Dishes · A classic of Vietnamese · Hội An
Cao lầu
Firm, yellowish noodles with slices of soy-braised pork, crisp squares of fried noodle dough and herbs, in just a spoonful of rich broth.
What makes it cao lầu
- Thick, chewy noodles with an alkaline bite, a little like udon.
- Pork braised with soy and spice, sliced, with only a little of its broth.
- Crisp squares of fried noodle dough, and a pile of herbs and greens.
Where it comes from
Cao lầu is Hội An's own and hard to find anywhere else. The old port traded with Japanese and Chinese merchants for centuries, and the noodles are often compared to udon or to Chinese noodles — though how the dish began, no one really knows.
The noodles are said to be made with water from one particular old well and lye from the ash of trees on nearby islands, which gives them their colour and chew. How much of that is still true is argued over; the town's pride in it isn't.
Be the first here
Start your own cao lầuNo one here has made cao lầu yet. Start it as v1, and every version after is an experiment the next cook can learn from.
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