1Kinh fish pancakes in Chuon village – Things you may not know
Chuon village is often known for many types of Hue specialties such as Chuon village tet cake, Chuon village rice wine and the most special of which is also Kinh fish pancake. People in the Central region, or Hue people, also call banh xeo “banh hoi”. For Chuon villagers, this dish is associated with their simple life and is a familiar and nutritious dish. Kinh fish cake is also considered an important link in the overall historical and cultural relics of Hue’s village market.
Fish pancakes from Chuon village in Hue are an extremely famous specialty
The special feature of Kinh fish pancakes is that instead of the fish being filled with meat and put on the pancakes, Hue people put the whole fish, sometimes two or three if the fish are small, on top of the pancakes. Therefore, if you have not known this dish before, many people will be startled by this “bizarre” way of eating.
“Delicious wrasse fish cakes
Cho Chuon, I miss our love
Pray for good weather and sunshine
The crops are good, I’ll marry her.”
The dish looks quite “weird” when it has a whole fish on top
Kinh fish pancake has entered the poetry of many boys and girls in Hue, proving that it is also a spiritual dish for everyone. So where did Kinh fish pancakes come from?
Chuon village is located in An Truyen area, Phu An commune, Phu Vang district, Chuon lagoon area, in the Tam Giang lagoon system which is famous for producing many types of brackish water fish specialties such as goby, rabbitfish. Because of its abundant yield and delicious taste, people here have used this fish to prepare many different dishes. From there, Banh Xeo or Kinh fish cake was born, and became a specialty of Chuon village.
Depending on how big or small the fish is, 1 cake can have from 1 – 3 fish
Chuon village is located in Phu Vang district, about 10km from Hue city center and takes about 20 minutes by car. If you intend to “visit” Chuon village to explore Hue specialties, don’t forget to visit fun places such as Tam Giang lagoon and Ru Cha mangrove forest! They are all located on the same road so it is extremely easy to go there!
Dreamy scenery of Chuon lagoon in Hue
The road to Chuon village is quite easy, without many winding alleys. You just need to follow Highway 49 towards An Truyen, cross Tu Hien Bridge and you will arrive. More specifically, first, you go to Le Quy Don street and then turn right onto Ton Duc Thang street. Then, run onto To Huu street until the end of the turn into Highway 49. At this point, drive about 10 more minutes and you will see a large sign guiding the way to Chuon village. This is a good sign because you only need to follow the main road for about 5 minutes to get there. Extremely easy, right?
Peaceful daily life in Chuon village
To have a delicious batch of Fish pancakes, you need to prepare the most “standard” ingredients. First, it is Chuon village rice flour, phoenix oil, bean sprouts, fish sauce or Thuan An scad fish sauce. Among them, the most important and indispensable ingredient is orca. The whale harvest season will last from April to June of the lunar calendar, so now is the ideal time to visit Chuon village to enjoy or buy Whale fish to prepare yourself. To buy the best type of fish, you can judge based on the color of the skin!
When the Kingfish is first caught and still alive, its skin will have a black sheen. Over a period of time, the fish’s skin begins to be speckled with silver and then gradually turns silver-white. If when you buy the fish skin is yellow, then the fish has started to go bad, don’t buy it! If you want to buy it to make your own famous Whale fish pancakes in Chuon village, you should visit Chuon lagoon wharf early in the morning, around 5 – 6 am. At this time, the fishermen in Chuon lagoon have returned after a night of fishing and will begin selling to traders and retail customers.
Flying fish when caught fresh will look like this
How to make Kinh fish pancakes is also very simple. You mix rice flour with a little water, not too liquid, not too thick, just let the water vibrate. Then, pour the rice flour into the pan, quickly “coat” the entire surface of the pan and then add the whole orca. Wait until the fish is just cooked, then add a little fish sauce to the fish, cover for about 3 minutes, then flip the cake to cook the fish on the other side. Wait about two more minutes and you will have a batch of delicious, crispy cakes. In addition, you should also prepare some raw vegetables and fish sauce or spicy fish sauce that numbs your tongue. Everything blends together, combining the sweet taste of fish, the crispy taste of banh xeo, adding the spicy, rich taste of fish sauce, creating an unforgettable delicious combination!
2Check out places to eat delicious Banh Xeo in Chuon village
-Address: Chuon Market, Phu Vang, Hue City
– Business hours: 17:00 – 21:00
– Price: 10k – 20k
If you want to enjoy the authentic Chuon village’s Kingfish pancakes, is there any other place better than Chuon village? Besides being cheap, the taste of orca is also fresher because it is caught and processed right in the village. In addition, you will also see the fishing village with people traveling and living extremely bustlingly. That atmosphere combined with delicious food will definitely give you interesting experiences.
You can visit the market to eat authentic Chuon village’s Kinh fish pancakes
-Address: 126 Pham Van Dong, Hue
– Business hours: 15:00 – 21:00
– Price: 15k – 25k
In addition, if you are afraid to go far, you can also visit Hang Lien restaurant right inside Hue city center to eat. The price will be a bit more expensive, about 30k/cake. Vietnamtravelio finds that because one cake has 2-3 fish, this price is also acceptable. Eat about 2-3 and you’ll be full. Hang Lien also serves fresh and delicious raw vegetables and fish sauce mixed to taste. Generally very stable.
Hang Lien pancakes are extremely delicious
-Address: 42 Hoang Quoc Viet, Hue
– Business hours: 13:00 – 21:00
– Price: 12k – 50k
In Me Giang, you can experience eating Chuon lagoon banh mi and giant grilled squid extremely well. The fish are big, firm, and sweet. One cake has up to 2 children. If you feel a bit full after eating one cake, you can order another portion of giant squid to share with friends. It makes sense to experience many delicious dishes while avoiding boredom, right?
Each delicious restaurant has its own presentation and is eye-catching, right?
So Vietnamtravelio has introduced to you a delicious dish that you must definitely try if you ever explore Hue! In addition, Vietnamtravelio also has many other delicious Hue dishes are waiting for you like snakehead fish soup or Hue Nam Cake which are also very delicious.
