For lunch we headed over to a popular Vietnamese restaurant (Mermaid) in Hoi An, Vietnam to try eating two very unique and local delicacies - Cao Lau (Noodles, pork and greens in a gravy sauce) and White Rose (shrimp dumplings sprinkled with roasted garlic). Both of these dishes are said to have originated from Hoi An - a city know for its culinary delights and cultural attractions.

Urban Legend has it that the unique taste of the Cao Lau comes from an unknown water source (from a Cham well) just outside of the city limits.

One of the most tantalizing features of this dish has to do with its udon style thick wheat noodles and five spice caramelized broth that accentuates the taste of the chewy pork and fresh greens.

On the other hand, White rose is safeguarded as a secret recipe held by only one family in Hoi An.

These delicious shrimp dumplings are made out of translucent white dough that is shaped to look like a rose and garnished by flakes of garlic and served with a sweet chili dipping sauce.

Known locally as Banh Bao Vac, the name 'white rose' was apparently given by the French. When examining the Vietnamese dish closely it's easy to see how they came up with the name as the outer section certainly could resemble flower petals.

The stories of the secret well and highly guarded recipes certainly adds an element of allure to both dishes. How accurate either of these claims actually are is something I don't personally know. What matters is that I found both dishes to be absolutely delicious and I ended up eating them both several times while staying in Hoi An.

Overall, we really enjoyed this meal which came close to $5 USD (100,000 Vietnamese Dong). When in Hoi An be sure to enjoy trying White Rose and Cao Lau:

http://nomadicsamuel.com/video-blog/white-rose-cao-lau-in-hoi-an

Cao lầu is a regional Vietnamese dish made with noodles, pork, and greens and is only found in the town of Hội An, in the Quang Nam Province of central Vietnam. Its unique taste is rumoured to be contributed by the water from an undisclosed ancient Cham well just outside of the town. This rumour is promulgated in a popular guide book and has become something of an urban legend. It is likely that the origin of Cao Lau in Hoi An goes back to the town's history as a trading port. Prior to the Chinese establishment in Hoi An, in the 17th century, the town was also a centre of Japanese trading activity. The famous Hoi An bridge also dates to this period. Cao Lau noodles are clearly derived from Japanese soba noodles. Although there are some who claim that they are Chinese wheat noodles, they are not made of wheat and have a different texture. There are as many variations on this dish as there are households in Hoi An. The noodles are Cao Lau; the way the pork is cooked (or omitted), the greens (the use or absence of mint), the use of lime or chilli jam, these are all variations on a theme. Use Cao Lau noodles and you have Cao Lau: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cao_l%E1%BA%A7u

White Rose or banh vac in Vietnamese is a dumpling stuffed with shrimp and spices and then steamed in a shrimp broth. The resulting taste is delicate and just a little bit sweet, the dumplings are topped with fried onions giving it a little crunch and saltiness. A foreign tourist coined the name "White Rose" when he visited Hoi An and enjoyed the dumpling. Restaurant owners liked this name and decided to adopt it. After that, the dumpling started to appear in restaurants under the name White Rose rather than banh vac.

White Rose dumplings are a a specialty of Hoi An and we have not found them anywhere else. It is said that if visitors have not eaten White Rose dumplings they have not yet enjoyed the taste of the ancient town: http://www.livingif.com/white-rose-vietnam/

Ăn trưa, chúng tôi đứng đầu trên một nhà hàng nổi tiếng Việt Nam (Nàng tiên cá) ở Hội An, Việt Nam cố gắng ăn hai món ngon rất độc đáo và địa phương - Cao Lầu (mì, thịt lợn và rau xanh trong một nước sốt nước sốt) và White Rose (bánh bao tôm rắc rang tỏi). Cả hai món ăn được cho là có nguồn gốc từ Hội An - một thành phố cho biết ẩm thực và văn hóa hấp dẫn.

This is part of our Travel in Vietnam series. We're making a series of videos showcasing Vietnamese culture, Vietnamese arts, Vietnamese foods, Vietnamese religion and Vietnamese people.

http://nomadicsamuel.com/country-guides/vietnam

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This video features the song ''Semi-Funk - Kevin Macleod" available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Commercial license.