Drink Bia Hoi in Hanoi

 Walking along streets in Old Quarter Hanoi you often see "Bia Hoi Hanoi". It means Draft Beer, especially in hot season (May - October). The first time, the appearance of Bia Hoi was in 1890 in Hanoi from a French Brewery - the first one in Hanoi. At that time the capacity for Bia Hoi was only 150 liters a day.

That first Brewery has been renovated and the name is changed for Habeco with the capacity of over 200 million liters of beer/ year. The head office of Brewery is at 183 - Hoang Hoa Tham street - Ba Dinh District - Hanoi city. The name Bia Hoi Hanoi is one of products made by Habeco, which is considered the best Draft beer at the moment.

                       President Barack Obama drinks Hanoi Beer in Hanoi city - Photo Internet

The taste of Bia Hoi is fabulous and tasty, especially in hot season. Normally we see men only in beer shop, not women. Vietnamese love to chat with each other so that draft beer is not only a kind of drinks but also the reason for friends gathering. Bia Hoi is cheap and delicious, and also popular. Simply, we drink Bia Hoi and order snacks of dried or steam bean nuts, fried tofu, grilled dry squid....

                                      Eric & friends drink Bia Hoi in Hanoi - Photo ST Internet

We like to enjoy Bia Hoi at open-air spaces like on street pavement, local market corner. The Beer glass is place on a plastic chair, and drinkers are also seat on low plastic chair.It is so fun. The time for drinking Bia Hoi is at noon time and late afternoon. It may last 30 mins - 3 hour, depending on short or long stories. At the moment of writing, one glass of Bia Hoi ( 300 ml) costs 45 cents or 10,000 VND.

                           Mr. Le Huy Van, designer Bia Hoi glass in 1975 - Photo ST Internet

The glass used for drink Bia Hoi is still the same style as in 1976 when it was first designed by a Vietnamese designer who graduated from an art school in Germany. The glass looks humble but durable and convenient for drinkers. It is also unique for drink Bia Hoi, not others. Drink Bia Hoi is an interesting aspect of Hanoi Culture. Foreign travelers also love to try Bia Hoi when they visit Hanoi.

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Stew pork with eggs

Pork and egg are common food daily in Vietnam. There are several tens ways of cooking food from pork meat. In this article we are glad to introduce Stew pork with eggs. You can do it at home or order from local Vietnamese restaurant.

                                                                   Photo ST Internet

Ingredients for this dish include pork meat that not much fat, chicken or duck eggs, coconut juice, sugar, fish sauce, caramel, seasoning, salt and pepper. If you are familiar to spicy food, please add some chili and lemon grass.

You boil eggs, stew pork with fish sauce, and others for 30 mins till well-done, then ladle out the food onto the plate, then serve hot. The pork is soft and delicious with spices.

Travel to Vietnam, normally, tourists eat food in Vietnamese restaurants, and they are served with several dishes called set menu. But when you need just a humble meal you choose a local food stall call "Com Binh Dan" or popular Vietnamese food, then you can find authentic Vietnamese daily food.

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Fried Minced pork with Com

Fried minced pork with Com or Cha Com is one of popular food in Hanoi. Cha Com is made from minced pork and green sticky rice flakes. Eating Cha Com is accompanied with rice noodle, fried tofu, vermicelli, bread, and rice.

Ingredients for Cha Com includes pork chops, pork fat, dried Com, fish sauce, cooking oil, fresh banana leaf, pepper.

Pork chops is processed into paste, mixed with dried Com (green rice flakes), mold the paste into square or round shape then steam till well-done. Fry the cooked paste with vegetable oil till the paste turns into light yellow.

When eating Cha Com you should prepare Nuoc Cham or sauce. The sauce is prepared from fish sauce, water, galic, vinegar, lemon drops, chili, pepper, sugar.

You can make Cha Com at home, buy from local food market, or enjoy it at a street stall in city. Cheap but authentic taste of Hanoi cuisine.

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Phở or noodle soup with beef Hanoi

 Phở has been so popular since early 20th century, and Hanoi is homeland of Pho. Travel to hanoi it is must-tried food for both domestic and international travelers.

Till early 1920 Hanoi people get used to noodle soup of fried noodle with buffalo meat, not beef. One day some restaurants tried to create new ingredient for Pho by using beef that was also cheaper than buffalo meat, and they discover that the new Pho has fantastic taste. Since the the name of "Pho Bo" or Noodle soup with beef become resounding brand across country. 

The ingredient of Pho includes sliced beef, strips of rice noodle, broth stewed with cow bone and spices of lemon grass and ginger, onion, anise, mint leaves, bean sprouts, garlic, chili sauce, and others. Delicious broth decides the quality of Pho so that each restaurant hold their owned formula of making broth or soup. 

Walking along Hanoi Old quarter you can see the standing poster "Pho Bo" everywhere. It can be eaten in the morning, at lunch or dinner time, but normally for breakfast. It intensifies you strength and wake you up when having a bow of Pho on winter morning. It is quite fair to say that Pho Bo is Heritage of food in Hanoi. Come and try Pho as one of the best street food in Hanoi

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