Bun cha cham cheo (also known as grilled pork vermicelli, grilled pork vermicelli) is a familiar but no less attractive dish, famous in Nghe An, especially in Vinh city.

Instead of dipping or pouring with sweet and sour fish sauce like Hanoi vermicelli with grilled pork, Ninh Binh square vermicelli with grilled pork or Ho Chi Minh City grilled pork vermicelli, Nghe An vermicelli with grilled pork is combined with a special dipping sauce, prepared according to the local people's own recipe. That is cheo.

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Bun cha cham cheo is considered a unique specialty in Nghe An, appealing to both adults and children. Photo: Nguyen Nhung

Ms. Nguyen Lan - owner of a grilled vermicelli with grilled pork restaurant in Vinh city shared that the dipping sauce eaten with Nghe An people's vermicelli with grilled pork is peanut dipping sauce.

Although they are all made from familiar ingredients such as roasted peanuts, molasses, bone broth, lemongrass, garlic, chili and a little annatto oil for color, each restaurant has its own secret to creating a delicious, rich dipping sauce.

“Roasted peanuts are ground or crushed and then boiled with bone broth until it becomes thick and smooth, then seasoned. Depending on the place, people can add minced meat to make the sauce thicker and tastier,” Ms. Lan shared with VietNamNet reporter.

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Cheo - a dipping sauce made from roasted peanuts is considered the soul of Nghe An grilled vermicelli with grilled pork. Photo: Nguyen Nhung

According to Ms. Lan, the sauce has the characteristic nutty flavor of roasted peanuts, mixed with the rich flavor of bone broth, but it is not boring to eat thanks to the balanced spicy flavor of chili and lemongrass.

In addition, the peanut sauce is also a bit bland compared to the sweet and sour fish sauce of the vermicelli with grilled pork in the North. However, the vermicelli dish of Nghe An still ensures a harmonious and attractive flavor thanks to the grilled pork that is marinated with rich flavor and aroma. This is also the decisive factor in the quality of the vermicelli dish.

Ms. Lan said that to make delicious grilled meatloaf, you should choose lean shoulder meat. This part of the meat has a reasonable ratio of lean meat and fat, when grilled it will be soft and fragrant, not dry.

“After the pork is marinated and seasoned, it is grilled over charcoal. The person grilling the meat needs to watch the fire and balance the time so that the meat is evenly cooked, soft, not dry, and still retains the rich, eye-catching sauce,” the female owner added.

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Nghe An grilled sausage has an orange-yellow color, marinated with many spices such as lemongrass, onion, garlic, annatto powder, five-spice powder, roasted sesame... Photo: Hong Tham

In addition to the rich grilled meatloaf and thick dipping sauce, the famous Nghe An vermicelli dish is also served with raw vegetables and pickled papaya, adding freshness and preventing boredom.

When eating, diners can dip noodles, grilled pork and raw vegetables in the sauce or pour the sauce directly into the bowl of noodles and enjoy.

In particular, in Nghe An, the locals have a rather interesting way of eating grilled vermicelli with grilled pork. That is, they take rice paper and roll the vermicelli, pork, vegetables… together and enjoy it like a spring roll.

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Grilled pork patties with fish sauce in Nghe An have a reasonable price, about 35,000 - 50,000 VND/serving (depending on the place, depending on the portion). Photo: Oanh Duong

Many diners who have tried Nghe An vermicelli with grilled pork and dipping sauce commented that the dish is refreshing and not boring because it is served with vegetables and pickles. Some even admitted that they still crave it after eating several servings.

In addition to the dipping sauce, some grilled vermicelli restaurants in Nghe An also prepare a special fish sauce for diners who cannot eat this typical dipping sauce.

If you have the opportunity to visit Nghe An or Vinh City, you can find and enjoy the famous vermicelli with grilled pork and fish sauce at some familiar local eateries such as: Mrs. Hanh's grilled vermicelli with grilled pork; Mrs. Chan's vermicelli with grilled pork; Lan Vinh's vermicelli with grilled pork; Do Luong's vermicelli with grilled pork; Mrs. Chat's restaurant; Hoa Mai's vermicelli with grilled pork,...

Selling more than 500 servings a day, the famous Nam Dinh bun cha restaurant reveals its century-old secret . Nam Thanh bun cha restaurant (also known as Nha Tho bun cha) located in Hai Ba Trung alley, near the Great Church, Nam Dinh city is an address associated with many generations of people.