The old trading port of Hoi An and its main city area boast of being truly native. Thankfully the city was not affected by war, thus many of the olden day architectural designs have been preserved and the city is deservingly pronounced a UNESCO World Heritage site. While meandering through the city streets of one would undoubtedly come across plenty of eating places ranging from a wayside food outlet to a pedlar or a fancy Hoi An restaurant all of which serve delicious cuisine.

 

The traditional Vietnamese eateries sit happily with a multitude of restaurants that serve American, Spanish, Chinese and European dishes. What stands out about the people of Hoi An and the food they serve is that almost everything in their authentic dishes are completely home grown. The seafood and fish are reeled in from the nearby waters, the fruits and vegetables are grown in the vicinity, rice is grown in fields and the local mills play a role in producing the flour and spices.

 

Thick noodles and pork curry, fragrant rice with chicken and chilli jam, vegetable spring rolls and crispy pancakes are some of the favourites among both local and foreign tourists. Some of the most unassuming places serve some of the most exquisite dishes such as the tiny food stalls which serve crab cakes; these vendors are so well versed in their trade that they know that the green sentinel crab’s shell can be consumed and is meaty enough to taste scrumptious underneath a batter fried exterior.

 

Also, it is not unusual to find food that fits everyone’s budget with the higher end hotels such as the Anantara Hoi An Resort serving excellent food at slightly higher prices than the smaller but equally well-patronized restaurants which probably dish out a meal for less than $ 10. There are certain food items such as white rose prawn dumplings and black sesame sweet pudding which are the specialty of a particular eatery or more so a particular family that has been in the business of concocting and distributing the food in the village.

 

Intrigued by history, art and food, Lavinia Woolf is a writer who is passionate about the extraordinary and writes of the exhilarating and enchanting. Google+