Vietnamese has many special foods which are made with rice noodle and soup. This could make you confused but the more you taste, the more different you feel and you will fall in love with Vietnamese noodles.
People often have mistaken between Canh Bun and Bun Rieu because they are very similar. Their soups are both made by pork bones and crabs. They all have tomatoes, fried tofu and crabs. The differences are Canh Bun’s noodle is thicker, we eat them with congealed blood and boiled water spinach.
You could find Bun Rieu in every place in Vietnam but it is not easy with Canh Bun. While it is hard to find Canh Bun in Hanoi or the North villages, you just need to walk down on the road and you will find Canh Bun easily, even in a very small street in Sai Gon. Although you could order Bun Rieu in many restaurants, Canh Bun is preferred to serve as one kind of street foods.
For those who want to discover Sai Gon as a saigonese. They often eat Canh Bun in the afternoon around 5-6pm. All the ingredients are easy to find in the market but people prefer to enjoy Canh Bun on the street. What could make you feel better than a very hot and delicious Canh Bun in a rainy day in Saigon? Sitting on your small chair next to the cooker and smelling the flavor from the soup pot, you will not be patient to wait longer to take your bowl. All the texture is perfect and unforgettable mixed: a bit spicy from satay, a bit sour of lemon and sweet from crabs in the soup. Canh Bun is best served with a lot of boiled water spinach, a slice of lemon and a bit of shrimp paste.
So, what are you waiting for more? Discover and you will enjoy it.
/// Written by Thanh Phuong Ngan Pham, Vietnam