It’s a paradise for banh canh, but when you come to Hue, you have to eat banh canh crab to get it right!

1A simple bowl of Hue crab noodle soup

Banh Canh in general or Banh Canh Crab in particular is a dish often chosen by Hue people for breakfast or late dinners. The bowls of Crab Noodle Soup when served to diners are still steaming with a seductive aroma, truly a ‘magnet’ that holds the hearts of many diners on their journey to discover dreamy Hue.

See more: Mussel rice – From poor family dishes to the quintessence of Hue cuisine

Roaming all over the streets near and far in the ancient capital on a beautiful sunny day, you will easily come across countless places selling this attractive Crab Noodle Soup, from large stores with bright lights or simply Street vendors and soup chairs sit and quickly eat bowls of banh canh on the side of the road. It seems that the whole simple and simple style of Hue people for many generations has been encapsulated in a bowl of crab soup with an attractive red color. People often joke with each other that sometimes they sit down to quickly slurp a mouthful of broth, quickly slide a few chopsticks of bread, but it tastes better than when they sit on an iron chair and enjoy a bowl of banh canh under the sunlight. bright electric lights. So, we have known for a long time that Hue is simple, but in the way of enjoying the food, surely no one has had the opportunity to see it.

2What is so special about a bowl of Hue Crab Noodle Soup that anyone who has eaten it can linger and not want to stop chopping?

2.1 Bowl of Hue Crab Noodle Soup with attractive rice flour noodles

Unlike other banh noodle dishes commonly sold everywhere, a proper bowl of Hue crab noodle soup must use noodle soup made from rice flour. The chef will select the largest and most delicious rice grains to make.

After being milled, the rice will be kneaded with warm water to form a flexible dough. Next, the chef will roll the dough into thin layers before cutting it into small strips, about 10 to 12 cm long and about 1 cm thick. Thanks to this handmade method, the noodles in the bowl of Crab Noodle Soup in Hue are always very soft, have a pleasant aroma of rice flour and do not leave a sour aftertaste when eaten like noodles made from industrial flour. other career.

2.2 Rich flavor of broth in a simple bowl of Hue Crab Noodle Soup

What makes the special bowls of Crab Noodle Soup widely sold on major roads or small alleys in the peaceful ancient capital is the broth. Unlike Bun Bo Hue, Banh Canh broth has a moderately sweet taste but still brings the full flavor to the enjoyer.

To be able to cook the most authentic Hue broth, the chef will choose fresh crabs that have just arrived in the kitchen, then simmer them for 2 hours to get fresh water. They will add spices to the crab broth to add more flavor to the already delicious broth. When the broth has the most suitable and complete flavor, the chef will put the noodles into the pot to cook directly. They will also add a little rice flour to the broth to create a unique consistency for the crab soup bowls.

When the dough is cooked, they will continue to roll the crab patties into moderately sized balls, then drop them into the pot of broth. These crab rolls are considered the ‘soul’ of a bowl of Hue crab soup with a unique aroma and moderate chewiness in each roll.

The reason why these crab rolls are the ‘soul’ of a bowl of Crab Noodle Soup is because of the sweet, fatty flavor of crab meat mixed with raw sausage, shrimp and pork skin, seasoned with a little seasoning. flavor and even pepper to enhance the flavor. More specifically, unlike the crab rolls in the bowl of Bun Bo Hue, the crab rolls in Banh Canh Crab are a bit more elaborate. That’s why the seller always mixes a lot of ingredients and spices together to make the patties the most delicious, fragrant and flavorful.

2.3 Impressed by the way the seller ‘walks the right path’ with a big ladle to scoop up noodle soup

After someone orders, the chef will skillfully scoop up the rice flour noodle soup strands into the bowl using a ‘super giant’ ladle. With this ladle, they just need to quickly slide around the pot to scoop out all the noodles, broth, crab cakes and even quail eggs. It sounds simple, but only those with quick skills and many years of trading experience can scoop so quickly and flexibly. Because if they don’t pull the scoop, the long noodle soup strands will fall back into the pot, and they can only get the broth. But because you put the noodle soup fibers directly into the pot of broth, if you stir too many times, the noodle soup will be crushed and no longer delicious and attractive.

Those same nimble hands, after scooping up a bowl full of Crab Noodle Soup with a variety of ingredients, will continue to sprinkle on the bowl of noodle soup with crispy pork rinds, add a little colorful chili, onions, cilantro and a sprinkle of pepper to make the dish more flavorful and attractive.

With such a fast speed, when it reaches the diner, the bowl of Crab Noodle Soup is still hot and steaming, making the diner even hungrier. Right from the first spoonful, you can fully feel the sweetness of the broth, the chewy taste of the crab patties and the softness of the handmade rice flour noodles, mixed with the aroma of cilantro. brings extremely attractive and memorable Hue specialties experiences.

A truth that everyone knows is that Hue people eat spicy foods very well. This can be explained by the fact that on winter days, the temperature in Hue is really harsh with extreme cold, so they often eat a lot of chili so that the heat can dispel the cold somewhat. Therefore, if you come to Hue, don’t be surprised when they serve any dish with a jar of super spicy pickled chili. It is the feeling of both enjoyment and sometimes having to stop, sniff, and rub when biting into a piece of chili that will make your moments of enjoying Crab Noodle Soup more enjoyable. Oh, and sometimes at Crab Noodle Soup shops, they often serve it with bread. This was formed due to the difficult lifestyle of working people in Hue. They often dip bread in broth to eat to strengthen their stomachs and stay full longer.

3Where can you go if you want to enjoy an authentic bowl of Hue Crab Noodle Soup?

It is not difficult for you to find shops selling Crab Noodle Soup on every street in this city of the Perfume River and peaceful Ngu Mountain. Although diverse and attractive with many different ingredients, the price of a bowl of crab soup is very cheap, ranging from 10,000 VND to 20,000 VND. If you want to enjoy a delicious bowl of crab soup, refer to MIA’s list below. VN please.

O Buom Crab Noodle Soup Shopunder Gia Hoi bridge, Hue city

Crab noodle soup shop on Nguyen Khuyen streetopposite the Redemptorist Church

Pham Hong Thai sugar noodle soupHue city

A bowl of hot Crab Noodle Soup with the sweetness of the broth, the chewiness of the crab patties and the spiciness of the pickled chili will definitely bring you memorable culinary experiences on your journey to Hue, Perfume River and Mountains. Ngu. If you have the opportunity to come here, you must definitely enjoy Crab Noodle Soup!