YummY Vietnam

Mi Quang (Quang noodles) is a very typical dish of Quang Nam. It is considered as the soul of Quang Nam region with its bold cultural identity and people here. If you have a chance to visit Quang Nam province, you could not forget the taste of this simple and typical noodle. In Quang Nam, this noodle presents everywhere, from eateries in small villages to restaurants in noisy towns.

People here believe that the noodles must be hand-made from Phu Chiem rice grown in their hometown to produce the most delicious, and chewy Mi Quang. After grinding, rice flour should be coated into thin layers and added a little addictives. Then, they will be sliced horizontally to have thin chunk of noodles about 2 mm. Mi Quang has many types with different colors, from reddish brown made from broken rice or yellow as being mixed with the turmeric powder. However, in Hanoi, it is usually white like Pho. Also, people in many places are “flexible” using Pho for cooking this dish.

When processing, you need to blanch the noodles slightly to soften them and easy to absorb the spices. In the past, families selling Mi Quang took a lot of time to make noodles. Now, most of the noodles are available in the market with the establishments of many specialized shops.

The most important part of this dish is not the high protein ingredients but the broth. Unlike most sweet and sour mixed dishes in the North and the South of Vietnam, Mi Quang of the Central region is mixed with the deep sweet soup. Such broth should be sprinkled in the top of the ingredients but not the whole bowl.

You should prepare the soup carefully from boneless chicken meat which is well marinated then stir-fried, to simmered pork bones and ribs, creating a strong yet tender flavor. This unique broth creates a special characteristic for the noodle, which is entirely different from any specialty in the country. Also, it is the primary determinant for the dish.

To have a delicious Mi Quang bowl, we should not miss the crispy sesame rice cake, fragrant sauce, and sweet and fatty broth. All of them will be united to create an appetite without the greasy taste.

Frankly, Mi Quang is the combination of both incense and color. When holding the bowl of noodles, eaters not only smell the beautiful scent but also are impressed by the eye-catching colors. The dish with different colors, yellow or opaque white noodles depending on the palates of eaters. It can be accompanied by a few pieces of barbecue, some shrimp, and sprinkled with peanuts, aromatic herbs to be served with raw vegetables and rice paper.

Mi Quang is not like Pho in the North, nor is ‘Bun Bo’ (beef vermicelli) of Hue or ‘Bun Oc‘ (snail vermicelli) of Ha Noi. This dish has many different types, including noodles with chicken, shrimp, meat, egg, beef, jellyfish, snakehead, etc. Today we will explore the recipe to make an exceptional Mi Quang with chicken.

Ingredients for Mi Quang recipe

- 1 chicken weighing about 1 kg (should not use turkey to have a better taste)

-Dried shallot, fresh turmeric

-Fresh chili, cooking oil, roasted peanuts, rice paper

- Pre-made noodles (Mi Quang): 1 kg

- Spices: Fish sauce, pepper, lemon, seasoning seeds, monosodiumglutamate, satay

Process of making Mi Quang recipe

- Clean chicken, cut into small pieces which are suitable to eat.

- Use a large bowl to store the chicken. Add minced onion and crushed chili into the bowl, then marinate little spices to absorb for about 30 minutes.

- Fry onions with a bit of cooking oil then, put fresh turmeric into the pan. Cook for a while until the turmeric produces the color.

- Next, Add previously marinated chicken in and stir-fry with the above mixture.

- When the chicken is well-cooked, add the water to simmer, taste the seasoning. Note that you should not give too much water. About 2 parts of meat should mix with 3 parts of water to make the broth tasty.

- When eating, put raw vegetables first and add noodles on top. Pour the broth on the top and sprinkle some peanuts to enjoy.