VietnaMenu
A Food Lover's Travel Guide to the Best of Vietnamese Food
Canh Chua
Tamarind Broth Soup
One of the more unique soups in a country full of surprises in a bowl. The name literally translates to "sour soup", but it is much sweeter than a sour soup like the Chinese's hot and sour soup. Tamarind is used to make the broth. Pineapple and tomatoes add even more tang. Flavour absorbing vegetables like elephant ear stalk are often added. Okra often adds a slight bitterness. Garnishes include rice paddy, garlic, and scallions. You may also get a plate of greens that include herbs like Thai basil, Vietnamese coriander, and culantro. The dish originated in the Mekong Delta, so river fish is most commonly used as a protien, but you can also find pork, chicken, shrimp, and vegetarian versions of this delicious Vietnamese soup. It's rare to find a soup without noodles in Vietnam, but this one usually just comes with a plate of rice that can be dipped in the broth a spoonful at a time. It's a satisfying meal that won't have you craving dessert after.
Types of canh chua
- Canh cải chua - pickled mustard greens
- Canh cải chua cá - pickled mustard greens and fish
- Canh cải chua cá - pickled mustard greens and fish
- Canh cải chua lòng heo - pork intestines and pickled mustard greens
- Canh cải chua nấu với bắp bò - pickled mustard greens and beef shank
- Canh cải chua ruột non - pork intestines and pickled mustard greens
- Canh cải chua sườn non - pork ribs and pickled mustard greens
- Canh cải chua thịt bằm - ground pork and pickled mustard greens
- Canh chua cá - fish
- Canh chua cá bông lau - Pangasius krempfi catfish
- Canh chua cá hồi - salmon
- Canh chua cá lăng - Hemibagrus catfish
- Canh chua cá linh bông so đũa - mud carp and Sesbania grandiflora flowers
- Canh chua cá lóc - snakehead fish
- Canh chua cá ngát - Plotosus catfish
- Canh chua cá trê - airbreathing catfish
- Canh chua chay - vegetarian
- Canh chua đầu cá - fish heads
- Canh chua gà - chicken
- Canh chua lá giang cá kèo - mudskipper fish and Aganonerion leaves
- Canh chua lá giang gà - chicken and Aganonerion leaves
- Canh chua lươn - eel
- Canh chua măng - bamboo shoots
- Canh chua me - "me" just refers to the tamarind which almost all kinds of canh chua use
- Canh chua me đất - water mimosa
- Canh chua rau muống - water spinach
- Canh chua rau muống nấu tôm - shrimp and water spinach
- Canh chua rau muống nấu tôm - water spinach and shrimp
- Canh chua rau nhút - water mimosa (same as canh chua me đất)
- Canh chua Thái Lan - Thai tom yum style
- Canh chua thơm nấu tép - pineapple and small shrimp
- Canh chua thơm nấu với tép - pineapple and small shrimp
- Canh chua tôm - shrimp
- Canh chua tôm rau muống - made with shrimp and water spinach
- Canh chua tôm rau muống - water spinach and shrimp
