Thanks to its ancient and sophisticated cultural aspects that are different from other places on our planet, Hoi An nowadays is leaving its mark on the minds of many tourists. They come to the ancient town not only by its unique architectural marks but by the great food as well. Discover the list of 15 specialities in Hoi An that might bring you to the "Kitchen of the world".

1. Cao Lau Hoi An

If anyone asks me about the specialities in Hoi An, the dish that comes to my mind at the first time is always Cao lau Hoi An ("Cao lầu" in Vietnamese). The favourite dish brings the aromatic flavour of Chinese, and sometimes there is something similar to Udon, a famous Japanese noodle. The mystery still covers the origin of Cao lau. The cook has to undergo delicate progress from choosing essential ingredients, herbs to vegetables to make a perfect bowl of Cao lau with a richer flavour. It's not just simple to choose a good quality of rice as making rice vermicelli. Rice making Vietnamese vermicelli has to be soaked into the ash to make it crispy but keeping flexible and aromatic.

Cao lau is pretty delicious when being used with barbecued pork, fried pork skin and especial dressing, bringing a unique taste. Don't forget to eat with fresh vegetables and herbs from the famous Tra Que village. All simple ingredients combined make an incredible dish for travelers during their trip to Hoi An.

2. Hoi An Rice Chicken

One of the dishes that make a Hoi An specialty outstanding is chicken rice. There are lots of chicken rice caters in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City; however, tasting chicken rice in Hoi An is the best experience to enjoy its full flavour. Each tasty dish requires a meticulous series of cooking progresses. Boiled chicken is torn into smaller pieces, seasoned with mixed spices such as pepper, salt, chilli and Vietnamese coriander. Under the pieces of chicken and mixed spices, the rice with chicken fat coloured is displayed in the plate, making the dish look so stunning and colourful. Grabbing a smaller bite and then you will taste a great savour. You can feel a bit eating deliciously buttery and aromatic. After burning out energies in the ancient town, it's time for you to recharge. The chicken rice dish helps tourists to defeat their hungers and makes them memorize the old town for years.

3. Mi Quang (Quang's noodle)

Another dish that you have to try when visiting Hoi An is mi quang. Probably this speciality is not strange to Vietnamese residents in general and foreign tourists in particular since it nowadays appears in many places of this S-shaped country. Hoi An's mi quang has brought an unforgettable savour to whoever that has tried it once. The threads of rice noodles here are not the same as that of vermicelli or "pho". They are flatter, thicker and have a unique colour of crocus. The bouillon of mi quang is a bit spicy, sweet, fat and savoury. When tasting Mi Quang in Hoi An, you'll enjoy the dish with fresh vegetables of Tra Que village nearby.

4. Banh Mi Hoi An - The best banh mi in the world

Hoi An ancient town is the home of the best banh mi in Vietnam, especially banh mi Phuong ("Bánh mì Phượng" in Vietnamese) and banh mi Madam Khanh - the two best local restaurants are offering the best banh mi in Hoi An. What makes banh mi Phuong so special? Little do many people know, banh mi means a loaf of bread that is more like a French baguette. All ingredients inside make it outstanding from other dishes. You can choose one of them for your banh mi such as pate, omelette, ham, grilled pork, chicken, tuna, etc. and a variety of fresh veggies like papaya, carrot, herbs, etc. The banh mi can't be complete without the tasty dressing that is chilli sauces and other Vietnamese sauces. When you're at Hoi An, don't forget to satisfy your stomach with the delicious banh mi. Amongst hundreds of delicacies of gastronomies in Hoi An, banh mi is considered as one of the specialities that you have to try when visiting the old town of Hoi An.

5. Barbecue pork with fresh rice paper.

The next delicious food that you must try once when traveling to Hoi An ancient town is pork BBQ rolled by fresh rice paper ("Bánh ướt cuốn thịt nướng" in Vietnamese). You can find it easy on the street, especially vendors or food stalls near Hoai River. Grilled pork here is usually served with rice paper, fresh vegetables and an exceptional sauce made from pork liver pate, peanut, sesame and some other ingredients.

The barbecue pork rice noodles roll also eaten with plenty of vegetables such as lettuce, fish herbs, starfruit, mango, green banana, etc. It's a DIY style dish. You will wrap all of these veggies with grilled pork in two layers of rice paper, including a fresh rice paper and a dry one and then dip it into the special sauce. Grab a bite for a while, and you will feel a symphony right in your mouth.

6. Bánh Bèo

Continuing the speciality list is introducing an exceptional cake, it's called Banh Beo, which is not very common elsewhere except from some central provinces in Vietnam like Danang, Hue and Hoi An. Despite its appearances in the central part of Vietnam, the flavour and ingredients have some differences from each other. Banh Beo in Hoi An is often placed in a small bowl with a wet topping of minced shrimp, pork, onion and a dry topping of deep-fried Cao lau noodles. In the late afternoon, hanging around the ancient town, you will smell the aromatic flavour of this speciality, so it's impossible to pass by without tasting some fern cakes.

7. Grilled rice paper with river mussels (Bánh Đập- Hến Xào)

Coming to Hoi An, there is no reason for you to miss to eat this simple yet wonderful local dish: Banh dap - Hen xao. It's such a simple but delicious local food that you can find in many local restaurants in the ancient town. It consists of a layer of rice noodle roll placed in the middle between 2 pieces of grilled girdle cakes. Additionally, Banh dap is served with a sauce of macerated fish mixed with fried shallot. Having a bite of crunchy pancake, you will feel not only the crisp of girdle cakes but also the sweetness of fresh rice paper at the same time. Locals usually enjoy Banh dap with fried mussels. These tiny river mussels are from Thu Bon river. By a super technique, local women get the meat a few thousand mussels before stir-fried them with onion and herbs. Before serving, you can add some hot chilly paste, black pepper and squizz a quarter of a lime, mix them well and enjoy its great combination. Hoi An's mussels are comparable with the world-famous Brussel ones :)

8. White Rose dumpling (Bánh Bao- Bánh Vạc)

Despite being originated from Chinese, Banh bao and Banh vac have been one of the most popular specialities in Hoi An. This speciality is a kind of shrimp dumpling made from lucent white dough, making it look like a white rose. The dumplings are eaten with bits of toasty garlic and a sweet dipping sauce. The thing that makes people down is the unique dipping sauce from shrimp bouillon, hot chilli, lemon and sugar. The cake is favoured by many tourists not only for its delicious flavour but also for its stunning appearance.

9. Sweet Soup (Chè)

If you are a big fan of sweety things, Hoi An is a perfect destination for you to try so many sweet soups. During a journey to Hoi An city, you can easily find lots of sweet soup carts on the hustle and bustle streets such as Hoang Dieu, Phan Chu Trinh, Nguyen Chi Thanh, etc. There are tons of common kinds of sweet soup cooked from corn, sticky-rice, green pea, green or black bean, and lotus seeds. The specialities are usually served in small bowls or glasses. You can enjoy a glass of sweet soup with ice to reduce the sweet flavour. Sweet soup is one of the favourite desserts in Vietnam, and you should not miss it when travelling to Vietnam, especially in Hoi An.

10. Vietnamese style Pancake (Bánh Xèo)

Hoi An ancient town is known as "the heaven of Vietnamese pancake". That's true! When visiting Hoi An, you will have a chance to taste the most excellent Banh Xèo (Rice pancake). Throughout Vietnam, there are many styles of Banh xeo; however, Hoi An's version one of the best. The Banh Xeo here is smaller, filled with many fresh ingredients such as shrimp, pork and bean sprouts. As tasting the pancake, you can feel crispy of its cover and richer flavour inside. You are wrapping each pancake with young mustards and herbs in a rice paper, dipping it into a savoury sauce before serving. It seems to have the orchestra of its ingredients in your mouth. So Banh xeo in Hoi An is considered as one of the specialities that you should not miss when visiting this ancient town.

11. Green Bean Cake (Bánh Đậu Xanh)

Green bean cake is another speciality that you must try during your trip to Hoi An city. Locals say that "Coming to Hoi An, you have to taste a cup of tea with green bean cake". Of course, the green bean cake seems to be quite familiar with most Vietnamese people; however, the green bean cake Hoi An brings an exceptional flavour compared to other places, making it become a speciality of the ancient town. The green cake Hoi An delicately combines amongst natural ingredients, helping to create a distinctive flavour. This cake is crispy, aromatic and a bit salty.

12. Hong Dao Wine

If you have a chance to travel to Hoi An, Quang Nam, you can not forget well-known Hong Dao Wine, a speciality carrying the cultural spirit of Quang Nam Province. Therefore, Hong Dao Wine has been a valuable gift of Hoi An ancient town for guests if you come to houses of Hoi An people. That would be nice if you bring back Hong Dao Wine as a gift for your relatives and friends when visiting Hoi An as well.