Bun Quay is also called Bun Nuoc. Perhaps that is how our grandparents called it based on what they saw. In addition, it also has other names such as Bun Ram, Cua (some places also process it with fish, shrimp, squid, beef, etc.), depending on the type of food served with the noodles.
After pressing the noodles, put them in a bowl with ground crabs, fish, meat, etc. When pouring the rice water from the noodles pressed on the spot, the water to make the noodles is still hot, into a bowl with spices such as pepper, chili, salt, herbs, etc., then use chopsticks to stir the food and spices evenly. If the crabs and crabs have been ground with a stone mill until smooth and cooked, put them in the bowl after the noodles have been stirred before using.
Although Bun Nuoc looks simple, it is quite elaborate to prepare and it is known as "the convergence of the quintessence of the rivers, lagoons and lakes of Phu My", my hometown.
The special thing about Phu My (Binh Dinh) stir-fried vermicelli is that it is pressed as you eat it, so the vermicelli always retains its clear color, fragrant taste and chewiness, completely chemical-free. When eating, just put the vermicelli in a bowl, pour a ladle of the sauce on top. Or you can leave the vermicelli and the bowl of sauce separately (called dry vermicelli) depending on your preference.
This type of vermicelli, as I learned from the locals, is sometimes “misrepresented”, but in any case, it remains forever in my memory. Therefore, I can temporarily affirm that vermicelli soup only exists in my hometown - Phu My (Binh Dinh), and especially among people living in the communes around Chau Truc lagoon, a fairly large brackish lagoon in the region.
Mr. Nguyen Van Hanh (right cover) - Owner of the noodle shop (06B, Doan Thi Diem Street, Pleiku City) instructs customers on how to eat noodle soup. Photo: Minh Nhat
At first, there were only vermicelli made from rice and crabs. People caught crabs, soaked them, washed them, pounded them, used cloth or a sieve to filter the water, discarded the residue, cooked them or let them sour, then braised them with aromatic leaves. When the vermicelli was stirred, the processed crabs were placed on top of the vermicelli bowl. Just looking at them made me crave them.
But to eat it the way Phu My people do, each bowl of bun quay needs to be eaten with crispy grilled rice paper, adding some herbs, crushed roasted peanuts, chili and lemon.
During the process of following Phu My people to many places, crab meat noodle soup has gradually been replaced by other ingredients and the way diners use it has also changed somewhat.
Now, every time I return to my hometown Phu My, I still go to the noodle shops. The female owners no longer have to go through the painstaking steps of preparing this “specialty” dish like in the past. From making noodles to processing crab, squid, fish, shrimp, beef, etc., all are done by motorized equipment so that customers do not have to wait long.
On Phu Quoc Island or Kon Tum Plateau, Pleiku (Gia Lai) now there are many shops serving bun quay for breakfast. It has become a breakfast and late night dish for tourists and locals.
This dish is not only strange and delicious, but also a hangover cure for those who have drunk too much during parties. Many restaurants even let customers cook for themselves before enjoying this dish.
In Kon Tum City, my friend said that there are many bun quay shops in Hoa Binh Ward; wherever Phu My people go, they bring this popular breakfast dish. But there are also exceptions, such as at house number 06B, Doan Thi Diem Street, Dien Hong Ward, Pleiku City, there is also a bun quay shop.
I asked the owner, Doan Thi Anh Xuan, and was told that she is from the Mountain City, not from the lagoon area of Chau Truc. To open this noodle shop, she and her family had to study in many places, including Kon Tum to learn how to prepare the dish… like the “original” version of the noodle making profession.
And, to suit the Mountain Town diners, she replaced the crabs with shrimp, beef, eggs, and sausage. The restaurant owner affirmed that cleanliness and deliciousness are the top criteria.
Several times the author of this article was invited to attend culinary events in Kbang district, he saw a stall selling bun quay products made by people from My Chau commune (next to Chau Truc lagoon) brought from their hometown to introduce to diners. Seeing my interest in bun quay, the stall owner enthusiastically promoted the brand of her hometown's specialty.
Each Vietnamese countryside has its own products, rustic dishes are one of those special features. Now, people call them OCOP products and put OCOP into one of the new rural standards.
It is also a way to preserve the cultural identity of regions and localities, limiting the loss in the process of rural urbanization.
Bun quay from the river region to the highlands and mountain towns is an objective “translocation” that is welcomed by the people on the mountains. Hopefully this “quintessence of the river region and lagoons” will be one of the specialties that blends with the dishes here, contributing to enriching the OCOP of the Mountain Town.
Comment (0)