Vietnamese crab noodle soup, locally known as bún riêu and noodle stir-fry with crab meat, or miến xào cua, have been recognised among 100 best crustacean dishes in the world, by TasteAtlas.

There are a number of types of bún riêu, including crab noodle soup, shrimp noodle soup, snail noodle soup, pork greaves noodle soup and others.

Ranking 44 in the TasteAtlas list, the traditional bún riêu dish, is lauded as an 'essence of the folk' and 'the quintessence of simplicity' and along with miến xào cua, which appears at number 76, the two have conquered global tastes.

According this world leading culinary site, bún riêu, is regularly on the list of most popular dishes of Vietnamese cooking. 

Bún riêu is a crab-based Vietnamese noodle soup, created in several versions, but the most popular one is made with a tomato base and goes under the name bún riêu cua. 

The soups are prepared with different broths, but they are always infused with crab paste and come served with vermicelli noodles, while the toppings typically include crab meat, pork, tofu, tomatoes, blood jelly and a selection of fresh greens, such as perilla or bean sprouts.

The combination of sweet and sour flavours makes bún riêu one of the favourite noodle dishes in the country. 

The soul of bún riêu is a light sweet broth stewed from pork or beef bones, tomato and fragrant crab paste, which is an indispensable ingredient of this Vietnamese vermicelli noodles dish, said master chef Phạm Tuấn Hải.

Soft noodles combined with crab meat, pork ribs, tofu, tomatoes, blood jelly, boiled snail and a selection of fresh greens such as perilla or bean sprouts have helped to create a dish of explosive aromatic flavours, which was simply amazing, he said.

Many foodies agreed that the dish was unforgettable, made even more enjoyable when eaten with shrimp paste, vinegar, lesson or fresh chilli.

Stir-fry noodles with crab, a genuine flavour from the seas

Việt Nam, with its rich sea and maritime heritage, has an abundance of all sorts of crustaceans, including sea crab. 

Fried crab noodle, or miến cua xào, is a foodie favourite among all the crustacean dishes in the country, said Hải.

Ingredients to make the dish include noodles, crab meat, wood-ear mushrooms, perfume mushrooms, carrots and green bean sprouts. 

These ingredients are stir-fried in a large pan for ten minutes, then dressed with a combination of lime juice, minced garlic, sugar and fish sauce, said Hải.

When it is done, the dish is garnished with chopped green onions and coriander before being brought to the table and served.

The traditional tasty and delicious dish can often be found on restaurant and hotel menus. In the past, it was cooked at home for special occasions and big parties such as Tết (the Lunar New Year), but nowadays, cooks often prepare it at the weekend, Hải told Việt Nam News. 

“The dish is so attractive and tasty. A winning combination between soft noodle threads and the light sweet flavour of fresh crab meat, which is carefully peeled to keep its natural sweet texture,” he said, noting that the dish is more enjoyable when eaten with fresh herbs.

The dish is not only available at restaurants, but, in spite of being a 'special' dish, can also be found at popular food stalls so everyone can enjoy it, said Hải.

These two Vietnamese dishes honoured by TasteAtlas have helped to elevate local cooking, however rustic its origins, onto the world culinary map, said Hải.

Previously, other Vietnamese dishes such as phở, bánh mì (bread) and gỏi cuốn tôm thịt (shrimp and pork salad) were also recognised among top best dishes in the world by TasteAtlas, he added. VNS