Beef noodle soup originates from Cambodia, where the cuisine is steeped in the traditional culture of the Khmer people . This dish followed the Khmer people who migrated to the Southwest, gradually becoming a part of the culinary life of local people.
At first listen, diners may mistakenly think this is a strange version of beef noodle soup in the West. But in fact, "num bo boc" in Khmer means "fish noodle". This is a popular and popular dish during festivals and traditional New Year of the Khmer people.
The broth is cooked with beef sauce, combined with ingredients such as snakehead fish, wormwood vermicelli, and galangal to create a naturally sweet taste. The fruit peel is crushed to get the aroma, fresh turmeric and lemongrass are also crushed to remove the fishy smell of the fish and create a unique flavor for this noodle dish. Ingredients such as wormwood vermicelli and galangal create an extremely eye-catching golden color for the broth.
Snakehead fish used to cook noodles is usually copper snakehead fish, firm meat, little fishy smell, divided into head and meat. The fish head is left intact while the fish meat is separated from the bones and placed on a separate plate. When enjoying, the seller will divide the portion depending on the customer's needs. Fresh vermicelli is placed below, golden snakehead fish meat is placed on top, the broth is ladled to cover the vermicelli and vegetables are added last.
Vegetables served include cowpeas, bean sprouts, water lilies, water spinach, shredded banana blossoms, and sesbania flowers. Diners can customize the broth to suit their taste with spice jars of fish sauce, salt, lemon, and chili that the owner keeps on the table. The combination of flavors, beef noodle soup brings people to enjoy a rustic, simple but extremely unforgettable culinary experience.
Diners can easily find beef noodle shops in provinces and cities with a large population of Khmer people such as Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, and An Giang. Gradually, this noodle dish became famous and appeared in big cities like Ho Chi Minh City, making many people enjoy its special flavor.
In Ho Chi Minh City, one of the famous places selling Cambodian fish noodle soup is Tu Xe restaurant in an alley on Le Hong Phong Street, District 10. This popular restaurant opened in the 1970s, located in the Cambodian market.
