Bun thang luon (rice vermicelli noodles with chicken, eggs, pork and eel) is famous in Pho Hien of Hung Yen province). Bun thang luon was recognized as one of 100 Vietnamese specialties of Vietnam in 2020-2021 by the Vietnam Record Association.

To create delicious bun thang luon which meet standards, chefs spend a lot of time to treat many ingredients. Only patient and skilled people can prepare this dish, according to Phuong, the owner of a bun thang luon shop in Hung Yen City.

She said the Hung Yen dish is different from Hanoi Bun thang, mostly in the ingredients and the broth.

A serving of Hung Yen Bun thang luon includes vermicelli, eel meat, lean pork paste, fried eggs and grilled pork sides, and the broth has crab, sea worms and dried shrimp. The important spice that needs to be added is shrimp paste which gives it a distinctive flavor.

The vermicelli used for bun thang luon must be tangled vermicelli made in Vien Tieu vermicelli village in Tien Lu of Hung Yen. The vermicelli is of moderate thickness, soft but slightly chewy.

Eels used to cook bun thang must be live and healthy.

“Chefs put live eels into a basin, sprinkle salt on the eels, and then cover the basin tightly so that the eel struggles vigorously, removing the slime from its skin. After that, the chef needs to boil the eels, debone them, and separate meat from bones. The process requires meticulousness so that the meat is not crushed,” said Phuong.

The eel meat will be marinated with spices such as turmeric, ginger, onions and salt to remove the fishy smell, create eye-catching color and increase the flavor. The marinated eel then will be deep fried with dried onions.

Only experienced chefs can fry eel meat well. The time of frying must be long enough to cook evenly, so that the eel is crispy outside but soft inside and has a beautiful brown color.

Broth, considered the soul of the dish, is created from crab and simmered bones.

Hung Yen’s Bun thang luon attracts diners thanks to its visual harmony, with the white color of vermicelli, the brown color of eels, and the yellow color of eggs, plus the green color of herbs.

Thao Trinh