Lakeside green papaya salad
Hanoi is famous for its beef pho and bun cha, which are often included on lists of the world’s best street foods. Hanoians feel proud when visitors compliment these dishes or ask where to try them.
Equally delicious is Hanoi’s lakeside green papaya salad with beef jerky (“nom bo kho”). Served beside Hoan Kiem Lake, this dish is called “Nom Bo Kho Bo Ho” by Hanoians with Bo Ho colloquially referring to the area around Hoan Kiem Lake. As diners wait to be served, the familiar sound of clicking scissors cutting the beef jerky whets their appetites.
The fresh combination of crunchy grated unripe papaya and minty green marjoram is enhanced by a spicy chili sauce. Sunlight seems to dance on the plate thanks to this salad’s bright mix of colors.
Many places in Hanoi serve green papaya salad, each with their own style, but the quintessential place to try this simple but sophisticated dish, which originates from Ma May Street, is on the corner near Hoan Kiem Lake. Here, you’ll taste a salad that’s crisp, sweet, and crunchy. The salad is just dry enough, with tender and flavorful beef jerky, dried liver, and a dash of beef tendon to complement each other and bring out the sweet, sour, and spicy salad dressing, topped with roasted peanuts. The bursts of flavors are like a happy song that makes people twirl. The simple ingredients of this lakeside papaya salad make it far more delicious and memorable than versions served in fancy restaurants.
