The cuisine in Hoi An is extremely popular. If you do not
calculate to tourism, shopping... the food is very characteristic here. And
saying to the food in Hoi An ancient town, no one can ignore Cao Lau dish.
On some little-cold days in New Year, if you walk around this
town, it is really not difficult to see the quaint eateries. The waitresses
always wear the tunic and the "Cao Lau" name is in front of the menu.
Cao Lau was mentioned long time ago as contributing to the typical
dish of the culinary soul which remains from archaic definition of the Hoi An
ancient town.
So what is the reality of Cao Lau? It is a kind of noodle that had
to be seen as a special dish of Hoi An Town in the past. Cao Lau has the yellow
noodles, is used with shrimp, pork and vegetables. Like some other noodles, Cao
Lau is eaten with very little water.
There are the special things of this dish, that is the yellow
nursery noodles; It happens due to mixing the noodles with the ashes of Cu Lao
Cham (a type of wood in Southern Vietnam).
The origin of the Cao Lau name
According to a longtime ethnic Chinese in Hoi An, Cao Lau has
appeared in this ancient city since the 17th century. At this time, the Hoi An
port had just been circulated; Nguyen Lord allowed the foreign boat to enter to
trade and exchange the goods. Although the Japanese was in Hoi An to trade
earlier, but people who have new Chinese origin, stay longest on this ancient
land.
Cao Lau is not Bun (another dish is made from rice), also do not
like Pho. This dish is considered to be as a mixing food, which only appeared
in a number of tourist attractions such as Hoi An, Da Nang and Hue city.
Cao Lau usually is expressed for sale in the restaurant which has
two floors. And on the second floor, people hang lanterns are the blue and red.
People do not only sit down to eat Cao Lau, but they also enjoy the scent of
the charming - exquisite cuisine on this ancient land. They have the
opportunity to enjoy the very ancient travel space in a street corner here.
The Cao Lau name used to be a question mark for the tourists to
get the experience about the Hoi An ancient city. Cao Lau neither originates
from China, nor from Japan. It can be said that this dish is the sum of many
nationalities with Vietnam travel guide. There is only the name is probably
derived from the China. The rich people in the past who went to restaurants in
Hoi An, often sat on the second floor; and they call the waiter as "bring
it upstairs". Then, the food was familiar and abbreviated as Cao Lau (meaning
like High Upstairs).
Travel to Hoi An and enjoy the culinary soul of the ancient town
Although, there are a few similarities with the Cantonese noodles,
Cao Lau is a dish which is much more complex processing. To make the yellow and
delicious noodles, the chef use the ash which is collected from Cu Lao Cham to
associate with the rice to create the features as brittle, flexible and dry.
The water is put into the rice milling is taken from Ba Le Well,
which is very well-known with the cool taste and no alum. To add to the dish,
it is common for a little pigskin or dry-square Cao Lau, which is fried.
The Cao Lau fibers have characteristic yellow color. Cao Lau is
added some things like the Xa Xiu meat and greaves. To create Xa Xiu people
take the thigh’s meat of the pig; then, they make it has absorption with five
spicy flavors.
And the greaves are also strange; in the past, it is made by the
fried pork skin; nowadays, it is replaced by the Cao Lau fiber’s flour.
Besides, to make the Cao Lau dish which has the flavor a bit like the Cantonese
noodles, the chief adds more the auxiliary food as the crushed roasted peanuts;
these auxiliary foods are placed on the Cao Lau fibers. And the sauce is poured
on Xa Xiu. If some ones like to eat a little salty than usual, they can add a
little fish sauce.
Stepping out of the Hoi An land, Cao Lau has changed a bit. People
feel in the atmosphere is reduced the ancient feature. Only in Hoi An, Cao Lau
has the full flavor and color of a central dish which is very delicate and
ancient. Some ones say that the Ba Le the well-water is combines with the ashes
of Cu Lao Cham and Tra Que vegetables to create this unique cuisine.
Today, with the famous was formed, Cao Lau in Hoi An was taken to
the strange lands like France, UK, Australia and some places, which are nearer
as Saigon, Quang Ngai and Da Nang. However, the food at this another place
seems to see the lack of the certain taste and sense.
Perhaps, because apart from the original environment, which has
been known so new Cao Lau is decreased taste like that... Once, you have
arrived at the lands in Hoi An, you will feel the small and ancient space here.
And if you enjoy a bowl of hot aromatic Cao Lau, you will feel a part of the
flavor of a land has the ancient origin, but it is very essence.
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