The clattering sound of pork paste on bamboo cylinder

Making pork paste on bamboo cylinder came to a halt for roughly 15 years despite its similarly fine quality to pork bologna, roasted cinnamon pork paste, or beef ham. The reason is not always clear, even to Mrs. Chau, a lady in a three-generation family making fermented pork rolls and ham on Dao Duy Anh street.

On this return, grilled pork paste on bamboo cylinder, in addition to being a quick snack or a side dish to bread, has been served in restaurants’ menus or wedding banquets as appetizers and is much loved by many customers.

Normally, each 1-meter-long bamboo cylinder holds 2-3 kg of pork paste that takes an approximate grill time from 30-45 minutes depending on total weight. Its recipe and procedure are similar to regular pork bologna and roasted cinnamon pork paste. However, to save the pork paste cylinder from burning while still enriching its greasiness and fragrance, besides the five-spice powder, 200 grams of diced pork nape fat will be added to every kilo of pork flesh paste.

Grilled pork paste on bamboo cylinder is often sold within a day. And when we follow lady street vendors, the fragrant smell of grilled pork paste wafts all over the city along with the clattering sound of bamboo cylinder and the vendor’s cry "Pork paste on bamboo for sale...”

Mrs. Chau (on Dao Duy Anh street) shared, after the pork meat is kneaded, it needs some time to cake and firmly stick onto the bamboo cylinder.

The secret of this dish is to make sure all is evenly grilled.

While the pork paste is being attached onto the bamboo tube, hot charcoal should be ready.

While grilling, spread a layer of cooking oil, honey and five-spice powder to add color and smell.

A 3-kilogram paste on bamboo cylinder is thoroughly grilled after about 35 minutes constantly rolling on the hot charcoal.

It is hard to resist these eye-catching, fragrant pork paste on bamboo cylinders

At 6am, pick-ups are ready at wholesale price of 150 thousand VND/kg

Auntie Na, with her 10-year experience making pork paste for bread stuffing in Dong Ba market, said: "From 6:00 am to about 10:00 am, 2kg of grilled pork paste is sold out."

Combining with a bit of chili hot sauce, salt and pepper, laksa leaves, and cucumber, grilled pork paste on bamboo cylinder should be one of the must-try delicious and cheap street food for travelers every time they visit Hue.

By Han Dang