Nem Chua – a unique fresh dish of Vietnamese food culture

Nem chua (Vietnamese fermented pork roll) is a unique dish of Vietnamese food culture, made from fresh pork and other special spices.

The skin of the pig is sliced into small strands about 3cm long, and is then mixed with fresh meat, pepper and salt. What is so special about this dish is that it is not cooked by heat, but by the natural yeast of the meat. Therefore, nem chua has the flavor of fresh pork, in addition to the spicy sensation of pepper and its salty taste. Nem chua is often wrapped with banana leaves to conserve the original flavor. This dish is consumed throughout the year, but little wine or beer in the cold winter makes for perfection.

There are many places in Vietnam that produce nem chua with different flavors, but nem chua in Thanh Hoa is one of the most delicious one. People in Thanh Hoa have a special and secret recipe to make an outstanding and unforgettable one. The dish in this place is also wrapped uniquely to become a small square cube, it size often equals that of the teacup. This is the most popular choice of present that visitors often buy when they travel to Thanh Hoa.

But no need to Thanh Hoa, visitors come to Ha Noi can also enjoy  this  unique delicacies and you should not miss a chance to enjoy cooked ‘nem chua’ in these places in Hanoi that have helped to take it to the street food constellation.

‘Nem chua’ in small Tam Thuong Alley on Hang Dao Street in Hanoi Old Quarter is a popular place among nem chua lovers. Served in a more professional and “Vietnamese” way, ‘nem chua’ here is served with the rolls cut into pieces and put on banana leaves, doing an impression of the way food is served whenever the chefs want to make it look like taken straight from the garden. Like all mastery in food pairing in the alley, in this ‘nem chua’ stall, you can find no plate of ‘nem chua’ sold free from a side dish, be it any juicy fruit or fresh slices of cucumber or crispy sweet and salty French fries.

Besides, Au Trieu is also an ideal place for gastronomers, especially nem chua lovers. On one end, the alley features a stunning dish to keep it animated all day long at any time of a year. A bit different from nem chua in everywhere else, which is usually served fried and satisfy the sweet taste, grilled ‘nem chua’ here brings eaters authentic taste of nem chua. Partly explaining the lines of customers that fill the narrow alley every night is the acquirement of sticky texture from the burned pig skin in the minced pork of the dish. It is highly recommended this dish with lemon tea and juicy fruit like pineapple, jicama and cucumber.

Ohhh ! Enjoy a beer Ha Noi with “Nem chua” and talking with his friends. Feeling wonderful !!!