Sour sausages have Hai Phong locals puckering in delight
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Hai Phong's sour sausages (nem chua). |
The "Old-lady sour sausage" stall, run by its elderly white-haired owner, has been serving customers for the past 30 years.
Situated at the corner of Quang Trung Street near Tam Bac Market in Hong Bang District, the eatery serves only one dish, crunchy and glutinous sour sausages dipped in vinegarish sauce.
To create the dish, minced pork and finely diced pork skin are wrapped in banana leaves, which carry beneficial yeasts and microbial agents, and paper wraps for a slight fermentation.
The process provides the signature fragrant sourness to the sausages, which are considered a delicacy in northern and central Vietnam.
Sour sausages in Hai Phong, as well as other northern localities, taste less sweet than their central counterparts.
What makes the stall extra special is its signature vinegarish sauce, hand-made using fruits. The sauce has a slight, delicate sourness, which blends finely with the sausages.
Customers often add fresh herbs like apricot and Ming aralia leaves to the dish for an extra kick.
The stall opens daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a customer peak in the afternoon. Takeaway is also available if you buy at least five portions.