1. Bánh Tráng Cuốn Thịt Heo (Rice Paper Rolls with Pork)
Rice paper rolls are popular throughout various regions, but Da Nang’s version stands out due to the combination of lean pork and fatty ends. The pork is meticulously prepared, boiled until tender, and thinly sliced. The rice paper itself is sun-dried, fragrant with the aroma of rice, and both chewy and flexible, making it perfect for rolling.
It is served with a thin layer of rice noodle paper. Accompanying vegetables are locally grown and include herbs like mint, lettuce, perilla leaves, fish mint, water spinach, young mango, banana blossom, and cucumber. The dipping sauce, called “mắm nêm,” is richly salty, complemented by the sweetness of sugar, a touch of chili heat, and the essential tanginess from crushed pineapple.
Rice Paper Rolls with Pork in Da Nang
2. Gỏi Cá Nam Ô (Nam O Fish Salad)
Gỏi Cá Nam Ô typically features anchovy fish, available in both dried and fresh versions, each prepared differently. For the dried fish salad, the fish is drained after initial preparation and then mixed with sesame seeds, roasted peanuts, and small pieces of rice paper. The fresh fish salad involves cleaning the fish thoroughly, marinating it with ginger, galangal, garlic, and minced chili, and soaking it in a fish sauce-based broth.
The dipping sauce for Gỏi Cá Nam Ô is made by boiling fish juice, combining it with Nam O fish sauce, chili, galangal, and arrowroot starch. It is then mixed with crushed sesame seeds and peanuts. The dish is often paired with fresh forest vegetables such as wild betel leaves, fragrant knotweed, water mimosa, and fern leaves.
Fish Salad in Da Nang
3. Bánh Mì Bột Lọc (Clear dumplings in Banh mi)
Among Da Nang’s diverse bread offerings, Bánh Mì Bột Lọc is a favorite. These dumplings are commonly found in Central Vietnam. They feature a translucent, chewy rice flour dough filled with a variety of ingredients. The most popular version includes shrimp, along with Vietnamese pork sausage (giò lụa), barbecued pork (thịt xá xíu), and Chinese sausage (xúc xích).
The dipping sauce is made from reduced fish sauce, combined with chili, minced meat, and tomato paste, resulting in a savory, slightly spicy, and sweet flavor. Besides shrimp dumplings, there are also vegetarian versions with mung bean filling.
Special banh mi in Da Nang
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