Quang Tri cuisine: the appeal of rusticity

No matter where they go, every time their hometown's dishes spring to mind, Quang Tri people will be smashed by a wave of nostalgia. Simple specialties such as Mai Xa vermicelli soup with clams, Hai Lang noodle soup with snakehead mullet, Phuong Lang steamed rice rolls, Bau Trang jumping shrimp salad or Sai Market grilled pork skewers have together created the unique culinary culture of the province.

Mai Xa Village’s Bun Hen encapsulates the rustic cuisine crystallized in the daily lives of the Quang Tri people. Photo: H.T

Distinctive Bun Hen from Mai Xa Village

Having entered the Top 100 culinary specialties of Vietnam in 2020-2021, which was announced by the Vietnam Records Organization (VietKings) and the Top Vietnam Organization (VietTop), Bun Hen from Mai Xa Village, Gio Mai Commune, Gio Linh District not only wins over the locals but is also sought after by tourists from far away.

The highlight that creates the soul of the dish is the Chat Chat, a member of the clam family, with some dark black shell rich in protein and nutrients. After being dug up from the bottoms of the Hieu River and Thach Han River, the small clams are boiled in the pot until their shells open. Then, large chopsticks are used to stir constantly to remove them from the shells before taking both out separately, leaving the broth as the soup.

Next, onions and garlic chives are briefly fried, then stir-fried with the Chat Chat until the meat shrinks while seasoned well. A typical bowl of Bun Hen includes fresh rice vermicelli, stir-fried Chat Chat and herbs as toppings. When eating, diners can add more broth as they like. The dish will be more delicious when served with a little Cua Viet fish sauce, chili and garlic, or - even better - crushed salt mixed with green chili and fresh ginger.

Nem Lui from Sai Market is a dish widely known for its unique, lovely flavor

After enjoying Mai Xa’s Bun Hen, many diners have agreed that the dish not only encapsulates the simple cuisine that is crystallized in Quang Tri people’s daily lives but also shows the cultural identity that is appreciated, preserved, and passed down by the locals.

Addictive Nem Lui from Sai Market

Nem Chua or fermented pork rolls are a typical dish of minced pork, shredded pork skin, ground roasted rice powder and familiar spices. With the same ingredients, Nem Lui from Trieu Thanh Commune, Trieu Phong District, carries unique local cuisine features, thereby joining Vietnam’s Top 100 culinary specialties in 2020-2021.

The steamed rice rolls from Phuong Lang Village, Hai Ba Commune, Hai Lang District have captivated many visitors to Quang Tri.

In a simple preparation, the grilled pork has amazed diners. For its favored chewiness, the main ingredient must be fresh pork ground thoroughly and kneaded multiple times - similar to making Gio Lua or pork bologna. Besides, pork skin is shredded and mixed with spices such as sugar, pepper and MSG, then with the ground pork. Next, the mixture is shaped into round or finger-long balls and then skewered with small, sharpened bamboo sticks. Finally, the meat is grilled on a glowing charcoal stove.

Experienced grillers may need to look at the meat’s color and smell its aroma to know whether the quality is good without needing to taste the flavor. Each grill skewer is called a “lui”, hence the name “Nem Lui”, literally ‘skewered meatballs’.

Nem Lui is a ‘multi-flavored’ dish, so it must be eaten properly to fully savor the flavor. In Quang Tri, they are served with rice paper and a mixture of raw vegetables such as thinly sliced cucumber, plantain and green mango, sweet and sour papaya salad and herbs.

In more detail, the skewer is placed in the middle of a thin sheet of rice paper. Then, the bamboo stick is gently pulled out, and the veggies are added as desired. After that, the rice paper is rolled and dipped in the stock - a type of dipping sauce made from such ingredients as pork liver, peanuts, white sesame seeds, soybeans and pineapple, featuring a characteristic buttery taste.

As one of the local long-standing dishes, Nem Lui from Sai Market always holds a powerful appeal for diners and has become a specialty that many tourists want to sample when they have the opportunity to visit Quang Tri.

Homely Phuong Lang steamed rice rolls

The name Phuong Lang is reminiscent of not only a village with stunning, peaceful scenery in Hai Ba Commune, Hai Lang District, but also the noted Banh Uot.

People of Mai Xa Village, Gio Mai Commune, Gio Linh District prepare Bun Hen to serve diners

The main ingredient of Phuong Lang steamed rice rolls is rice grown in the locality. However, what sets the dish apart from those elsewhere is the steaming technique. In particular, rice sheets are steamed on a layer of cloth of moderate thickness until done, then taken out and stacked on top of each other. The important thing is that the cook must be skillful and experienced enough to know when they are cooked well, neither too thick nor too thin.

Whether served hot or cold, Phuong Lang’s Banh Uot tastes delicious either way. Its indispensable sidekicks include pork belly, raw vegetables and a traditional dipping sauce made of pure fish sauce with peanuts, chili, garlic and other ingredients. Each piece of the soft white rolls, wrapping a piece of thinly sliced pork and some raw veggies, is dipped in the bowl of dipping sauce. The flavor is rich, spicy, and simply irresistible.

Simple but not monotonous, the dish from Phuong Lang’s traditional craft village is a unique specialty, leaving visitors with even more indelible impressions of Quang Tri Province.

Ha Trang - Jenna Duong