| Hoi An has a definite foodie reputation with local delicacies including "White Rose", a ravioli style noodle dish consisting of pork and shrimp with a chilli and fish-sauce dip. Cao Lao is also popular, special fried croutons, fresh greens and beef broth with a zingy lime finish. Delicious (for Cian anyway)! Not content with merely eating the food we enrolled ourselves in one of the many cookery courses available in the town. |  |
Luckily for us, our class was small, with just one other Dutch couple joining us. Our menu consisted of pork, shrimp & veg spring rolls for starters and a local savoury pancake called Banh Xeo (containing fried batter, shrimp and pork with mung beans and greens). Our small numbers meant we were all able to get our hands dirty and there was plenty of food to go around afterwards. "Ann" our instructor was extremely pleasant (and patient).
Taking just 2 hours to whip up some tasty nibbles, we each got a chance to finely chop vegetables bent over a low set (and not so sturdy) kitchen island. We then tried rolling spring rolls in layers of rice paper. The boys didn't do so well, it turns out that if you're good at wrapping presents you'd be good at rolling spring rolls! Finally, using long handled chopsticks we each fried our rolls in oil over a Yamaha portable hob, the only real cooking equipment in the kitchen. It certainly did the trick as we munched enough of the tasty snacks to feed 10.
Ann explained each ingredient to us, some we had never seen back home - like taro, apparently one of the earliest cultivated plants in the world - It looks like a potato to me! She spoke with us about Vietnamese food, religion, family; including what locals eat at home and the essence of good street food (freshness, of course). It was an afternoon well spent and we gained an insight into Vietnamese home life to which we wouldn't otherwise have been exposed.
Watch us cooking Hoi An | |
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