Mì Quảng facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mì Quảng

A bowl of Mi Quang with pork and shrimp
Type	Noodle
Course	Main course
Place of origin	Vietnam
Region or state	Quảng Nam Province
Associated national cuisine	Vietnam
Serving temperature	Warm
Main ingredients	Rice noodles, shrimp or pork or chicken (sometimes fish or beef), various herbs
Ingredients generally used	Turmeric, peanuts, toasted sesame rice crackers, chili peppers, lime

Mì Quảng (also spelled mỳ Quảng), literally "Quảng noodle", is a Vietnamese noodle dish that originated from Quảng Nam Province in central Vietnam. In the region, it is one of the most popular and nationally recognized food items, and served on various occasions such as at family parties, death anniversaries, and Tết. Mì Quảng can both be found in many famous restaurants and street vendors among Central provinces, and is eaten for breakfast and lunch.

Ingredients and serving

The main ingredients of mì quảng are rice noodles, meat, and herbs, most commonly served with a small amount of broth, which is generally infused with turmeric. Wide rice noodles are placed atop of a bed of fresh herbs in a bowl (or vice versa), and then warm or lukewarm broth and meat are added. The broth is usually strongly flavored and only a small amount of it is used, generally enough to partially cover the vegetables.

Meats used in the dish may include one or more of the following: shrimp (tôm), pork (thịt heo), chicken (gà), or even fish (cá) or beef (bò). The broth is made by simmering the meat in water or bone broth for a more intense flavor, seasoned with fish sauce, black pepper, shallot and garlic. Turmeric is often added to the broth, giving it a yellowish color.

As with many Vietnamese dishes, Mì quảng is served with fresh herbs (rau); commonly used herbs include basil, cilantro (ngò or rau mùi), scallions or onion leaves, Vietnamese coriander (rau răm), sliced banana flower (bắp chuối bào), and lettuce. A variety of other herbs may also be used in mì quảng, including common knotgrass (rau đắng), water mint (rau húng lủi), perilla (rau tía tô), and heartleaf (rau diếp cá).

Mì Quảng is commonly garnished with peanuts and toasted sesame rice crackers called bánh tráng mè, which sets the dish apart from other noodle dishes. Additional ingredients may include hard-boiled quail eggs, steamed pork sausage (chả), or shredded pork rinds (tóp mỡ). Lime juice and fresh chili peppers are often used as an added seasoning; other seasonings may include soy sauce or chili sauce.

Mì quảng can also be served without broth, as a salad (mì quảng trộn).

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  Mì Quảng with bánh tráng rice crackers and peanuts

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  Mì Quảng with yellow noodles dyed with turmeric

Cultural aspects

There is a Vietnamese saying about this dish:

Thương nhau múc bát chè xanh,
Làm tô mì Quảng mời anh xơi cùng.

This couplet describes a girl from Quảng Nam, a province on Vietnam's South Central Coast, who warmly invites her lover to drink a cup of tea and a bowl of mì Quảng, to show him the depth of her love for him.