Rice noodles in fermented fish soup (bún mắm)

Rice noodles (or rice vermicelli) in fermented fish soup. Bún mắm.
Speciality from Mekong Delta. Originally from Cambodia!

Preparing soup for rice noodles, we traditionally need either chicken or pork, sometime crabs or  prawn...but for bún mắm we need fermented fish (mắm cá)! And not only one! At least two kind of fermented fish!
To be honest I'm not a big fan of mắm! But I have to say it's very tasty! Irresistible!

             Bowl of rice noodles with fermented fish soup (bún mắm)

Tasty thanks to fermented fish! Deep sweet, rich, spicy, strong flavor!

Fermented fish is an unique thing in our food culture!
In my previous post about a day trip to Can Tho, I did mention about this delicacy!
National taste, national pride!

According to my father's old friend - a widely famous professor and musical researcher, in Asia only Vietnam can create a such variety of mắm, esp. in South. Every province in Mekong Delta has their own recipe, their signature mắm, Châu Đốc seems the most famous!

              Fermented fish (mắm cá linh) 

The preserved process takes at least four months, through different steps and requires major ingredients as salt crystals, palm sugar, powder of stirred rice (thính) and a good terra-cotta container!  

As said, to have a good soup for bún mắm, we need three kinds of fermented fish: fermented snakehead fish (mắm cá lóc), mắm cá linh and mắm cá sặc!
The combination of these three mắm gives soup a deep rich taste, an attractive brown color and an unforgettable flavor!

              Fermented snakehead fish (mắm cá lóc)