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Bap nuong (grilled corn in fish sauce)

  2/25/2012
Bắp nướng - Grilled corn
If I comply with my usual code, this entry shouldn't be here because: 
1- Not in season: Danang-ians like to eat grilled corns in the winter only. Now that it's getting warmer, this is far from the perfect weather for this street snack.
and 
2- Unpredictability, instability: I usually avoid writing about newly open places or those I have a feeling that will be closed/moved away soon. Who would want to waste several hours to write about something/somewhere that would be nowhere to be found soon after that?!

But today is one of those I-don't-give-a-sh!t days and I decided to write an entry about this snack anyway.


So last night I was sitting on the pavement, just about 100m away from Han bridge, eating ice cream when suddenly my nose detected a super familiar, super attractive smell. After looking around for quite some time I concluded that it came from one of the restaurants across the road. Until I saw this mobile vendor just 20m away:

Left side: bap nuong vendor; right side: Han bridge 
Found it yet? The one disguised by several green coconuts, was actually selling grilled corn. Holy crap, I haven't seen, let alone eaten grilled corn for a thousand years! So you know the rest of the story: bye ice cream, bap nuong here I come. 

Vietnamese corn is quite different from those I tried overseas. Different texture, much more glutinous. To make it even more Vietnamese, in Danang people pour over the surface some light fish sauce pre-mixed with different types of herbs and spices such as spring onion, garlic, chilli... before grill it over hot charcoal. Hence the irresistible smell. 



Like I said, bap nuong is a favourite snack of locals in the winter, but if you happen to find it in a hot day like I did, take your chances. 
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Where: depends on your luck. I found one on the street next to Han bridge (west side).
How much: 8000VND