Nouilles, different kinds of noodle in Vietnam

"Nouilles" is a French word for the same rice products used in famous signature dishes in Vietnam such as Pho (rice noodle soup) or Bun cha (grilled pork rice noodles), etc. In Vietnam, these products are various with "bun”, “banh da” (rice noodles), “mien (glass noodles), “banh da”, “banh canh” (flat rice noodles) and they are different from each other. In this article, we will help you distinguish some types of noodle in Vietnam.

1. Bun (Rice vermicelli noodle)

The process of making noodles is quite complex with rice as a raw material. The flour is finely grinded and chopped into blocks. It is then put into a mound and squeezed into the fiber. Right after that, the fiber of noodles falls into the pot of boiling water placed directly below to boil so that they do not stick to each other. Finally, rice noodles are left on banana leaves under the sunlight to get dried.
Rice noodles stay in two types: fresh noodles and dried noodles. Fresh noodles can be eaten directly while the latter one must be boiled and drained before being used as fresh noodles.

2. Mien (Glass noodles)

Being an indispensable ingredient in Nem (Vietnamese spring rolls), the kind of noodle is made from flour such as rice, arrowroot, green bean or cassava flour. The flour is often soaked in cold water before processing. It is the second commonly used ingredients in lots of in Vietnamese dishes, just behind rice noodles. Glass noodle soup with chicken, crab or musk duck and fresh bamboo shoots are must-try dishes when you come to Vietnam. 

3. Banh da (Dried rice noodles) 

There are two main types of banh da, namely, banh da do (red rice noodles) and banh da trang (white rice noodles). They are similar to Pho, but taste a lot more like the flavour of rice. Also, the red nooodle is the main ingredient to the famous Hai Phong crab rice noodle soup.

4. Mi (Noodles)

In the late 18th century, Europeans came up with the recipe for making noodles from wheat flour and that was widely used in Italy and France. Later, Asians invented a way to make noodles become instant food. Today, noodle has got to be indispensable food in families in Vietnam, Korea, and China, and its taste is greatly attractive to many all over the world.

5. Banh Pho (flat rice noodles)
It is the main ingredient to make dishes such as chicken noodle soup, beef noodle soup, stewed beef noodle soup, etc.
Rice noodles are soaked for at least 4 hours, then grinded with water by stone mortar, then steamed and cooled in natural wind. Finally, thay are into small, long fiber, as what we see in each bowl of pho.

>>> Read more about Best Phở in Ha Noi

6. Banh canh 

This kind of noodles are served as the symbol of cuisine in the center and the south of Vietnam. Made from rice, wheat, cassava or a mixture of rice and cassava, banh canh noodles are soft and a little tough. In comparison with bun – rice vermicelli noodle, they are shorter and wider. The filling of a bun recipe varies from one region to another, such as pork, fish, crab and shrimp while broth of banh canh soup is also prepared with shrimp, fish, ham and spices, depending on the type.

The most famous banh canh are Nam Pho (Hue), Trang Banh (Tay Ninh) and Vinh Trung (An Giang).

Good gourmet discovery!