A carp hotpot set served at the Quan An Ngon restaurant chain. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - In all major Vietnamese cities, one dish becomesubiquitous after emerging as a new trend a decade or so ago – the hotpot.
Thevariety of hotpot dishes are many, and one “imported” from Thailand, using tomyum as the broth to cook various vegetables and meat in, has achieved greatpopularity.
Butthere is one that stands out from all the hotpots, not just for its taste, butfor its cultural, even religious significance.
Thecarp hotpot — a specialty from the north of the country, is one that peoplelook forward most to sharing with loved ones, particularly during the Lunar NewYear, because it is believed to bring good luck.
So,if you have never had a lau rieu ca chep (carp sour soup hotpot), now, Spring,is the time.
AVietnamese-Canadian woman, Tran Le Hang, who was visiting her native countywith her family, recounted her experience of having a sour soup carp hotpot atthe famous Quan An Ngon Restaurant in Hanoi’s Phan Boi Chau street.
“Whenwe arrived, the restaurant was already crowded with both locals and foreigners,and many of them had opted for the carp hotpot to warm themselves in theslightly chilly spring weather.
“Weordered one, too. It was such a great feeling to sit together and enjoy thebroth with tomatoes, dill and many other ingredients, most importantly thefatty, fresh carp pieces. The aromas that came out of the hotpot woke up ourtaste buds,” Hang said.
LeKim Chi, who runs Quan An Ngon, told the Canadian guests that her restaurantserves hundreds of dishes from the country’s three regions, but the carp hotpotis the most wanted at this time of the year.
Peoplebelieve that eating a carp with eggs in its belly at the Lunar New Year bringsthem good luck, Chi said.
Hangwas guided to dip the first piece of fatty carp eggs into the yellow colour ofsaffron-flavoured broth, which everyone, children and adults, find attractive.
“Thehotpot will be less tasty if it lacks the carp eggs,” Chi said as she advisedthe diners to let the carp pieces cook in the broth for several minutes whilesoaking fresh dill and removing it much sooner, just enough time for the brothto get its fragrance, flavour and light sweetness.
“Oh..this is superb. I could feel the soft texture and fragrance of the carp, andtaste the flavours of banana inflorescense, Indian taro and celery stems,” Hangsaid.
Thehot, sour-sweet broth with the added flavour of fresh fennel was tasty beyondanything she’s ever tried since her family resettled in Canada more than 30years ago, she added.
Healthy,too
HerbalistNguyen Van Tuat, 62, who runs a traditional medicine centre in Hanoi, said carpis a nutritious dish cooked regularly by housewives, but a carp hotpot is themost delicious that can be made with it.
Tuatsaid his 90-year-old mother can make 12 different dishes with carp, but herbest was the rieu ca chep (carp sour soup) as well. All the ingredients weremade at home, he said. Carp was caught from her own pond, fresh dills and tarostems from her garden and homemade me (fermented rice, a key ingredient, madewith rice kept in a corner of the kitchen for at least three months toferment.)
Usingorganic, raw vegetables and naturally fermented me is the secret of many tastydishes made in the north, and the carp sour soup was an unforgettable dish, Tuatsaid.
“Istill remember the taste of the dish my mother cooked in the kitchen with straw(as fuel).
Thedish has been cooked in Vietnam for hundreds of years in both rural and urbanareas. Vietnamese housewives like Tuat’s mother who cooked the soup very well,made family meal special during war time, when the country was very poor.
Chisaid that to cook a hotpot like Tuat’s mother, housewives should know how tochoose a carp naturally raised without industrial feed.
Thenaturally-raised carp is fragrant, sweet and crispy, unlike that raised withindustrial-feed, which often as starchy meat, Chi said.
Withnaturally-raised carp not easy to get these days, gourmets and those harkingfor a taste of the old days can visit one of the Quan An Ngon restaurants in Hanoi.
Thereasonable price – just 399,000 VND (17.5 USD) per set for four persons,including four cups of suong sa hat luu (mixed pudding), a popular dessert –makes this hotpot a bestseller.-VNA
Thevariety of hotpot dishes are many, and one “imported” from Thailand, using tomyum as the broth to cook various vegetables and meat in, has achieved greatpopularity.
Butthere is one that stands out from all the hotpots, not just for its taste, butfor its cultural, even religious significance.
Thecarp hotpot — a specialty from the north of the country, is one that peoplelook forward most to sharing with loved ones, particularly during the Lunar NewYear, because it is believed to bring good luck.
So,if you have never had a lau rieu ca chep (carp sour soup hotpot), now, Spring,is the time.
AVietnamese-Canadian woman, Tran Le Hang, who was visiting her native countywith her family, recounted her experience of having a sour soup carp hotpot atthe famous Quan An Ngon Restaurant in Hanoi’s Phan Boi Chau street.
“Whenwe arrived, the restaurant was already crowded with both locals and foreigners,and many of them had opted for the carp hotpot to warm themselves in theslightly chilly spring weather.
“Weordered one, too. It was such a great feeling to sit together and enjoy thebroth with tomatoes, dill and many other ingredients, most importantly thefatty, fresh carp pieces. The aromas that came out of the hotpot woke up ourtaste buds,” Hang said.
LeKim Chi, who runs Quan An Ngon, told the Canadian guests that her restaurantserves hundreds of dishes from the country’s three regions, but the carp hotpotis the most wanted at this time of the year.
Peoplebelieve that eating a carp with eggs in its belly at the Lunar New Year bringsthem good luck, Chi said.
Hangwas guided to dip the first piece of fatty carp eggs into the yellow colour ofsaffron-flavoured broth, which everyone, children and adults, find attractive.
“Thehotpot will be less tasty if it lacks the carp eggs,” Chi said as she advisedthe diners to let the carp pieces cook in the broth for several minutes whilesoaking fresh dill and removing it much sooner, just enough time for the brothto get its fragrance, flavour and light sweetness.
“Oh..this is superb. I could feel the soft texture and fragrance of the carp, andtaste the flavours of banana inflorescense, Indian taro and celery stems,” Hangsaid.
Thehot, sour-sweet broth with the added flavour of fresh fennel was tasty beyondanything she’s ever tried since her family resettled in Canada more than 30years ago, she added.
Healthy,too
HerbalistNguyen Van Tuat, 62, who runs a traditional medicine centre in Hanoi, said carpis a nutritious dish cooked regularly by housewives, but a carp hotpot is themost delicious that can be made with it.
Tuatsaid his 90-year-old mother can make 12 different dishes with carp, but herbest was the rieu ca chep (carp sour soup) as well. All the ingredients weremade at home, he said. Carp was caught from her own pond, fresh dills and tarostems from her garden and homemade me (fermented rice, a key ingredient, madewith rice kept in a corner of the kitchen for at least three months toferment.)
Usingorganic, raw vegetables and naturally fermented me is the secret of many tastydishes made in the north, and the carp sour soup was an unforgettable dish, Tuatsaid.
“Istill remember the taste of the dish my mother cooked in the kitchen with straw(as fuel).
Thedish has been cooked in Vietnam for hundreds of years in both rural and urbanareas. Vietnamese housewives like Tuat’s mother who cooked the soup very well,made family meal special during war time, when the country was very poor.
Chisaid that to cook a hotpot like Tuat’s mother, housewives should know how tochoose a carp naturally raised without industrial feed.
Thenaturally-raised carp is fragrant, sweet and crispy, unlike that raised withindustrial-feed, which often as starchy meat, Chi said.
Withnaturally-raised carp not easy to get these days, gourmets and those harkingfor a taste of the old days can visit one of the Quan An Ngon restaurants in Hanoi.
Thereasonable price – just 399,000 VND (17.5 USD) per set for four persons,including four cups of suong sa hat luu (mixed pudding), a popular dessert –makes this hotpot a bestseller.-VNA
VNA
