Banh Canh Cua, Udon-like Noodles with Crab

Banh Canh Cua (Udon-like Noodles with Crab)

Banh canh noodles are like Vietnamese udon–except unlike udon, it’s typically made with rice or tapioca flour (or a mixture of both) instead of wheat flour. The thickness of the noodle is roughly similar. The texture of the banh canh noodle depends on whether you’re using the tapioca flour or rice flour or a mixture of both. The tapoica flour banh canh will be almost clear when cooked with with a chewy consistency. The rice flour version is much less chewy. There are also multiple versions of banh canh, but the two most popular are banh canh cua (crab) and banh canh gio heo (pork ham hock). So you might find both of these in the restaurants.

Typically the tapioca flour version pairs with the banh canh cua and because of the tapioca flour, imparts a much thicker consistency to the broth. It’s also not a super long noodle but short segments about 2 inches or so with tapered ends, easily eaten with just a soup spoon. The rice flour version pairs with the banh canh gio heo and does not have the thick consistency. These noodles are sold as dried noodles and precooked in the refrigerator section of your Asian grocer. If you can’t find them substitute with udon! :)

Our version of banh canh cua is from my dear Aunt Nine and uses almost the same ingredients as bun rieu so we made this after our bun rieu ran out. The key ingredient in this soup is the crab paste in soy bean oil below which is used to saute the crab and shrimp and provides flavor to the broth as well as color. Normally we would used precooked banh canh noodles, but we discovered some fresh banh canh noodles made from mixture of rice and tapioca flour at a local market in Little Saigon and tried it out. Again, we used our generic pork stock. If you’re short on time, substitute with chicken stock.

Bánh canh:

Bánh canh (literally "soup cake") is a thick Vietnamese noodle that can be made from tapioca flour or a mixture of rice and tapioca flour.

Bánh canh cua - a rich, thick crab soup
   
Bánh canh bột lọc - a more translucent version of the noodle
   
Bánh canh chả cá - the dish includes fish sausage and is popular in the South
Central, Vietnam.
   
Bánh canh giò heo tôm thịt - includes pork knuckle and shrimp[3]
   
Bánh canh Trảng Bàng - bánh canh made in the southeastern Vietnamese town of Trang Bang, served with boiled pork, rice paper, and local herbs
   
Bánh canh tôm - a shrimp-flavoured broth that is also mixed with coconut milk

The Vietnamese word bánh refers to items such as noodles or cakes that are made from flour, and canh means "soup".

Commercial variants of bánh canh with soup: There are many variations of the bánh canh with soup. For example, in Tan Lac Vien Restaurant, Melbourne, Australia, its most popular dish is the Bánh canh cua, a thick crab soup is served with mud crab. At My Hanh Restaurant, South El Monte, Canada, it's specialty is the Bánh canh giò heo with a clear soup.