''Bún bò Huế'' (pronounced ) or ''bún bò'' () is a popular Vietnamese rice noodle (''bún'') dish with sliced beef (''bò''), chả lụa, and sometimes pork knuckles. The dish originates from

Huế Huế () is the capital of Thừa Thiên Huế province in central Vietnam and was the capital of Đàng Trong from 1738 to 1775 and of Vietnam during the Nguyễn dynasty from 1802 to 1945. The city served as the old Imperial City and admi ...

, a city in central Vietnam associated with the cooking style of the former royal court. The dish has a mix of spicy, salty, and umami flavors. The predominant flavor is that of

lemongrass ''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, oily heads, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the grass family. Some ...

. Compared to ''

phở Phở or pho (, , ; ) is a Vietnamese soup dish consisting of broth, rice noodles (), herbs, and meat (usually beef (), sometimes chicken ()). Phở is a popular food in Vietnam where it is served in households, street stalls and restaurants ...

'' or '' bún riêu'', the noodles are thicker and cylindrical.

Features

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 Shrimp paste or prawn sauce is a fermented condiment commonly used in Southeast Asian and Southern Chinese cuisines. It is primarily made from finely crushed shrimp or krill mixed with salt, and then fermented for several weeks. They are eithe ...

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 The beef shank is the leg portion of a steer or heifer. In the UK, the corresponding cuts of beef are the shin (the foreshank), and the leg (the hindshank). Due to the constant use of this muscle by the animal, it tends to be tough, dry, and ...

, chunks of

oxtail Oxtail (occasionally spelled ox tail or ox-tail) is the culinary name for the tail of cattle. While the word once meant only the tail of an ox, today it can also refer to the tails of other cattle. An oxtail typically weighs around and is ski ...

, and pig's knuckles. Andrea Nguyen ''Into the Vietnamese Kitchen: Treasured Foodways, Modern Flavors'' Ten Speed Press 2006 p10 "people from the central region will at first demur and then counter that ''bún bò Huế'', a chile-and-lemongrass-seasoned beef and rice noodle soup from the former imperial capital, is equally good" full recipe p212-214 Bún bò is commonly served with

lime Lime commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Botany ...

wedges,

cilantro Coriander (;

sprigs, diced green onions, raw sliced onions, chili sauce, thinly sliced banana blossom,

red cabbage The red cabbage (purple-leaved varieties of ''Brassica oleracea'' Capitata Group) is a kind of cabbage, also known as Blaukraut after preparation. Its leaves are colored dark red/purple. However, the plant changes its color according to the pH ...

, mint,

basil Basil (, ; ''Ocimum basilicum'' , also called great basil, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae (mints). It is a tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide. In Western cuisine, the generic term "basil" refers to the variety also k ...

perilla ''Perilla'' is a genus consisting of one major Asiatic crop species ''Perilla frutescens'' and a few wild species in nature belonging to the mint family, Lamiaceae. The genus encompasses several distinct varieties of Asian herb, seed, and veget ...

, ''Persicaria odorata'' or

Vietnamese coriander ''Persicaria odorata'', with common names Vietnamese coriander, rau răm, laksa leaf, Vietnamese cilantro, phak phai, praew leaf, hot mint and Cambodian mint, is an herb with aromatic leaves, used in Southeast Asian and Northeast Indian cooking. ...

(''rau răm''), saw tooth herb (''ngò gai'') and sometimes

mung bean sprouts Mung bean sprouts are a culinary vegetable grown by sprouting mung beans. They can be grown by placing and watering the sprouted beans in the shade until the hypocotyls grow long. Mung bean sprouts are extensively cultivated and consumed in Eas ...

. 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 Fish sauce is a liquid condiment made from fish or krill that have been coated in salt and fermented for up to two years. It is used as a staple seasoning in East Asian cuisine and Southeast Asian cuisine, particularly Myanmar, Cambodia, Lao ...

and

shrimp paste Shrimp paste or prawn sauce is a fermented condiment commonly used in Southeast Asian and Southern Chinese cuisines. It is primarily made from finely crushed shrimp or krill mixed with salt, and then fermented for several weeks. They are ei ...

are added to the soup according to taste. Ingredients might be varied by region due to their availability. File:Bún bò huê - Dakao Hoang.jpg, This version of bún bò Huế includes rice vermicelli, beef brisket, pork leg, pig blood curd, and other ingredients. File:Bún bò huê close-up - Dakao Hoang.jpg, Close-up of the same dish

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bun bo Hue Vietnamese soups Culture in Huế Vietnamese words and phrases Noodle soups Vietnamese noodle dishes Vietnamese beef dishes Rice flour dishes