DISH RESEARCH · Noodle dish
Cao Lau
Also known as: Cao lầu
Hội An rice noodles with seasoned pork, greens, crisp noodle squares and a concentrated sauce.
About Cao Lau
Cao lầu is a Hội An noodle dish with seasoned pork, fresh greens and crisp noodle squares. Bùi Thủy presents the local version with its distinctive rice noodles and concentrated pork cooking sauce.
Soy sauce, garlic, onion and five-spice seasoning give the pork a savoury, sweet character. Hội An chilli sauce and green chillies bring heat, while citrus and herbs freshen the bowl.
Chewy noodles and tender pork contrast with crisp fried squares and fresh greens. A small amount of deeply seasoned sauce coats the ingredients rather than forming a full soup.
Allergens in this recipe
Contains: Soy.
Other allergen details are unconfirmed.
Ingredients vary by restaurant. Confirm your allergens with staff before ordering.
Ingredients in Cao Lau
Bùi Thủy’s Hội An cao lầu with seasoned pork and rice noodles.
- Marbled pork (nạc dăm)Protein
- Pork bonesProtein · Optional
- Onion bulbsAromatic
- GarlicAromatic
- SaltSeasoning
- Five-spice powderSeasoning
- Soy sauceSeasoning
- SugarSweetener
- Seasoning granulesSeasoningIngredient page not linked
- Cooking oilCooking medium
- Annatto-coloured oilSeasoning · OptionalIngredient page not linked
- PepperSeasoningIngredient page not linked
- Chilli powderSeasoning · Optional
- Aromatic riceBase · Own cao lầu strands and square ram
- WaterLiquid · Core and own cao lầu noodles
- Wood ashCooking medium · Own cao lầu strands and square ramIngredient page not linked
- Hội An chilli sauceAccompanimentIngredient page not linked
- Green xiêm chilliesAccompanimentIngredient page not linked
- Rau húng herbsAccompanimentIngredient page not linked
- Bean sproutsAccompaniment
- Cải seedlingsAccompanimentIngredient page not linked
- LettuceAccompaniment
- Chanh citrusAccompaniment
Ingredient details & uncertainties
Allergen information is incomplete. Unconfirmed details do not establish that an allergen is absent.
- Marbled pork (nạc dăm): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. First nạc dăm choice retained before thigh or belly. Source identifies interspersed lean and fat but does not fix anatomical cut; broader pork candidate.
- Pork bones (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. List explicitly optional for own simmered bone water. First pork-bone broth branch when included; cold-water alternative acknowledged. No invented broth aromatics.
- Onion bulbs: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Source củ hành without explicit colour/species; broader onion candidate. Juice and later fried solids are one food.
- Garlic: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Marinade juice and later fried solids consolidated.
- Salt: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Five-spice powder: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Named prepared blend, exact formula unprovided.
- Soy sauce: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Soy source-confirmed. Normal nước tương/xì dầu establishes Soy. Product formula and wheat use unknown; Wheat not inferred.
- Sugar: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Seasoning granules: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Hạt nêm product/formula unprovided; no inferred meat, dairy, wheat or soy from this compound.
- Cooking oil: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Unspecified botanical oil/blend; shared pork, squares and conditional noodles uses.
- Annatto-coloured oil (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Preparation notes explicitly mark colouring oil optional despite unqualified marinade step. Complete oil/annatto product manufacture unprovided.
- Pepper: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Hạt tiêu with no colour specified; no forced black pepper.
- Chilli powder (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Method explicitly only if heat is tolerated; exact chilli/blend identity unspecified.
- Aromatic rice: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Inline regional noodle manufacture names fragrant rice; broader rice candidate, cultivar unknown.
- Water: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. One allocation for literal noodle soak/steam/blanch, greens contact, and pork-bone-water when included. Noodle manufacture specifically names Bá Lễ well water; provenance does not add an invented separate food.
- Wood ash: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Inline noodle manufacture explicitly uses ash from unspecified wood brought from Cù Lao Chàm; contact/alkaline-processing input retained. No species, ash composition or substitute food inferred.
- Hội An chilli sauce: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Named final prepared sauce; complete formula and product allergens unprovided, no applicable own recipe link.
- Green xiêm chillies: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Named green xiêm chilli, exact cultivar/species unprovided; also covers generic chilli in serving-greens list.
- Rau húng herbs: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Source aromatic rau húng unqualified; precise mint/basil species unresolved.
- Bean sprouts: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Sprout seed species unprovided; no forced mung bean or soy.
- Cải seedlings: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Rau cải con; exact Brassica/leaf cultivar unprovided, no forced mustard-seed allergen.
- Lettuce: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Method-only xà lách retained.
- Chanh citrus: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Source chanh without botanical identity; broader citrus candidate if available, no forced lemon/lime species.
Origins & food traditions
Cao lầu is a regional speciality of Hội An in central Vietnam.
Cuisines & regions
- Hội An Cuisine
- Central Vietnamese cuisineCatalogue link pending review
- Vietnamese CuisineCatalogue link pending review
AI-generated illustration of one possible presentation. Recipes and ingredients vary; the image does not establish allergen content.