Bun Rieu

A tomato broth is enriched with a paste of freshwater crab that sets into delicate floating clumps, served over rice vermicelli with tofu, herbs and shrimp paste. It is a tangy, beloved Vietnamese soup.

Bun rieu is a northern Vietnamese soup whose origins are often traced to the Red River Delta, where freshwater crabs are abundant. The dish likely evolved from simple crab-based soups eaten by farmers, but its exact history is debated, as similar tomato-and-crab noodle soups appear across the country with local twists.

Regional variations are notable: in the north, the broth tends to be lighter and more crab-forward, while southern versions add more tomatoes, sugar, and sometimes tamarind for sweetness. Bun rieu is a beloved everyday comfort food, often eaten for breakfast or lunch, and holds cultural significance as a home-style dish that showcases the ingenuity of using freshwater crab to create a rich, tangy broth.