Cao Lầu
A noodle dish specific to Hoi An, emerging in the 17th century when the town was a major Japanese and Chinese trading port, likely influenced by Japanese Ise udon brought by Japanese traders. Real cao lầu noodles are made with water from the centuries-old Cham-era Ba Le well combined with ash from trees grown specifically on the Cham Islands offshore — the ash-alkaline water gives them their distinctive chewy, off-white character, making this genuinely unreplicable outside Hoi An; udon noodles are the closest honest approximation for a home cook, not a true substitute. Unlike phở or bún chả, cao lầu is closer to a wet noodle salad than a soup, dressed with only a small amount of savory sauce.
⚠ Contains: Gluten, Soy. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 400g thick rice noodles (or udon as a realistic substitute)
- 400g pork, marinated and roasted or braised
- Five-spice powder, soy sauce, garlic
- Pork crackling
- Fresh mint and Vietnamese coriander
- Bean sprouts
- Garlic chives
- Fried croutons or rice-paper crackers
- A light soy-based sauce
Steps
- Marinate and roast or braise the pork with five-spice, soy sauce, and garlic.
- Prepare a minimal savory sauce.
- Toss the noodles briefly with the pork slices, crackling, herbs, and bean sprouts, without fully submerging in liquid.
- Top with croutons and a drizzle of sauce.