''Canh chua'' (, ''sour soup'')The term ''canh'' refers to a clear broth with vegetables and often meat, and ''chua'' means "sour". or ''cá nấu'' ("cooked fish") is a

Vietnamese Vietnamese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia ** A citizen of Vietnam. See Demographics of Vietnam. * Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam ** Overse ...

sour soup Various sour soups, characterized by their sour taste, are known in various East Asian, Southeast Asian, and Slavic cuisines. Asian origin *Samlar machu, a Khmer term for a category of sour soups. *Canh chua (literally "sour soup") is a so ...

indigenous to the

Mekong Delta The Mekong Delta ( vi, Đồng bằng Sông Cửu Long, lit=Nine Dragon River Delta or simply vi, Đồng Bằng Sông Mê Kông, lit=Mekong River Delta, label=none), also known as the Western Region ( vi, Miền Tây, links=no) or South-weste ...

region of

Southern Vietnam Southern Vietnam ( vi, Nam Bộ) is one of the three geographical regions of Vietnam, the other two being Northern and Central Vietnam. It includes 2 administrative regions, which in turn are divided into 19 ''First Tier units'', of which 17 a ...

(Note, Northern and Central Vietnam also have their own canh chua). It is typically made with

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...

from the Mekong River Delta,

pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuri ...

tomato The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...

es (and sometimes also other vegetables such as đậu bắp or '' dọc mùng''), and

bean sprout Sprouting is the natural process by which seeds or spores germinate and put out shoots, and already established plants produce new leaves or buds, or other structures experience further growth. In the field of nutrition, the term signifies ...

s, in a

tamarind Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a Legume, leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is probably indigenous to tropical Africa. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic taxon, monotypic, meaning that it contains only this species. It belongs ...

-flavored

broth Broth, also known as bouillon (), is a savory liquid made of water in which meat, fish or vegetables have been simmered for a short period of time. It can be eaten alone, but it is most commonly used to prepare other dishes, such as soups, ...

. It is garnished with the lemony-scented herb ''ngò ôm'' (''

Limnophila aromatica ''Limnophila aromatica'', the rice paddy herb, is a tropical flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae. It is native to Southeast Asia, where it flourishes in hot temperatures and grows most often in watery environments, particularly in floo ...

''),

caramelized Caramelization is a process of browning of sugar used extensively in cooking for the resulting sweet nutty flavor and brown color. The brown colors are produced by three groups of polymers: caramelans (C24H36O18), caramelens (C36H50O25), and ca ...

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus ''Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Allium fistulosum, Welsh onion and Allium chinense, Chinese onion. It is native to South A ...

, and chopped

scallions Scallions (also known as spring onions or green onions) are vegetables derived from various species in the genus ''Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions and their close relatives include garlic, shallot, leek, chi ...

, as well as other herbs, according to the specific variety of ''canh chua''; these other herbs may include '' rau răm'' (Vietnamese coriander), '' ngò gai'' (long coriander), and ''rau quế'' (

Thai basil Thai basil ( th, โหระพา, , ISO: hōraphā, ; km, ជីរនាងវង, ''chi neang vorng''; vi, húng quế) called ''káu-chàn-thah'' () in Taiwan, is a type of basil native to Southeast Asia that has been cultivated to p ...

). It can be served alone, with

white rice White rice is milled rice that has had its husk, bran, and germ removed. This alters the flavor, texture and appearance of the rice and helps prevent spoilage, extend its storage life, and makes it easier to digest. After milling (hulling), the ...

, or with

rice vermicelli Rice vermicelli is a thin form of noodle. It is sometimes referred to as 'rice noodles' or 'rice sticks', but should not be confused with cellophane noodles, a different Asian type of vermicelli made from mung bean starch or rice starch rather ...

. Variations can include

prawn Prawn is a common name for small aquatic crustaceans with an exoskeleton and ten legs (which is a member of the order decapoda), some of which can be eaten. The term "prawn"Mortenson, Philip B (2010''This is not a weasel: a close look at nature ...

squid True squid are molluscs with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles in the superorder Decapodiformes, though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also called squid despite not strictly fitting t ...

spare ribs Spare ribs (also side ribs or spareribs) are a variety of ribs cut from the lower portion of a pig, specifically the belly and breastbone, behind the shoulder, and include 11 to 13 long bones. There is a covering of meat on top of the bones and ...

fish cake A fishcake (sometimes written as fish cake) is a culinary dish consisting of filleted fish or other seafood minced or ground, mixed with a starchy ingredient, and fried until golden. Asian-style fishcakes usually contain fish with salt, water, ...

s and

quail eggs Quail eggs are eaten and considered a delicacy in many parts of the world, including Asia, Europe, and North America. In Japanese cuisine, they are sometimes used raw or cooked as ''tamago'' in sushi and often found in ''bento'' lunches. In ...

. The sour taste of the soup comes from tamarind, which is mixed with a small amount of hot water; the mixture is then stirred for a few moments to release all the essence, and the liquid (minus the tamarind seeds and other solids, which are discarded) is then added to the soup. When made in style of a

hot pot Hot pot or hotpot (), also known as soup-food or steamboat, is a cooking method that originated in China. A heat source on the dining table keeps a pot of soup stock simmering, and a variety of Chinese foodstuffs and ingredients are served b ...

, ''canh chua'' is called ''lẩu canh chua''.

Varieties

*Canh chua me - made with tamarind; includes most varieties of ''canh chua'' **Canh chua me đất or canh chua rau nhút - made with water mimosa ''(

Neptunia oleracea ''Neptunia oleracea'', commonly known in English as water mimosa or sensitive neptunia, is pantropical nitrogen-fixing perennial legume. Genus and common name come from Neptune, god of the sea, in reference to the aquatic habit of some species ...

)'' *Canh chua cá - made with fish **Canh chua đầu cá - made with fish heads **Canh chua cá lóc - made with

snakehead fish The snakeheads are members of the freshwater perciform fish family Channidae, native to parts of Africa and Asia. These elongated, predatory fish are distinguished by their long dorsal fins, large mouths, and shiny teeth. They breathe air with ...

**Canh chua cá bông lau - made with ''

Pangasius ''Pangasius'' is a genus of medium-large to very large shark catfishes native to fresh water in South and Southeast Asia. The term "pangasius" is sometimes used to specifically refer to the commercially important basa fish, ''P. bocourti''. Tax ...

krempfi''

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive, ...

**Canh chua cá lăng - made with ''

Hemibagrus ''Hemibagrus'' is a genus of catfishes (order Siluriformes) of the family Bagridae. The genus ''Hemibagrus'' is known from Southeast Asia, India, and southern China. Members of this genus are found ubiquitously in river drainages east of the G ...

'' catfish **Canh chua cá ngát - made with ''

Plotosus ''Plotosus'' is a genus of eeltail catfishes native to the Indian Ocean, the western Pacific Ocean and New Guinea. Species There are currently nine recognized species in this genus: * '' Plotosus abbreviatus'' Boulenger, 1895 * '' Plotosus caniu ...

'' catfish **Canh chua cá trê - made with

airbreathing catfish Airbreathing catfish comprise the family Clariidae of the order Siluriformes. Sixteen genera and about 116 species of clariid fishes are described; all are freshwater species. Other groups of catfish also breathe air, such as the Callichthyidae ...

**Canh chua cá linh bông so đũa - made with mud

carp Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of ...

and ''

Sesbania grandiflora ''Sesbania grandiflora'', commonly known as vegetable hummingbird, katurai, agati, or West Indian pea, is a small leguminous tree native to Maritime Southeast Asia and Northern Australia. It has edible flowers and leaves commonly eaten in Southea ...

'' flowers **Canh chua lá giang cá kèo - made with '' Aganonerion polymorphum'' leaves and

mudskipper Mudskippers are any of the 23 extant species of amphibious fish from the subfamily Oxudercinae of the goby family Oxudercidae. They are known for their unusual body shapes, preferences for semiaquatic habitats, limited terrestrial locomotion and ...

fish in the genus '' Apocryptes'' **Canh chua lươn - made with

eel Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 19 families, 111 genera, and about 800 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage ...

**Canh chua cá hồi - made with

salmon Salmon () is the common name for several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family (biology), family Salmonidae, which are native to tributary, tributaries of the ...

**Canh cải chua cá - made with pickled

mustard greens ''Brassica juncea'', commonly brown mustard, Chinese mustard, Indian mustard, leaf mustard, Oriental mustard and vegetable mustard, is a species of mustard plant. Cultivar ''Brassica juncea'' cultivars can be divided into four major subgroups ...

and fish *Canh chua tôm - made with shrimp **Canh chua tôm rau muống or canh chua rau muống nấu tôm - made with shrimp and water spinach (''

Ipomoea aquatica ''Ipomoea aquatica'', widely known as water spinach, is a semi- aquatic, tropical plant grown as a vegetable for its tender shoots. ''I. aquatica'' is generally believed to have been first domesticated in Southeast Asia. It is widely cultivate ...

'') **Canh chua thơm nấu tép or canh chua thơm nấu với tép - made with pineapple and small shrimp *Canh chua gà - made with chicken **Canh chua lá giang gà or canh chua gà lá giang - made with chicken and '' Aganonerion polymorphum'' leaves **Canh chua lá giang cá kèo - made with '' Aganonerion polymorphum'' leaves and

fish in the genus '' Apocryptes'' *Canh chua rau muống - made with water spinach (''

'') **Canh chua tôm rau muống or canh chua rau muống nấu tôm - made with water spinach (''

'') and shrimp *Canh chua chay - vegetarian **Canh chua đậu hũ - made with tofu *Canh chua măng - made with pickled bamboo shoots *Canh cải chua - made with pickled mustard greens **Canh cải chua thịt bằm - made with pickled mustard greens and ground pork **Canh cải chua sườn non - made with pickled mustard greens and baby back pork ribs **Canh cải chua cá - made with pickled mustard greens and fish **Canh cải chua ruột non or canh cải chua lòng heo - made with pickled mustard greens and pork intestines **Canh cải chua nấu với bắp bò - made with pickled mustard greens and

beef shank The beef shank is the leg portion of a steer or heifer. In the UK, the corresponding cuts of beef are the shin (the foreshank), and the leg (the hindshank). Due to the constant use of this muscle by the animal, it tends to be tough, dry, and ...

*Canh chua Thái or canh chua Thái Lan - an adaptation of Thai ''

tom yum Tom yum or tom yam (, ; th, ต้มยำ, ) is a type of hot and sour Thai soup, usually cooked with shrimp (prawn). The words "tom yam" are derived from two Thai words. ''Tom'' refers to the boiling process, while ''yam'' means 'mixed'. ...

Varieties

See also

Notes

See also