30-minute Bun Mam Recipe (Vietnamese Fermented Fish Noodle Soup)
Bun mam is a noodle dish that is not very common, even in Vietnam. This unique dish is widely enjoyed only in Saigon and the Southwestern region of the country, a delta with vast fields full of freshwater fish. But I believe that once you get accustomed to the distinctive fish sauce aroma, you will love this noodle soup.
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Bun mam – Representative of Southwestern Vietnamese Cuisine
Like every other country, Vietnam’s cuisine is divided by regions. For example, Hanoi is famous for bun cha and West Lake shrimp cakes, while Saigon is known for rice paper salad (banh trang tron), Com Tam, and lemongrass pork and vermicelli (bun thit nuong). Similarly, mentioning bun mam instantly brings us to mind the Southwestern region – “miền Tây” in Vietnamese.
The Southwestern region of Vietnam is also known as the Mekong Delta, the most fertile land of the country. With fresh water from the Mekong River, this region produces most of Vietnam’s rice and is also the largest source of seafood (especially freshwater and brackish water shrimp and fish). Therefore, various types of fish paste, such as Henicorhynchus fermented fish paste (mắm cá linh) and Snakeskin gourami fermented fish paste (mắm cá sặc), are very common here. From these fermented fish pastes, the locals can prepare many tasty daily dishes, with the most special ones being fermented fish hot pot (lẩu mắm) and fermented fish noodle soup (bun mam, also called Vietnamese seafood gumbo).
Ingredients of Bun Mam
From my experience, bun mam is a unique and flavorful noodle dish that can be cooked very quickly, in just 30-40 minutes. This is because, instead of having to simmer bones for a long time to make the broth like you do for pho, beef noodle (bun bo), hu tieu, or thick noodles (banh canh), you only need to mix fermented fish paste with water to achieve a intense, rich flavor.
The ingredients for bun mam are not too complicated, except for the “soul” of the dish, fermented fish paste. You can find fermented fish paste at Vietnamese or Thai food stores. It is usually stored in glass jars, with a thick consistency and a yellow-brown color.
Additionally, the remaining ingredients for this dish are quite easy to find, and you can purchase them at any supermarket. Please refer to my recipe below, enough for 4 bowls of bun mam:
- 200g fermented fish paste (7 oz)
- 1.6L bone broth (56.4 oz)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 eggplants (200g, 7 oz)
- 4 stalks lemongrass
- 400g squid (14 oz)
- 200g shrimp (7 oz)
- 400g crispy pork belly (14 oz) (optional)
- 400g dried rice vermicelli, cooked (14 oz)
- 600g (21.2 oz) bean sprouts/ water spinach/ water lily stems/ mint
Cooking Instruction
Step 1. Preparation
- Wash the eggplant and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Finely chop the lemongrass. Clean the shrimp and squid; if you’re using frozen shrimp and squid, just let them thaw. For the roasted pork, you can re-roast it to make it crispy if you bought or made it beforehand. Wash the vegetables and let them drain.
Step 2. Cook the Broth
- Add all the fermented fish paste to the water/bone broth. Use a whisk or simply a spoon to stir until the fish paste is fully dissolved. Strain the broth through a sieve to remove any fish bones, then bring it to a boil on the stove. When the broth boils, skim off the foam to make it clearer.
- In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and add the chopped lemongrass, stirring until it begins to turn yellow and fragrant, then add the eggplant. Pour about 1 cup of water into the pan, reduce to medium heat, and stir-fry the eggplant until it is tender.
- Add all the stir-fried eggplant to the pot of broth and stir well. Season the broth with sugar and fish sauce, adding them gradually to control the flavor of the broth.
Step 3. Cook the Noodles, Shrimp, and Squid
- You can use another pot of water to boil the shrimp and squid, or boil them directly in the broth. When the water boils, add the shrimp and squid; when the water boils again, remove them.
- Boil the noodles for 5-10 minutes, depending on the type of noodles. Refer to the cooking instructions on the package.
Step 4. Serve
- Place the noodles in a bowl, then arrange the shrimp, squid, crispy pork belly, and vegetables on top. Ladle the broth into the bowl and garnish with a bit of chives or green onions. Eat while hot for the best flavor. The smell will become stronger when it cools down, so always serve bun mam hot.
Storing Bun Mam
To keep bun mam for a longer time, you should store the broth, vegetables, and protein separately in the refrigerator. Only cook the shrimp and squid when you are ready to eat. You should refrigerate bun mam for a maximum of 2-3 days. If you want to store it for a longer period, freeze the broth separately without including the stir-fried eggplant.
Bun Mam (Vietnamese Fermented Fish Noodle Soup)
Ingredients
- 200 g fermented fish paste ~7 oz
- 1.6 L bone broth ~56.4 oz
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 eggplants ~200g, 7 oz
- 4 stalks lemongrass
- 400 g squid ~14 oz
- 200 g shrimp ~7 oz
- 400 g crispy pork belly ~14 oz, optional
- 400 g dried rice vermicelli cooked (14 oz)
- 600 g 21.2 oz bean sprouts/ water spinach/ water lily stems/ mint
Instructions
Step 1. Preparation
- Wash the eggplant and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Finely chop the lemongrass. Clean the shrimp and squid; if you’re using frozen shrimp and squid, just let them thaw. For the roasted pork, you can re-roast it to make it crispy if you bought or made it beforehand. Wash the vegetables and let them drain.
Step 2. Cook the Broth
- Add all the fermented fish paste to the water/bone broth. Use a whisk or simply a spoon to stir until the fish paste is fully dissolved. Strain the broth through a sieve to remove any fish bones, then bring it to a boil on the stove. When the broth boils, skim off the foam to make it clearer.
- In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and add the chopped lemongrass, stirring until it begins to turn yellow and fragrant, then add the eggplant. Pour about 1 cup of water into the pan, reduce to medium heat, and stir-fry the eggplant until it is tender.
- Add all the stir-fried eggplant to the pot of broth and stir well. Season the broth with sugar and fish sauce, adding them gradually to control the flavor of the broth.
Step 3. Cook the Noodles, Shrimp, and Squid
- You can use another pot of water to boil the shrimp and squid, or boil them directly in the broth. When the water boils, add the shrimp and squid; when the water boils again, remove them.
- Boil the noodles for 5-10 minutes, depending on the type of noodles. Refer to the cooking instructions on the package.
Step 4. Serve
- Place the noodles in a bowl, then arrange the shrimp, squid, crispy pork belly, and vegetables on top. Ladle the broth into the bowl and garnish with a bit of chives or green onions. Eat while hot for the best flavor. The smell will become stronger when it cools down, so always serve bun mam hot.
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Nutrition
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