By Quynh Anh

Bun bo Hue (Bún bò Huế in Vietnamese and Hue Beef Noodles Dish in English) is one of the Vietnamese popular specialities. It is original from Hue city (in the Central of Vietnam), contains rice vermicelli (bún) and beef (bò) so it is named Bun bo Hue.

The North, Middle and South Vietnam areas are different by ideas, lifestyle, but significantly cuisine. Stereotypically, the Northern prefers salts, the Middle addicts sours and the Southern likes sweet.

For example, Bun bo Hue (Hue Beef Noodles Dish) has same name but been cooked differently by locations. Originally, this dish of course comes from Hue, where locals use lots of lime, vinegars and chilies to highlight braised - beef. Some extreme people even enjoy it more with fresh green, super-hot chilies. The Southern also likes to enjoy this dish the same way, but way spicier with lots more sugar in soup broth.

Coming to Hanoi, Bun bo Hue became less sour, the beef soup is more salty with more flavors from different tasteful ingredients. The Hanoians prefer vegetables to protein, so they put more mixed fresh vegetables to make the dish lighter and easier to digest if serving it during nighttime.

It's up to you, to decide which tastes are better. But be remembered, the significant point of this dish is the broth, so don't just waste any soup behind!