Bánh canh

Bánh canh is a Vietnamese noodle soup built on a thick, chewy noodle made from rice flour or from rice flour and tapioca starch, served in a seasoned broth with a topping of meat or seafood.

What it really is

Bánh canh takes its name from the Vietnamese word for soup, canh, and the noodle, which is short, thick and springy, rather than soft and slippery like phở noodles. The noodle is made from a dough of rice flour, often mixed with tapioca starch, that is shaped into thick strands and cooked in boiling water. The broth is a light stock, usually from pork bones or from a mix of pork and dried shrimp, seasoned with fish sauce, black pepper, shallot and scallion. Common toppings include crab, pork meatball, shrimp and quail egg, and the crab version (bánh canh cua) is one of the best-known forms in southern Vietnam.

The dish has regional forms. Bánh canh cua in Ho Chi Minh City and the south is often thickened and made with crab, while bánh canh in central Vietnam, around Huế, may use a fish-based broth and a different noodle. Bánh canh is often confused with bún (round rice vermicelli) and with phở, but the noodle is thicker and chewier than either, and the broth is usually thicker and more starchy in the southern crab version.

How it's served

• Served hot in a deep bowl with the noodles, broth and toppings together.
• Eaten with a spoon and chopsticks, often with fresh herbs, lime and chilli sauce on the side.
• Usually a light meal or breakfast, sold by street vendors and in noodle shops.
• Diners add black pepper, fish sauce or chilli to taste at the table.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the noodle and the topping: for example "bánh canh cua" (crab) or "bánh canh giò heo" (pork), so the guest knows the main protein.
• Flag CRUSTACEANS for crab and shrimp, FISH for fish sauce, EGGS for quail egg and WHEAT if tapioca or wheat starch is in the noodle.
• State the broth type (pork or seafood) and whether it is thickened.
• Give the spice level, as chilli is usually served separately.