Have you tried crushed rice crackers with stir-fried clams in Hoi An?

To be precise, it is a huge mistake if the “crispy rice crackers with stir-fried clams” isn’t included, a dish that is simple but delicate, creating a unique cuisine for Hoi An Ancient Town. Let’s hop on in and add this special dish in your own Hoi An Food Infographic with this article!

1. The origin of “Crushed Rice Crackers with Stir-Fried Clams”

Hoi An Food is known for its diversity and uniqueness. Each dish has its own taste and hides many historical stories and culture.

Hoi An Crushed Rice Paper - a simple but unique dish, a proof for the creativity of the people in ancient town. According to people, a long time ago, when rice paper just came out, they tried to mix hot rice paper with grilled rice paper. To devour every taste, they tried to crush all of them and create the popular Crushed rice paper.

Beside that, in Cam Nam clam Village, also known as “The Home of clams”, is the home for all the fatty clams, the main ingredient for this “Crushed rice crackers”. This place is blessed with brackish water - a perfect combination of the freshwater and seawater’s saltiness. For this reason, all the clams in Cam Nam have their own taste, fatty and nutty, the main ingredients for delicious and famous “Crushed rice crackers.”

Crushed rice crackers with stir-fried clams is not simply a combination of two main ingredients but it is also about the delicate taste. The crispy of the rice crackers and the sweetness of the clams, all mixed into the special fish sauce, the spiciness of chillies, the fragrance of fried onion, all mixed together and create the symphony of this irresistible cuisine,and create a unique experience for tourists.

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Origin of Crushed Rice Crackers with Stir-Fried clams in Hoi An

2. The meaning - for people who was captivated by it

2.1 Honor the local specialty

Crushed rice crackers with stir-fried clams is not just a delicious dish but also a symbol of the appreciation, preservation, and celebration of local produce. Cam Nam clams, a renowned specialty of Hoi An, are nourished by the sweet waters of the Thu Bon River, imparting a delicate and rich taste of the sea. The rice cracker, a simple yet exquisite creation made by the skilled hands of local people, carries the refined essence of the homeland's rice.

Enjoying this crispy rice is the taste of Hoi An, seeing the subtlety in this cuisine from the people here. Each one, each clam is like pouring the stories into people, about those kind people, and about the love for the local specialties.

2.2 Bonding with people

Crushed rice crackers with stir-fried clams - an idyllic and rustic dish but contains great spiritual values. Each cake is the result of the meticulousness and ingenuity of the baker, from the stage of mixing the dough, coating the cake to steaming. Stir-fried clams - a seemingly simple dish that requires patience and sophistication in the processing method to preserve the natural sweetness of the clams.

To get a delicious, flavorful stir-fried clam Crushed cake, it is necessary for the whole community to make them. Cam Nam people raise clams together, women skillfully make cakes, and street vendors enthusiastically bring food to diners,... All join hands to contribute to creating a dish with the imprint of Hoi An village.

Enjoying this Crushed cake and clams is not about satisfying your taste but also feeling the bond to all the people, honoring the symbolism of the traditional culture. When trying this dish, people are bonding with each other, sharing stories, laughter and memories together.

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2.3  Unique taste of the Central Vietnam

Crushed cake with clams - a simple dish but contains the essence of an entire region. Hoi An crushed cake with clams is not a fancy dish, and also not made from expensive ingredients, but this “dish” still captivates every tourist when they come to the Ancient Town. Crushed cake with a frugal taste, brings out the true value of rice. Stir-fried clams with the sweet and bold taste from the sea. Vegetables - these vegetables are fresh and refreshing, grown in this central region full of sunlight and wind. The dipping sauce is made from fermented sauce, chillies, lime, garlic, creating a flavorful taste. All combined together, creating a simple dish but packed with flavor, making diners refresh themselves from the first bite.

Each process to make the first Crushed cake, all was done with skills and heart from the baker. Rice flour was mixed, then coating on the stove then steam on the boiling water. When the cake reaches the required softness and color, this is what “the soul” of the food comes from. After coating, and still boiling hot, there will be a coating oil made from peanuts and chive bulbs. This is a unique type of oil, made from peanuts, only found in Quang Nam. Chive bulb, small like a finger. This oil will make the Crushed cake’s taste more unique.

Crushed cake with clams - A signature in Central Region of Vietnam

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3. Famous type of crushed cake with clams

3.1 Traditional crushed cake with clams

The traditional or classic version is what people like the most. Through many classic ingredients with rice cake, rice paper, stir-fried clams, dipping sauce and vegetables. When trying Crushed cake, diners will break apart the cake to see its crispiness, and softness, with the glue and warmth of the rice cake inside. Stir-fried clams with spiciness, savory and sweetness, combined with the Crushed cake sweet and fragrant, make this the most incredible experience ever.

3.2 Crushed cake and clams with eggs

A common version for diners. Eggs were added to the stir-fried clams, creating a perfect combination full of flavor and nutrients. The fatty taste of eggs with the sweetness from clams and spiciness from chillies, create a unique and perfect dish that will blow your taste.

3.3 Vegan crushed cake and clams

For vegan visitors, many food stores in Hoi An have created the vegan version. Instead of using clams, this dish was replaced with mushrooms such as straw and king oyster,... stir-fried with vegetables. The sweetness of mushrooms with the spiciness of chillies and savor-and-sweet from vegan dipping sauce, create a refreshing and harmonious taste.

Additionally, there are some variants such as:

• Shrimps: Sweetness from clams, sweet and tough texture from shrimps
• Steak: Sweetness from clams and sweet taste from steak, creating a nutrients packed dish.
• Squids: Sweetness from clams and toughness from squids, creating a unique taste that blows your taste.

Crushed cake with clams - Hoi An Food with many variants

4. 5 locations for crushed cake with clams in Hoi An

4.1 Crushed Cake No.9 Store - Hoi An

• Address: Cam Nam, Hoi An
• Open/Close Time: 7 AM - 9:30 PM
• Reference price: 7.000 - 50.000 VND

The Smash No.9 Restaurant in Hoi An is meticulous in every step, from selecting ingredients to preparation, ensuring a perfect dining experience for customers. The Crushed cake here is made from natural, fresh ingredients with a guaranteed origin, showcasing the distinctive flavors of Hoi An. In addition to the famous Crushed cake, the restaurant also serves stir-fried clams, clam rice, wontons, cao lau, and many other delicious dishes, promising to satisfy every guest.

4.2 Cam Nam Crushed Cake - Hoi An

• Address: 679 Hai Ba Trung St, Hoi An City, Quang Nam
• Open time: 8 AM - 9 PM
• Reference price: 15.000 - 50.000 VND (depends)

Hiding itself in those small alleys on Hai Ba Trung Street, Crushed Cake Cam Nam is like a secret spot, attracting tourists with the fragrance from rice and spring onion fish sauce. Each cake is carefully made , soft and comes with a special dipping sauce with fried onion, creating a symphony of flavors. Additionally, tourists can try the signature stir-fried clams from the store.

Cam Nam Crushed Cake Store - famous Hoi An Food

4.3 Huong Crushed Cake

• Address: 82 Nguyen Tri Phuong St, Cam Nam Ward, Hoi An City
• Open Time: 8 AM - 22 PM
• Reference price: 15.000 – 50.000 VND

Strolling along the Cam Nam area, the birthplace of Hoi An's famous crushed cake with stir-fried clams, visitors cannot miss Huong Restaurant, a familiar spot for locals and a favorite among tourists for its distinctive flavors. Clams are carefully harvested from the clear waters of the Cam Nam River, meticulously cleaned of sand, and then stir-fried with onions, Vietnamese coriander, and a secret blend of spices, creating a fragrant aroma that fills the air. The stir-fried clams are perfectly seasoned, blending the savory taste of fried onions and the spiciness of chili, making it irresistibly delicious. The soft and chewy crushed cake, combined with the sweet and delicate flavor of the stir-fried clams, harmonized with the spicy chili and the balanced sweet and salty dipping sauce, creates a symphony of flavors that captivates diners.

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4.4 Ba Gia Crushed Cake - Hoi An

• Address: Hamlet 1, Cam Nam, Hoi An (under Cam Nam Bridge)
• Open Time: 7 AM - 5 PM
• Reference price: 20.000 – 25.000 VND.

Located right under the Cam Nam Bridge, the restaurant attracts diners with its rustic, simple ambiance and the authentic taste of bánh đập with stir-fried clams. Ba Gia Crushed Cake Restaurant captivates visitors with its fresh, airy riverside setting and the distinctive flavor of its famous crushed cake. The secret to the restaurant's allure lies in the perfect combination of crispy crushed cake and savory stir-fried clams. The crushed cake is made from rice flour, thinly spread, and steamed to achieve just the right level of softness and chewiness. The stir-fried clams are prepared from fresh clams, stir-fried with fragrant onions, blended with the spicy kick of chili, and the harmonious sweet-salty taste of fish sauce. When you taste it, you’ll experience the delicate harmony between the crispy crushed cake, the salty and spicy stir-fried clams, the nutty flavor of roasted peanuts, and the refreshing taste of fresh herbs. This unique flavor symphony captivates diners from the very first bite.

The restaurant is open only during the day, from 6 AM to 5 PM. Therefore, visitors should plan to visit in the morning or early afternoon to fully enjoy the distinctive flavor of this delightful crushed cake dish.

A portion of crushed cake with stir-fried clams at Ba Gia - top food store for Hoi An Food

4.5  Hoi An Lan Crushed Cake

• Address: 80 Nguyen Tri Phuong St, Hoi An
• Open time: 7 AM - 9 PM
• Reference Price: 7.000 - 50.000 VND

Famous for its signature crushed cake, Lan Restaurant on Nguyen Tri Phuong Street is the ideal destination for those who want to savor the distinctive culinary flavors of Hoi An’s ancient town. The restaurant boasts a spacious, airy environment that can accommodate 60 to 70 guests, catering to the needs of visitors even during peak times.

The biggest advantage of Lan Restaurant is its ample and comfortable space. Compared to many other crushed cake stores with limited space, Lan provides diners with peace of mind regarding seating, allowing you to fully enjoy your meal without worrying about crowding or jostling.

In addition to the famous crushed cake, Lan Restaurant also offers a variety of Hoi An specialties such as cao lau, clam rice, ram cuon cai (spring rolls with mustard greens), sweet corn soup, and more. This diverse menu allows diners to explore and fully appreciate the culinary essence of the Hoi An ancient town.

Crushed rice crackers is not only a delicious dish but also a symbol of the creativity and sophistication of Hội An's people. Enjoying this dish allows visitors to immerse themselves in the simple, unpretentious rhythm of life in the ancient town, preserving beautiful memories of a vibrant and culturally rich Hội An. When visiting Hoi An, don't forget to seek out a roadside eatery and savor the famous crushed cake with stir-fried clams. Each crispy bite, combined with the delicate sweetness of the stir-fried clams and the rich flavor of fish sauce, will leave you captivated by Hoi An Food.

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