, Thang Binh (Quang Nam). The porridge is cooked with “si” rice – an ancient local rice variety, sticky, fragrant, and has a distinct sweet taste. After cleaning, the rice is cooked thin with ground green beans in a separate pot. The live field eel is put into a clay jar, salted and rubbed several times to remove all the slime, then cleaned with well water, removed the eel’s intestines, and cut into small pieces the size of a finger. The eel is then marinated with thinly sliced lemongrass, peanut oil, peanuts, a little pepper, onion, and chili, then stewed in a clay pot with banana leaves inside and a pot lid outside. The hot porridge is scooped into a bowl, then the golden stewed eel is added, served with thinly sliced fresh green mustard greens. To accompany this porridge, there is a plate of parsley, green onions, Vietnamese coriander, and a crispy rice paper.
Green Eel Porridge
Dishes Made from Baby Squid
Baby squid is a nutritious seafood from Cua Dai Hoi An beach, Binh Minh beach, Cu Lao Cham sea, Nui Thanh beach, Tam Thanh beach… Baby squid, also called egg squid by locals, is not as large as “one-day” squid. They are only the size of two fingers, but the squid is thick, sweet, fragrant, and rich in sea flavor. To enjoy baby squid best, after catching, put them in a pot of boiling vinegar for about 2 minutes, then take them out and enjoy.
Dishes Made from Baby Squid
