Animation journal: vietnamese fish vermicelli soup

FISH NOODLE: A STAR OF VIETNAM'S TRADITIONAL CULINARY WORTH BEING “PROMOTED”

THEY ARE SO POPULAR THAT ANYONE WHO VISITS A CERTAIN REGION IN VIETNAM MUST ONCE TRY ITS TYPICAL LOCAL NOODLE DISH.

Source: VNExpress, Thanh niên, CNN

Vietnamese cuisine is cleverly integrated into the animation. As a natural reflex, when we asked which dish to put on the film, the Director immediately said "Let's make fish vermicelli soup". At first, the whole team just simply agreed to do it, but the more we are involved, the more this choice makes sense. Yes, this dish is actually very attractive and the image of a large, white, delicious piece of fish on the film will create a flavorful culinary impression. Besides, this is also one of the quintessence of Vietnamese cuisine.

A sketch in the process of "creating" Fish Noodle Soup by the artists of Sun Wolf Animation Studio.

In fact, the traditional Vietnamese food besides pho must also include bun (rice vermicelli). The soft rice vermicelli with mildly sweet broth has trembled the hearts of so many passionate food lovers. Authors Dan Tham and Karina Tsui once admired that Vietnamese vermicelli soup is as charming as a jazz song.

On the famous American website CNN, they excitedly shared: "Hiding in plain sight of travelers is another delicious vermicelli dish: bun, as surprising, variable and seductive as jazz. Noodles are soft and flavorful, combined with many other ingredients, creating a dance of flavors.”

As for us, rice vermicelli dishes are so familiar in family meals and restaurants. Even Wikipedia mentions that rice vermicelli is the third most popular starchy food in our country, after rice and pho. Traveling across the country from North to South, we can see various delicious vermicelli dishes everywhere. They are so popular that anyone who visits a certain region must once try its typical local vermicelli dish.

Fish vermicelli soup is one of such dishes! Coming to the West, people cannot forget to stop by a small diner to order a bowl of fish vermicelli soup - flavorful yet still sweet and mild. Coming to Nha Trang, no one can ignore a bowl of vermicelli soup with chopped fish. Arriving in Da Nang, a bowl of vermicelli soup with mackerel is always on the "hunting" list of diners. When flying to Hanoi, people are immersed in the mildly sweet taste of each bowl of fish vermicelli soup in every corner of the Capital.

None knows for sure where the origin of fish vermicelli soup comes from, but throughout the North - Central - South are many different types of fish vermicelli soup with diverse flavors. In general, the broth of fish vermicelli soup is cooked from fish bone and quite delicately. In some places, it is also cooked from pork bone. Therefore, each bowl of vermicelli soup is a harmonious combination of mild broth and slices of tasty fish without a fishy smell.

Ingredient selection is also a complicated step. The ingredients in Linh World are extremely fresh.

Linh World's chefs are experimenting with different dishes from fish. Every dish is attractive.

NORTHERN FISH NOODLES: FLAVORFUL AND EYE-CATCHING

In the North, there are many types of fish vermicelli soup from Thai Binh, Hai Phong to Nghe An, etc. However, when it comes to fish vermicelli soup, people immediately think of vermicelli soup with river perch - a dish originating from Hai Duong province and then becoming extremely popular in Hanoi. Fish vermicelli soup is often served as breakfast or lunch. A hot bowl of vermicelli soup with broth cooked from pounded fish bones combined with some vinegar and tomatoes brings a natural sweetness and sourness that makes everyone fall in love. This rice vermicelli dish must be served with vegetables such as Indian taro, mustard greens, dill, spring onions, and pineapple, to contribute more flavor to this rustic dish. The "main character" of the vermicelli soup is the crispy, golden fried fish slices, cut into small pieces about 2-finger wide and richly marinated.

Each bowl of hot perch vermicelli soup is both flavorful and eye-catching, with colors from the fish slices and the fresh green vegetables making the vermicelli bowl look extremely tasty. Just imagine, eating some vermicelli, biting into a piece of crispy fish and slurping a spoonful of sweet and sour broth, with a bit of spiciness from pepper and chili, and tasting the freshness of vegetables too. It makes everyone starving with just its smell and look and tastes even more wonderful.

FISH NOODLES IN THE CENTRAL REGION: CAN NOT GET ENOUGH OF THEM

Down along the central coast is a whole new "horizon of vermicelli soup". Being favored by nature, the long coastal strip is full of fish and shrimps, which are an endless source of food for the local people to cook into attractive specialties. From Da Nang to Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, etc., fish vermicelli soup is available everywhere and leaves a great impression on diners. Depending on each person’s taste, some may think that these dishes are similar, but in fact, the real gourmets will recognize their distinct flavors. However, all have to say the word: Delicious!

The bowl of fish vermicelli soup in Da Nang has a rather elaborately cooked broth. The cook has to stew fish bones to get naturally sweet broth, and they also add pumpkin, cabbage, pineapple, tomatoes, and fresh bamboo shoots to increase the sweetness of the broth. A special feature that only a bowl of fish vermicelli soup in Da Nang has is that the broth is also seasoned with shrimp paste. The locals often use mackerel, tuna, and sailfish, to enhance its richness and delicious smell. But don't rush eating right away, add some lettuce, banana flower, raw bean sprouts, and herbs to the bowl of vermicelli soup, then slowly sip the broth, and dip fish slices into the sweet, sour, and spicy fish sauce. Wow! The rich sweetness of the broth and fish, the pungent taste of chili, and a bunch of fresh vegetables. Just like that, the diners keep on complimenting and eating constantly.

Arriving in Nha Trang, after putting away their luggage, the travelers often go to a local food stall to enjoy the specialty of this land. No one can ignore bun ca dam. When I first heard the fish's name, I kept wondering: "Is the fish smashed (dầm), or is it the name of this kind of fish?". As it turns out, according to VNExpress, “the name "bun la ca dam" comes from the typical broth of this dish. A pot of clear, non-fishy, ​​low-fat broth is cooked from different types of fish, depending on the recipe of each place. Before cooking, the fish will be deboned and chopped into small pieces.” Like other fish vermicelli soup, this broth is also stewed from fish bones to have a sweet taste without any fishy smell from the fish. The art is here! Each bowl of vermicelli soup with chopped fish brings different ingredients to the diners, including fish, jellyfish, and fish cake, with a sprinkle of spring onions and sweet onions, enhancing its delicious smell. Ah, but it would not be enough without fresh vegetables! You will never get bored with eating them.

Coming to Phu Yen, the food lovers once again fall for the bowls of fish vermicelli soup here, and among them, the most famous one is bun ca thac lac. In fact, this is the short name for bun ca soc lac - a basic breakfast dish of the people in the land of “yellow flowers and green grass”. The vermicelli bowl looks very eye-catching with clear and sweet broth, crispy and chewy fish cake, and of course a plate of fresh vegetables. It is so simple but its rich, sweet taste makes the diners unforgettable.

FISH NOODLES IN THE WESTERN REGION: HONESTLY, ONE BOWL IS NEVER ENOUGH

In the West, fish vermicelli soup has changed quite a lot, from taste to presentation. The most famous is Chau Doc and An Giang fish vermicelli soup. According to VNExpress, fish vermicelli soup in the West of Vietnam originated from Cambodia. Over the years, the dish has changed compared to the original version, but in general, it still retains the soul of the original fish vermicelli soup. Unlike vermicelli dishes in the North or Central region, the Western fish vermicelli soup is cooked with field fish and river fish, not sea fish.

In Chau Doc, cooking a pot of broth is also very sophisticated. The cook has to simmer bones for many hours, skimming continuously so that the water is clear and does not smell bad. Fish will be boiled in water, including the fish intestines. Thanks to that, the broth is always extremely sweet. However, it doesn't stop there, we still have to season the broth, with fish sauce, filtered shrimp paste, some finger roots, and extract juice from crushed turmeric. To increase visual stimulation and taste, the fish broth also has a yellow color from turmeric and a slight scent of lemongrass. Thanks to that, the broth doesn't have any fishy taste. Fishbones are removed and fish meat is lightly stir-fried with turmeric, so the fish will be firmer and get an eye-catching color. A bowl of fish vermicelli soup will be served with lots of fish, roast pork, and a plate of different vegetables including water lily, sesbania sesban flowers, bitter greens, and finely chopped water spinach, water mimosa, etc.

Now, diners just need to pick up a piece of turmeric-scented fish, sip a spoonful of yellow broth and eat some vegetables. Trust me, many diners have fallen in love with Chau Doc fish vermicelli soup already.

Kien Giang fish vermicelli soup is cooked more simply. In this region, people still choose snakehead fish, boiling it to get the fresh broth. Some places will also use pork bone and dried shrimp to add sweetness to the broth. Especially, because Kien Giang has the sea, the fish vermicelli bowls are also added with shrimp, making it quite attractive. The shrimp will be peeled and the shrimp heads are cooked with cashew oil to create an extremely eye-catching orange-red color for the vermicelli bowl. Fish meat is not fried with turmeric, but only with garlic and fat to enhance the flavor of the fish. The vermicelli bowl will be a harmonious combination of fresh rice vermicelli soup with a light, sweet broth, dotted with the red-orange color of cashew oil, and a piece of white snakehead fish as the main “actress"  and some green color of fresh vegetables. Honestly, one bowl is never enough.

FISH NOODLE SOUP: A STAR OF VIETNAMESE TRADITIONAL CUISINE

You see, it is undeniable that fish vermicelli soup is a star of Vietnamese cuisine that needs to be "promoted" alongside other traditional dishes. To have a complete bowl of fish vermicelli soup, meeting all the requirements for filming, it took us several months with a series of different versions. From the gorgeous, vibrant drawings, we finally chose the basic yet extremely eye-catching version.

Our fish vermicelli soup has a little more ingredients that you can easily see in… oh well, everyone, you can find out more in the animation.

Let's wait and see how fish vermicelli soup will look like when it is on screen. Now then, let's have some fish vermicelli soup, shall we?

Animation journal 

Dai Lam Moc

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Leo DINH