Central Vietnam · Bún bò Huế
Bún Bò Huế: Central Vietnam's Spicy Beef Noodle Soup
What makes bún bò Huế different from phở, where to eat it in Huế, and an authentic home recipe with lemongrass, shrimp paste and chilli oil.
If phở is Vietnam’s gentle ambassador, bún bò Huế is its bold younger sibling. The soup comes from Huế, the former imperial capital, and it captures the Central Vietnamese love of strong flavours. It is fragrant with lemongrass, deep with fermented shrimp paste, and glossy with red chilli oil.
Why it tastes the way it does
Central Vietnam has a harsh climate, with scorching summers and flood-prone winters. Cooks here traditionally relied on preserved, intense flavours such as fermented shrimp and fish pastes, salt and chilli. Bún bò Huế brings these together, then balances them with lemongrass and a little sugar. The result is less polished than Hanoi phở and more complex.
In Huế itself, the soup is simply called bún bò. The “Huế” was added in other cities to mark where it comes from.
Where to eat it in Huế
Locals eat bún bò for breakfast, often at small family stalls that sell out by mid-morning. Look for busy places with a big pot of broth at the front and a tray of herbs and banana blossom on each table. In Huế you will also be offered a small dish of sa tế, a fiery chilli-lemongrass paste.
How to eat it
Add the herbs and shredded banana blossom first, squeeze in some lime, then taste before adding more chilli. Eat the noodles and meat with chopsticks, and drink the broth from the spoon, or the bowl if no one is watching.
Recipe: Bún bò Huế
Ingredients
- 1 kg beef shank (bắp bò)
- 1 pork hock (giò heo), cut into rounds
- 1 kg pork or beef bones
- 6 stalks lemongrass, bruised, plus 2 finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fermented shrimp paste (mắm ruốc Huế)
- 1 onion and a thumb of ginger, charred
- 3 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, salt to taste
- 3 tbsp oil, 2 tsp annatto seeds, 1–3 tbsp chilli flakes, 3 garlic cloves
- 1 kg thick round rice noodles (bún bò / bún sợi to)
- Optional: chả lụa or crab cakes, cubes of pig's blood (huyết)
- To serve: banana blossom, mint, Vietnamese coriander, bean sprouts, lime, sliced onion, spring onion
Method
- Blanch the bones, beef shank and pork hock in boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse to keep the broth clean.
- Put the bones, meat, charred onion, ginger and bruised lemongrass in a large pot with about 5 litres of water. Simmer gently, skimming often.
- Remove the beef shank after about 1.5 hours and the pork hock after about 2 hours, once tender. Cool and slice the shank.
- Stir the shrimp paste into a cup of water and let it settle for 15 minutes. Pour the clear liquid into the broth and discard the sediment.
- Make the chilli oil: warm the oil with annatto seeds until red, strain, then fry the chopped lemongrass, garlic and chilli flakes for 1 minute.
- Season the broth with fish sauce, sugar and salt, and stir in some of the chilli oil. It should taste fragrant, savoury and slightly sweet.
- Blanch the noodles, put them in bowls with sliced beef, pork hock and chả, and ladle over the hot broth. Serve with herbs, lime and extra chilli oil.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between bún bò Huế and phở?
Phở uses flat rice noodles and a clear, spiced beef broth. Bún bò Huế uses thick round noodles and a bolder broth built on lemongrass, fermented shrimp paste and chilli oil, with both beef and pork. It is spicier, saltier and more pungent, which is typical of Central Vietnamese food.
Is bún bò Huế very spicy?
It is usually spicier than other Vietnamese noodle soups, but much of the heat comes from chilli oil and sa tế (chilli paste) that you add yourself at the table. Ask for ít cay if you want it milder.
Can I make bún bò Huế without shrimp paste?
You can, but it will not taste like bún bò Huế. Mắm ruốc gives the broth its signature depth. Dissolve it in water and let it settle first, and the smell becomes much milder.
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