Bún ốc, or Vietnamese snail vermicelli soup, is a distinctive dish featuring rice noodles and tender snails, immersed in a flavorful and slightly sour broth.
This soup is a popular meal in Northern Vietnam, commonly savored for lunch or dinner, but its versatile nature makes it suitable for any time of the day.
Preparing bún ốc at home is straightforward and rewarding. You’ll need only a few basic tools, and ingredients, and will follow 9 main steps to bring this dish to life.
Along the way, I’ll share key tips to enhance the flavors and authenticity of your bún ốc as well as Vietnamese dishes that are similar to it.
Let’s dive into the details to discover the unique charm of this Vietnamese culinary delight!
What Is Bún Ốc?
Bún ốc is a Vietnamese vermicelli soup from Hanoi featuring snails as the main ingredient. It’s known for its sour, savory, and slightly sweet broth, typically made from tomatoes and flavored with tamarind or vinegar.
The dish includes rice vermicelli noodles and is often garnished with fresh herbs, fried tofu, tomatoes, and snail patties. Bún ốc is served with a side of Vietnamese herbs, fermented shrimp paste, and chili oil, allowing diners to adjust the taste.
It reflects Northern Vietnamese cuisine’s balance of flavors and is popular in street food stalls and restaurants throughout Vietnam. Variations exist, mainly due to regional ingredient preferences and cooking styles.
To prepare bún ốc, you’ll need a variety of tools, to ensure that each component of the dish is cooked to perfection.
What Tools Are Needed to Prepare Bún Ốc?
Preparing bún ốc requires several essential tools to ensure the dish is cooked to perfection. Here are the tools you will need:
Once you have the right tools, gathering the essential ingredients becomes your next step.
What Are Essential Ingredients for Making Bún Ốc?
To prepare Bún Ốc, you will require a variety of ingredients, most of which are readily available in local markets or can be prepared at home. Here’s what you need:
With the ingredients ready, it’s time to cook the dish!
How to Make Bún Ốc?
Creating bún ốc is a delightful culinary experience that involves 10 steps, each adding layers of flavor and texture to this traditional Vietnamese dish. Let’s walk through the process.
Step 1: Prepare the Pork Bone Broth
Clean the pork bones thoroughly. Blanch them in boiling water for 5 minutes, then rinse.
Boil 1.5 liters of water. Once boiling, add the blanched pork bones and five shallots. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Remember to skim off any scum to keep the broth clear.
Step 2: Prepare Other Ingredients While Broth is Simmering
Cut 3 tomatoes into wedges.
Finely chop sawtooth herb.
Finely chop the perilla.
Step 3: Prepare the Snails
Finely chop half of the snail meat (0.55 pounds) for the patties, leaving the rest whole.
Step 4: Make Snail Patties
Mix the chopped snail meat with pork paste and seasonings: 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 0.5 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon minced shallot, and ground pepper if desired.
Step 5: Blanch the Rice Vermicelli
Blanch rice vermicelli in boiling water, then rinse in cold water. Drain well.
Step 6: Sauté Snail Meat
Heat annatto seed oil in a pan, then sauté 1 teaspoon each of minced shallot and garlic. Add the snail meat and season with 1 tablespoon fish sauce and 0.5 tablespoon sugar.
Set aside the sautéed snail meat.
Step 7: Sauté Tomatoes
In a pan with a bit of annatto seed oil, sauté 1 teaspoon each of minced shallot and garlic until fragrant. Add the tomato wedges and cook until soft.
Step 8: Fry Snail Patties
Form the snail patty mixture into small balls and fry in oil until golden and cooked through.
Step 9: Add Tomatoes and Fried Tofu to Broth
Add the sautéed tomatoes and fried tofu to the simmering broth. Cook for an additional 5 minutes on low heat. Season with 1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar for a tangy flavor.
Final Step: Assemble the Dish
Place the blanched noodles in a bowl. Add snails, snail patties, tofu, and tomato. Garnish with perilla and sawtooth herb, then pour the hot broth over.
Enjoy bún ốc with bean sprouts and shredded water spinach, adding them to the bowl as you eat.
To elevate your bún ốc, you should consider incorporating tips that can significantly enhance the dish’s complexity and appeal.
What Tips To Enhance Bún Ốc?
For an authentic and flavorful bún ốc, consider these 7 straightforward tips:
Next, boil them with salt, saving the water for broth. Once cooled, remove the meat and discard the dark tail end.
Understanding bún ốc not only allows you to appreciate this unique dish but also opens the door to exploring similar Vietnamese dishes.
What Are Similar Vietnamese Dishes to Bún Ốc?
Below are similar dishes of bún ốc in Vietnamese cuisine:
Discover the Essence of Vietnamese Cuisine with Bún Ốc
Bún ốc represents the rich and vibrant flavors of Vietnam’s culinary heritage. I urge you to bring this unique dish into your own kitchen, experiencing the authentic taste of Vietnamese street food right at your dining table.
If this bún ốc recipe has captured your culinary curiosity, don’t hesitate to spread the joy by sharing it with your loved ones. I look forward to hearing about your adventures with Vietnamese cuisine in the comments below; share your most unforgettable bún ốc moments with us.
Bún Ốc (Vietnamese Snail Vermicelli Soup)
Ingredients
- 1.1 pounds 500g snail meat (pila polita)
- 0.88 pounds 400g pork bones
- 0.22 pounds 100g pork paste
- 0.22 pounds 100g fried tofu
- 3 tomatoes
- 1.10 pounds 500g rice vermicelli
- Accompanying vegetables: bean sprouts shredded water spinach, coriander, perilla
- Annatto seed oil
- Cooking oil
- 5 shallots
- 3 teaspoons minced shallot
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons apple vinegar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
Instructions
- Clean pork bones, blanch for 5 minutes, then rinse.
- Boil 1.5 liters of water, add blanched bones and 5 shallots, simmer for 30 minutes, regularly skimming off impurities.
- Cut tomatoes into wedges.
- Finely chop sawtooth herb.
- Finely chop the perilla.
- Clean and finely chop half of the snail meat (0.55 pounds).
- Mix chopped snail meat with 0.22 pounds of pork paste, and season with 1 tbsp fish sauce, 0.5 tsp sugar, 1 tsp minced garlic, and 1 tsp shallot. Add ground pepper for extra spice (optional).
- Blanch rice vermicelli in boiling water, then rinse in cold water and drain.
- Heat annatto seed oil, sauté 1 tsp minced shallot and 1 tsp garlic. Add remaining snail meat, and season with 1 tbsp fish sauce and 0.5 tbsp sugar.
- Sauté 1 tsp shallot and garlic in annatto seed oil, then add tomatoes and cook until tender.
- Shape snail patties into small pieces. Fry the snail patties in oil until evenly cooked and golden.
- Add sautéed tomatoes and fried tofu to the simmering broth. Season with 1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp sugar, and simmer for 5 minutes. Finally, add 2 tbsps apple vinegar for a tangy flavor.
- Place noodles in a bowl, add snails, snail patties, tofu, and tomatoes. Sprinkle it with coriander and perilla. Pour hot broth over and serve with bean sprouts and shredded water spinach on the side.
Video
Notes
- The pork bones used for the broth can be served with the Bún Ốc.
- Enhance the flavor with sate chili sauce or shrimp paste.
- For fresh whole snails, boil for only 3-4 minutes to retain their crunchiness.
- Traditional Hanoi bún ốc uses rice vinegar (dấm bỗng), but apple vinegar or tamarind can be substituted.
- Various types of snails can be used.
- Over time, toppings like crispy pork fat, fried tofu, pork ear, or beef have been added to cater to diverse tastes.
Tien – Alden
Content Writer
Expertise
Home Cooking, Recipe Development, Food Editor, Beverage Editor, Cooking-video Maker, Asian Food Content Creator
Education
Saigon Tourism College
Advanced Culinary Workshop, Beijing
Vietnamese Traditional Cooking School
American College of Vietnam
Alden is a skilled chef with expertise in Asian cuisines, known for blending traditional Vietnamese and Chinese cooking with contemporary innovations. Alden’s passion for Asian flavors and her creative approach to both food and beverages inspires fellow chefs and those aspiring to enter the field.