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) is a super popular noodle dish from Vietnam. Its name means "Quảng noodle," and it comes from Quảng Nam Province in central Vietnam. People love to eat it for special events like family get-togethers and the Vietnamese New Year (Tết). You can find Mì Quảng everywhere, from famous restaurants to street food stalls, and it's a favorite for breakfast and lunch!

What's in Mì Quảng?

Mì Quảng is made with yummy rice noodles, different kinds of meat, and lots of fresh herbs. It usually has a little bit of tasty broth, often colored yellow with turmeric.

Imagine a bowl with fresh herbs at the bottom, then wide rice noodles on top. After that, warm broth and meat are added. The broth is full of flavor, but there's only a small amount, just enough to partly cover the veggies.

Meats and Broth

The meat in Mì Quảng can be one or more of these:

• Shrimp (called tôm)
• Pork (called thịt heo)
• Chicken (called gà)
• Sometimes even fish (called cá) or beef (called bò)

The broth is made by simmering the meat in water or bone broth to make it extra flavorful. It's seasoned with fish sauce, black pepper, shallots, and garlic. Turmeric is often added to the broth, which gives it a nice yellowish color.

Fresh Herbs and Toppings

Just like many Vietnamese dishes, Mì Quảng is served with lots of fresh herbs (called rau). Common herbs include:

• Basil
• Cilantro (ngò or rau mùi)
• Scallions or onion leaves
• Vietnamese coriander (rau răm)
• Sliced banana flower (bắp chuối bào)
• Lettuce

Other herbs like common knotgrass (rau đắng), water mint (rau húng lủi), perilla (rau tía tô), and heartleaf (rau diếp cá) might also be used.

Mì Quảng is often topped with peanuts and crispy sesame rice crackers called bánh tráng mè. These toppings make it special and different from other noodle dishes. You might also find hard-boiled quail eggs, steamed pork sausage (chả), or shredded pork rinds (tóp mỡ). People often add lime juice and fresh chili peppers for extra taste. Other seasonings can include soy sauce or chili sauce.

Sometimes, Mì Quảng is even served without broth, like a salad! This version is called mì quảng trộn.

Cultural Meaning

There's a famous Vietnamese saying about Mì Quảng:

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

This old saying is like a poem. It describes a girl from Quảng Nam Province who lovingly offers her friend a cup of green tea and a bowl of Mì Quảng. It shows how much she cares for him, using this special dish to express her deep affection.

Images for kids

• 

  Mì Quảng with bánh tráng rice crackers and peanuts

• 

  Mì Quảng with yellow noodles dyed with turmeric