The fifth-largest exporter of rice in the world, Vietnam produces many forms of rice noodle. If you’ve been to Vietnam or just curious about neighborhood Asian market, you might have been overwhelmed by the variety of noodles available. Which ones are good for a stir-fry? Which should you buy fresh, and which are better dried? What even is the difference between all of those white, gray, translucent, and yellow noodles? Below is the list of types of Vietnamese noodles that you should not miss out in order to experience the food diversity of Vietnam
Bun (Rice Vermicelli)
Among the types of Vietnamese noodles, Bun can be considered as the most popular one because it is found in many types of dishes. Bun (pronounced “boon”) is a thin white noodle made from rice. Fresh noodles are sticky and dried noodles are very white. These noodles are best fresh. Some typical dishes with Bun are Bun cha, Bun thit nuong, and Bun bo Hue.
Pho
Pho has been the worldwide icon if Vietnamese cuisine and is surely one of the most famous types of Vietnamese noodles. These thick white rice noodles from the beef or chicken noodle soup. It is also made from rice like Bun but it is flat. Pho has many variants which are separated based on the types of meat going together such as Pho Bo (Beef), Pho Ga (Chicken), Pho Xao, and Pho Cuon.
Mi (Egg Noodles)
Think of these as Chinese lo mein. They’re yellow egg noodles, and I’ve only seen them in stir-fries such as the fried noodles with squid and shrimp, and the same but with beef. Combined with various ingredients and flavorful seasoning, this common choice of noodles can bring you a new experience.
Mien (Glass Noodles)
These gray, opaque noodles are made from mung bean flour or tapioca flour which give it the chewy and slippery texture. They are often added to fried or fresh spring rolls after being soaked in hot water, or served in a chicken soup.
Tapioco and Rice Flour Noodles (Bánh Canh)
These thick white noodles made of tapioca flour or a mix of tapioca flour and rice are similar to Japanese udon noodles. They’re used in different soups and are more common in the center and south of Vietnam that in the north.
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