Hải Phòng specialty – rice noodle and crab

 

No one can tell how long such a simple food has been closely related to Hải Phòng people’s life and it’s really an interest, an attraction to visitors when in this city.

Photo: Trương Quỳnh

Easily-found ingredients: lốt leaves, fresh-water crabs, spinach... become spices for such a famous food by highly-skilled cooks. Each bowl of crab-noodle has 5 colours: pink of crab, brown of rice-noodle, green of lốt leaves, spinach, onion leaves, lemon, red of chili and yellow of dried onion.

Attractive colours and special flavour make diners remember the food. Additionally broth must be clear in harmony with colours of ingredients. The noodle has to be carefully picked and processed. The noodle makers in Hải Phòng specialize in rice selection, grinding, powdering and cooking. Rice to make noodle must be high-quality and put in water one hour (in summer) and ten hours (in winter).

While noodle is made of rice only but red noodle needs spice like condensed red sugar. Powdered rice is proceed into flimsy sheets, heating on a steamer and put to dry in sunshine or by kiln heat. Then it’s put to pressed and cut by machine. The thickness from 0,2 – 1cm depends on customers demand. Dry noodle may be purchased at home, in the city or outside the city, so ride noodle and crab in Hải Phòng become a must to try for visitors to the city.

Remember such a special product could be found nowhere but in Hải Phòng only. It’s not only a dish, it’s a pride, a product of Hải Phòng people that make visitors miss it when away.  

                                                                       THU AN

source : http://www.vtr.org.vn/vtr.php?ml=923&pid=876