U.S President Barrack Obama with Mr.Anthony Bourdain
Bún Chả became very famous when the U.S. President Barack Obama sat down with CNN's Anthony Bourdain in a small local Bún Chả noodle shop in Hanoi, Vietnam. One of North Vietnam's most popular food dishes is bun cha. When you travel in North Vietnam you will see signs everywhere advertising the sell of this famous dish called Bún Chả. Bún Chả is a Vietnamese food dish that is thought to have originated in North Vietnam. It is made from rice noodles, grilled pork, salad, and a Bún Chả fish sauce mixture. It is a dish that you can learn to make and serve in your own home.
What Does Bún Chả mean? Bún Chả which is pronounced as Bún (boon) Chả (cha) is a Vietnamese dish of that is thought to have originated from Hanoi in North Vietnam. The word bún means rice noodles and chả means pork. So together Bún Chả means a rice noodle grilled pork dish. The reason why Bún Chả is thought to have come from Hanoi is Vu Bang (1913-1984), a food writer and critic wrote this in 1959 about Hanoi and Bún Chả:
Hanoi is not only famous for being home to ancient, charming buildings but if you look inside some of those old doors, you'll find a great culinary culture in Vietnam. In the capital of Vietnam, you can find many delicious local dishes, especially- bun cha. This simple dish is a great combination of savory and fresh flavors, it has a vibrant color and the harmony of the meat and vegetables is incomparable. When bun cha was first made, it was integrated into the Vietnamese diet almost immediately and naturally. Let's get to know why the people of this country truly love bun cha.
WHAT IS BUN CHA? Bun cha is a local dish that originated in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. Throughout Vietnam you can find a lot of dishes that share a similar recipe to bun cha (like bun thit nuong in Saigon), however, the dish is unbeatable. The dish is very simple to make and can be found anytime of the year. It doesn't matter if you eat bun cha in a restaurant or outside a small cart on the street, you will be served with a plate of vermicelli (bun), a bowl of broth with grilled pork, and a basket of fresh greens. Bun, the vermicelli noodles, are served on a separate plate. Hanoians are very picky when it comes to cooking and you will see this habit clearly if you notice how each dish typically has a different noodle. To make a decent bowl of bun cha, the vermicelli has to be thin, soft, and chewy.
Cha is the meat of this dish, served in a bowl. The meat is made from pork and cooked in two styles: cha vien (ground pork) and cha mieng (grilled thin sliced pork). It is served with the broth. The highlight of bun cha is definitely the broth (or dipping sauce). To make the sweet and sour soul of this dish, the cook mixes fish sauce, vinegar, and sugar together. The ingredients might sound simple but the taste varies from one shop to the next because every Hanoin has their own ratio they follow. Diners can tell whether their bun cha is good or bad by the flavor of the sauce. Without vegetables and herbs, Vietnamese dishes are not complete. In the big basket of greens on the table, you will find fresh lettuce, Thai basil, cilantro, fish mint, banana flower, and coriander.
In the past, people usually had bun cha for lunch. Nowadays, since most of the shops are open from morning until night, people can enjoy it at any time of day. There is no right way or wrong way to eat bun cha. However, commonly, there are two ways to enjoy this delicious meal: southern and northern style. Southern people usually wrap and roll everything they can. So if you love wrapping things, you can use a big leaf of lettuce to wrap the vermicelli, pork, and herbs, then dip the wrap in the sauce and take a big bite. The biggest advantage of this style is you only need to use your hand to eat. So, if you still haven't mastered chopsticks, don't worry about it!
If you want to show off how experienced you are, follow the Hanoians. The Northern way to eat bun cha is much simpler. All you have to do is dip everything in the broth, mix it together, and eat it like a bowl of pho. The vermicelli is quite slippery so it can be both fun and challenging for those of you who haven't mastered your chopsticks skills yet. Now you know how to eat the bun cha like a pro. The next question is where can you find the best bun cha in Vietnam?