Lets get cooking!
Get to know more about the ingredients!
Lets dive into the recipe to make delicious Vietnamese sweet and sour soup! But first, let's go over
all the needed ingredients!
- Pork - Pork is the base of the broth and is used only for the flavour, there isn't a
specific cut you need to use, but i recommend using a cut with bones as it creates the richest,
most flavourful broths.
- Tamarind - This is the key ingredient in Canh Chua. It’s what makes it sweet and sour. If
using fresh tamarind intimidates you, you may also use half of a tamarind soup mix.
- Tomato - Tomatoes adds a tangyness flavour as well as adding some colour to the soup.
- Pineapple - Pineapples add sweetness to the soup, you may use 1 full pineapple, or a 20oz
can of pineapples.
- Catfish - You may use any cut of catfish, but if you can't find any, you can substitute
it with salmon
- Elephant ear stalk (Bac Ha) - A very traditional Vietnamese vegetable that adds texture.
It can be substituted with celery, but make sure to peel off the skin before cutting it into
chunks
- Bean Sprouts - adds texture to the soup, highly recommended to use it for the most
traditional experience. If you’re unable to find bean sprouts, I would leave it out.
- Rice paddy herb (Ngo Om) - A vietnamese herb that has a citrusy flavour. This can be
substituted with a pinch of cumin or lemon basil.
Now that you know all about the ingredients, let's get into the recipe!
- First clean your pork. Add the pork to a soup pot. Cover with water until it just covers the
pork. Then bring it to a boil and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Take out the pork and then
throw away the water, this process cleans the pork. Rinse the pork and add the pork back. Cover
the pork with fresh water and bring it to a boil.
- Next, add the onion, and simmer for 1.5 hours. Make sure to check every 30 minutes for any
impurities. Scoop away any that you see.
- While the soup is simmering, combine 1 cup of water and the tamarind in a small saucepan. Then
bring it to a boil and let it simmer until the tamarind dissolves. You can speed up the process
by using the back of thee spoon to crush the tamarind. Once dissolved, pour the tamarind through
a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl and set it aside.
- After simmering the soup for 1.5 hours, add the pineapples and tomatoes to the soup. Simmer for
another 20 minutes. Next, put the catfish in and simmer for another 10 minutes until the fish is
cooked through. Lastly, add the vegetables and tamarind. Bring the soup to a boil and it is
ready to serve!
Whats new & Exciting!
This article I’ve read is about a concise yet engaging overview of Vietnam's culinary success on the
international stage. Putting the spotlight on the recognition of Canh Chua Ca and its related
variations in TasteAtla’s global ranking of the best seafood soups. Making the top 10 of their list
(which is based on a hundred ranked and more than 2600 confirmed ratings) this article gives
credibility and strengthens the significance on the list validating that Vietnam deserves its place.
Canh chua ca are a family of fish soups that combine sweet, spicy, and sour notes. Catfish is the
most widely used fish for the traditional dish and either carp, snakehead fish or salmon also work.
Shows the dish’s flexibility while also reminding you of how rooted it is in Vietnam’s regional
fishing culture
The article also goes on to broaden its scope, with an honorable mention for another type that came
in 32nd, Canh Chua, which can come with other proteins such as chicken, pork or beef and can include
bamboo shoots depending on the region. This in itself, proves the versatility and variety of
Vietnamese cuisine. Elsewhere on the list at the 69th spot, Vietnamese seafood hotpot, which also
highlights Vietnam’s family-style approach to eating at many of its meals. In the end, this article
reflects on how Vietnamese food is versatile and diverse with combinations of different dishes.
Overall, this news article shows how Vietnamese dishes are versatile and diverse with many different
variant dishes of one type of soup and how it is still one of the best ranked. If you would like to
read more about it, please refer to this article here
My favourite spot to eat Canh Chua on a good day
Eating canh chua at a part is something Ihands while the trees swayed and kids running around. The
broth was tangy never usually do. but when i did, the warmth of the bowl in my and sweet, and every
bite tasted better in fresh air. Even birds wandered over like they wanted some too. Its not
anything fancy, just me, some sunshine, and a comforting bowl of soup. the mix of good food and a
chill spot made the moment surprisingly relaxing. i didnt expect it to be anything special, but
ended up being something i really enjoyed. My
Favourite Fall Picnic Spot
