Sometimes, I get confused between all the existing type of soups and noodles used in Vietnamese cuisine. To clarify, here are the main families of broths, and noodles.
[In progress] the list is still being completes, as I discover other dishes.
Noodles are important the consistence of the dish.
- Rice noodles
- Bánh phở , are flat noddles used for the pho soup, they exists in thin, medium and wide width. (my recipe)
- Bún, are thin round vermicelli, they can use used in soup or more often in dry dishes. (like the filling for spring rolls)
- Eggs & wheat noodles
- Mì, are more yellow in color, there is a wide range of versions, they are exceptions. In my mind they are close to the Chinese noodles.
- Starch noodles
- Hủ tiếu are made of tapioca, thin and translucid, they are also refer as vermicelli
- Miến are a glass noodles, made of starch, It can be by beans or other ingredients.
The broth is the key for the flavor:
- Beef
- Phở is the most famous one, the broth is made of beef pieces and bones, and star anis. The meat could be oxtail, great for the taste, and for the serving there is a wide range of raw steak, cooked briskets, tripes and meatballs.
- Bún Bò Huế, is a more spicy version of hue, with more sour&sweetness
- Chicken / ga
- Miến Gà has glass noddles
- Phở ga, is using the same ingredient, but use chicken meat and broth
- Mi ga, uses egg noodles, and salad
- Bún Măng Vịt is similar but uses Duck.
- Pork / thịt
- Cao Lầu,
- Bánh Canh
- Bún Riêu is very colorful, and used vermicelli, and tomato, tamarin, shrimp an crab. It can also include solidified pork blood.
- Hủ Tiếu Nam Vang, is a verions of a Cambogian dish, using tapioca noodles
- Crab / Cua
- Bánh Canh cua used sheets of tapioca
- Bánh Canh cua used sheets of tapioca