Bún bò Huế

Vietnamese beef noodle soup

Bún bò Huế (pronounced ) or bún bò (/lang//b//uː//n// //b//ɔː/) is a Vietnamese rice noodle (bún) dish with sliced beef (bò), chả lụa, and sometimes pork knuckles. The dish has a mix of spicy, salty, and savory flavors. The predominant flavors is that of lemongrass and shrimp paste. This city, once the capital of Vietnam, has a rich culinary legacy linked to the former royal court of Annam. Beyond its hometown and certain areas in central Vietnam, the dish is often labeled bún bò Huế to indicate its place of origin and to differentiate it from bún bò found in Saigon (south) and Hanoi (north). This classic dish is celebrated for its harmonious blend of spicy, sour, sweet, salty, and umami tastes. The scent of lemongrass prominently features. However, in other major Vietnamese cities, you can find it at various meal times.

Outside the province of Thừa Thiên Huế, it is called bún bò Huế to denote its origin. Within Huế and surrounding cities, it is known simply as bún bò. The broth is prepared by simmering beef bones and beef shank with lemongrass, and then seasoned with fermented shrimp sauce and sugar for taste. Spicy chili oil is added later during the cooking process. Bún bò usually includes thin slices of marinated and boiled beef shank, chunks of oxtail, and pig's knuckles. Bún bò is commonly served with lime wedges, cilantro sprigs, diced green onions, raw sliced onions, chili sauce, thinly sliced banana blossom, red cabbage, mint, basil, perilla, Persicaria odorata or Vietnamese coriander (rau răm), saw tooth herb (ngò gai) and sometimes mung bean sprouts. Thinly sliced purple cabbage is sometimes used a substitute when banana blossoms are not available. Purple cabbage most resembles banana blossom in texture, though not in taste. Fish sauce and shrimp paste are added to the soup according to taste. Ingredients might be varied by region due to their availability.