Vietnam is an extraordinary country, with a unique cuisine. And if there one city that is well known for its culinary delight, it would surely be ${bigcity_Hoi_An:"Hoi An"}. You may have crossed the different corners of Vietnam, and been to all holiday adventures, but splurging on authentic local Vietnamese food in its streets should be among what you’ll never miss when visiting Hoi An.

The city is bustling, busy, could be noisy, but hey, take a second look - - - the entire hustle and bustle is the very character and charm of Hoi An. Here, you would experience the most interesting views, mix of sounds - - - and very inviting smell. And I tell you, the smell you will encounter is very hard to ignore. If you follow your nose, it will take you to an exciting adventure that will delight your taste buds, you sense of smell and your appetite.

Forget about Western food for a while. In the main streets of Hoi An, it is easy to say goodbye to your cravings for pizza, pasta, cappuccino - or steak and chips. In a small simply-decorated restaurant on Tran Phu street, they don’t have the grand menu from fine restaurants. But wait til you are served with a bowl of cao lau - - - a dry noodle dish and one of the town’s most famous delicacies. The thick, yellow noodles are made from rice flour that has been soaked in ash water and cooked by firewood three times. On the cao lau noodles there are slivers of pork, a handful of bean sprouts and some fresh herbs and lettuce. Famously, the noodles are made with water from a specific local well, making it impossible to replicate the noodles elsewhere in the country.

If you explore deeper in the heart of Hoi An, the unmistakable sight of trolleys and food carts is impossible not to notice. If you take time to come close and do a quick look on these interesting treats, you will be amazed, surprised, may be excited, or others, hesitant. Try trung vit lon, for instance. Sounds interesting? Wait til you know what exactly it is. One Swedish tourist may have liked the challenge coz undeniably - - - with the duck embryo’s frail body parts so visible with all the thin hair, it looks terrible. After learning that trung vit lon is actually a half-hatched egg, hesitation sets in. May even be fear. But when added to a small bowl along with some spices, pepper, ginger and other herbs, she knew it was worth the dare.

Each vendor has his own specialty. One trolley is known for selling banh my (Vietnamese baguettes) that is stuffed with so many fillings and is perfect with a glass of local fruit juice. Or perhaps you want to try “chi ma phu”, a dish originating from China that is said to be medicinal. It is made from ground black sesame seeds mixed with sugar, vegetable juice and ‘thanh dia’ – a kind of Chinese medicinal herb, boiled into a pudding and served in small bowls for just VND5,000 a pop. In Vietnam, this dish is believed to be a tonic that helps one recover from illness.

The stories of these vendors are as equally interesting as the food they sell. If you have a chance to chat with them, you would learn how these people have made a living almost their entire life from pulling trolleys that carry the food that delight the appetites of the thousands of pedestrians that pass by the streets of Hoi An every single day.

It is not surprising to see the constant stream of tourists coming to the city. Indeed, it’s got wonderful architecture and cool café-bars. But the reason why many would always choose to come back is the sounds, smells and flavors of this lively city is just so addicting.