Pho Hien Eel Vermicelli
When talking about Hung Yen specialties, we cannot help but mention eel vermicelli soup. This dish is quite similar to the vermicelli soup in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, except that it has eel added. This is also the soul of the dish, creating the unique flavor of this special vermicelli soup.
A bowl of standard eel vermicelli soup requires more than 20 different ingredients, including pork roll, pork belly, fried eggs, vermicelli, vegetables... In particular, the eel must be grilled before being gutted, cleaned, boiled, and the meat removed. The eel meat is marinated with turmeric and spices to taste, then stir-fried with onions or cut into pieces and fried until crispy.
Eel vermicelli soup is a complex dish to prepare, requiring the cook to be patient and skillful. A full bowl of eel vermicelli soup is quite large, with eye-catching colors from the ingredients placed next to each other, attracting diners at first sight.
Phu Thi rice rolls
Phu Thi rice rolls in Me So commune (Van Giang, Hung Yen) are famous far and wide for their delicious flavor and unique preparation method.
Not as elaborate and fragile as other types of rice rolls, Me So rice rolls are coated twice so they are thicker. The rice paper is made from premium eight-grain rice flour, so when steamed, although the rice paper is thick, it is not hard, but soft and supple, with a white color like egg whites. After the seller finishes coating the rice paper, they will stack it into layers.
The filling inside is also slightly different from Thanh Tri (Hanoi), Hai Duong, Nam Dinh, Cao Bang, Thanh Hoa rolls... The filling is made entirely from minced lean pork, stir-fried with fish sauce, shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, pepper... When the meat is cooked, the filling is scooped out and set aside.
The seller prepares the rice paper and filling at home, and only takes the rice paper out when there is a buyer. Me So rice paper rolls are eaten with sweet and sour fish sauce to enhance the flavor.
Van Giang rice cake
Banh te (rice cake) is a rustic gift, which has long been a specialty of the people in Ba Khe village, Van Giang, Hung Yen. On holidays, weddings, this cake is indispensable on the tray of every family in the locality.
Banh te is usually wrapped in small dong leaves or green banana leaves, rolled with pineapple silk. The cake will be steamed or boiled, only 25-30 minutes to cook.
The cakes are only about 2 fingers in size, with a crust made from sticky rice flour, and a filling that blends the rich taste of meat, the crunchiness of wood ear mushrooms, and the aroma of pepper. The best time to eat the cakes is when they are hot, right out of the oven. Diners can dip the cakes in a spicy lemon and chili sauce to enhance the flavor.
Gau village sticky rice cake
Gau village in Cuu Cao commune, Van Giang district, Hung Yen is famous for its sticky rice cake.
The cake crust is made from the main ingredient of yellow sticky rice. The rice is soaked in clean water, pounded evenly and then shaped into round cakes. The cake filling is made from green beans which are steamed, pounded and then shaped into small balls.
If making a savory cake, the baker will add minced or ground lean meat, stir-fried with mung beans. If making a sweet cake, just add sugar to the mung bean filling. When enjoying, take a bite of the cake and you will feel the chewy taste, the bean filling inside is lightly fragrant and rich.
Phuong Tuong Braised Frog
Phuong Tuong braised frog dish originated from Phuong Tuong village, Tien Lu district, Hung Yen. Braised frog is a rustic dish, using readily available and easy-to-find ingredients. Over time, this dish has gradually been perfected, forming two types: braised frog with banana and bean and braised frog for the king.
Every year, from September and October onwards is the time when frog meat is at its best. The fatty, firm pieces of frog meat are braised until tender, giving off an attractive aroma that makes diners fall in love. To enjoy the braised frog more fully, diners can eat it with lettuce.
Xiao Guan Chicken Patties
Chicken roll is a simple dish of the people of Tieu Quan village, Phung Hung commune, Khoai Chau district.
To get delicious ham, the maker also has to spend a lot of effort. The chicken must be large, strong, raised in the garden, the best lean part of the chicken meat must be taken, then pounded in a stone mortar like the traditional way of making ham. When the meat is almost soft, mix in egg yolk, good fish sauce, seasoning powder, pepper, ginger and a little diced pork fat and continue pounding.
After pounding, spread the meat on the areca leaf, grill over charcoal until golden brown, giving off a characteristic aroma.
