YummY Vietnam

If the North is famous for Pho, the South has Hu Tieu, Bun Bo Hue is the speciality of Central Vietnam.

It is called Bun Bo Hue simply because it is a noodle dish made by Hue people. Hue people call this dish simply “bun bo” or more specifically “bun bo gio heo”. However, in other localities, it is called “bun bo Hue” to show its origin and distinguish from their local beef noodle dish. Although Bun Bo Hue is one of the Hue specialties, today this dish is popular in all three regions of Vietnam and overseas, gradually Bun Bo Hue has become a popular dish in Vietnamese breakfast

Not only is this dish loved by Vietnamese people but it is also famous in the world, and the Asian Record Organization put it on the list of Top 100 dishes with Asian culinary value, and famous American chef named Anthony Bourdain - Experimental character in the culinary discovery series “Anthony Bourdain” broadcast on American TV channel CNN and he ate bun cha with former US President - Obama in Hanoi – said that: “Bun Bo Hue is the best soup in the world I have ever enjoyed. ”

To have a delicious Bun Bo Hue dish, Hue people are quite picky when choosing bun in Van Cu village (Huong Toan - Huong Tra town). By Van Cu rice noodle is large, soft and chewy. This is a famous rice noodle village with a history of more than 400 years, providing noodles for Hue City.

In the past, Bun Bo Hue used to contain the main ingredient such as rice noodles, beef jerky, pork leg, and red typical broth. After a long time with culinary preferences of each region, now, Bun Bo Hue has many other ingredients to bring different tastes, including beef, pig’s trotters, meat rolls, crab rolls, ribs, boiled pork blood, pork sausages, pork sausages and lean porkers. While lemongrass creates the special flavor of Bun Bo Hue, Mam Ruoc - a typical paste of Hue and is the most important ingredient to make the taste of Bun Bo Hue. In addition, some vegetables such as bean sprouts, chopped bananas, chopped spinach, basil and lettuce play an indispensable role in this dish.

The most delicious dish is not in the luxurious restaurants, it appears in the street or old and traditional ones such as Bun bo Hue O Xuan, Bun bo hue O Duong and so on. If you want to try making this dish, you can refer to the following recipe below.

Ingredients for making Bun bo Hue recipe:

- For the broth: 1kg pig’s trotters, 3 tsp of salt, 10 branches of lemongrass.
- 1 Beef shank
- Cooking oil, green onion, pork blood, 2 tablespoons of chili powder, ½ cup of fish sauce, 3 tablespoons of Mam Ruoc, 1 tablespoon of monosodium glutamate, ½ tablespoon of sugar, onion, coriander.

- Rice vermicelli noodles, lettuce, lemon, chili.

How to make Bun Bo Hue

Step 1:

To make broth, cut pig’s trotters into small pieces, wash it into cold water to remove minced bone and meat.

Boil the pig’s trotters, remove boiled water, wash the pig’s trotters again to remove small pieces

Put the pig’s trotters into a big pot, pour about 4-5l water and 2 tablespoons of salt, and boil it. Remove the foam regularly to make the water clear, then reduce the heat for about 2 hours to make the pig’s trotters soften and getting sweet water.

Then ladle it out a dish.

Step 2:

Lemongrass washed, cut 7-10cm piece, pounding, tied tightly.

Put bunches of lemongrass into a pot of water to simmer, boil and make fragrant broth

Beef shank washed, scrubbed with salt water, blanched over boiling water, then put in a pot of water with lemongrass to simmer for another 2 hours over medium heat until softened.

Step 3:

To make this dish more colorful and rich taste, you can fry scallion, chili powder and oil and then add to the broth.

After the beef soften, you take lemongrass out.

To have true flavor of Bun Bo Hue, you must not ignore Mam Ruoc. Take about 3 tablespoons of Mam Ruoc, you mix with 150ml of water, only mixed cold water not boiling water. Stir to dissolve, pour through the sieve and then slowly pour into the broth, seasoning carefully.

Step 4:

Boil the blood pork again, cut pieces to eat.

Step 5:

About Mam Ruoc, add a little broth, salt, monosodium glutamate, sugar and stir to make dipping sauce. Peeled onions, sliced thinly. Scallions, coriander cleaned, chopped. Slice the beef shank into bite-size pieces.

Step 6:

Put noodles into a bowl, add the broth and onions, scallions for fragrant, it can be served with dipping sauce.