Three types of Vietnamese noodles found a place on a list of Asia’s best noodles put together by CNN Travel to provide a beginner’s guide to popular Asian noodles made from ingredients such as rice, starch, wheat, and vegetables.
“Cao lau” rice noodles are a specialty of Hoi An ancient town in central Vietnam. (Photo: VNA)
“Pho” noodles are said to be a thinner version of flat noodles, made from rice and like luxurious silk bedding - slippery and comforting.
“Bun”, meanwhile, are rice stick noodles and worshipped for their slippery texture and mild fragrance. CNN Travel wrote that “bun” is often served cold with grilled meat, herbs, and a diluted vinegary fish sauce for dipping in Vietnam.
Last but not least, “Cao lau” rice noodles are a specialty of Hoi An ancient town in central Vietnam.
“Cao lau” is a “soup noodle dish consisting of Chinese-influenced sliced barbecue pork, French-influenced fried croutons, and a variety of rice noodles,” according to CNN Travel.
“To make ‘cao lau’ looks simple but a lot depends on the timing and processing,” said Trinh Diem Vy, a celebrity chef, food writer, and owner of nine restaurants in Hoi An.
Old long grain rice is used to make the firm noodles, with water taken only from an ancient well in the town called Ba Le Well.
“Minerals from the water provide the right elements for the noodle’s texture,” said Vy.
After kneaded into a dough it is thinly sliced and steamed over a flame to bring out the unique yellowish hue and springy texture.