[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":412},["ShallowReactive",2],{"recipe:canh-chua":3,"recipe:country:vietnam":186},{"slug":4,"title":5,"nativeName":6,"pronunciation":7,"countrySlug":8,"region":9,"emoji":10,"summary":11,"intro":12,"story":13,"whyThis":14,"tips":19,"substitutions":26,"variations":43,"serveWith":53,"storage":55,"faq":56,"equipment":72,"baseServings":76,"prepMinutes":77,"cookMinutes":77,"difficulty":78,"course":79,"diet":81,"mainIngredients":85,"ingredients":90,"instructions":142,"nutrition":166,"images":173,"keywords":177,"publishedAt":184,"updatedAt":184,"authorSlug":185},"canh-chua","Canh Chua Cá (Mekong Sour Tamarind Fish Soup)","Canh chua cá","kahn CHOO-ah KAH","vietnam","Mekong Delta","🍲","A thin, aggressively sour broth from the Mekong Delta: tamarind and pineapple against tomato, okra and catfish, finished with fried garlic and a fistful of rice paddy herb.","Canh chua is a sour soup, and it commits to that fully — the broth is tart enough to make you sit up, built on tamarind and sharpened further by pineapple and tomato. Into it go chunks of catfish, okra, bean sprouts and thick batons of elephant ear stem, a spongy vegetable that soaks up broth like a cushion. It is not thickened, not creamy and not slow-cooked; the whole thing takes twenty minutes and is meant to be ladled over rice alongside something salty and caramelised. Northern and central Vietnam have their own sour soups, but this southern version, with its sweetness from pineapple and its herb-heavy finish, is the one most people mean.","Canh chua is Mekong Delta cooking in a bowl: freshwater fish, tropical fruit, and a river landscape where sour vegetables and herbs grow in the water itself. The Delta produces most of Vietnam's catfish and a great deal of its pineapple, and the soup uses both without apology. Elephant ear stem — bạc hà, the spongy stalk of a taro relative — grows in the same wet ground and has almost no flavour of its own, which is precisely the point: it exists to be a sponge for broth.\n\nThe dish also carries Khmer influence, which is unsurprising given the Delta's history as Khmer territory before Vietnamese settlement, and it sits in a wide Southeast Asian family of sour soups that includes Thai tom yum and Filipino sinigang. What distinguishes canh chua is the balance: it is sour and sweet at the same time, rather than sour and fiery, and the herbs go in at the very end raw. Ngò om, rice paddy herb, has a citrus-cumin aroma with no real substitute, and ngò gai, sawtooth coriander, brings a sharper version of cilantro. Both are added off the heat because a minute of boiling flattens them.\n\nIn a Vietnamese meal canh chua is never the meal. It arrives as one of several shared dishes, almost always paired with cá kho tộ, fish braised in a clay pot with caramel and black pepper — sour and thin against salty and dark, which is the pairing logic that governs a great deal of Vietnamese home cooking. Rice sits in the middle, everyone helps themselves, and the soup functions as both a dish and a drink through the meal.",[15,16,17,18],"Tamarind pulp rather than powder or concentrate, strained the way Delta cooks do it, for a cleaner and fruitier sourness.","The vegetables go in staged by cooking time, so okra stays green and bean sprouts stay crunchy.","Fish is poached at a bare simmer and added last, which keeps catfish in whole pieces instead of shreds.","Names honest substitutes for bạc hà and ngò om, the two ingredients most likely to be missing outside Vietnam.",[20,21,22,23,24,25],"Taste the broth before the fish goes in and get the sour-sweet-salty balance right then. Once the fish is in you cannot stir or boil hard to correct it.","The broth should be thin and clear, not cloudy. Skim the surface once after the fish goes in and never let it reach a rolling boil.","Add okra in the last four minutes only. Boiled longer it turns slimy and grey rather than green and firm.","Fry the sliced garlic in oil until pale gold and pour it over each bowl at the table — this fried garlic oil is a signature finish, not an optional garnish.","If you cannot find elephant ear stem, celery gives a similar crunch but not the sponge. Add it earlier since it takes longer to soften.","Use ripe, sweet pineapple. Underripe fruit adds sourness on top of sourness and the soup ends up one-note.",[27,31,35,39],{"original":28,"swap":29,"note":30},"Catfish","Any firm white fish steaks — snakehead, tilapia, cod loin or sea bass","Delta cooks use whatever the river gives. Cut the fish into thick steaks on the bone if you can; the bones add body to a broth that has no stock.",{"original":32,"swap":33,"note":34},"Tamarind pulp","Tamarind concentrate (start with 2 tsp) or, at a push, lime juice plus a little rice vinegar","Concentrates vary enormously in strength, so add gradually. Lime alone gives a sharper, less fruity sourness.",{"original":36,"swap":37,"note":38},"Elephant ear stem (bạc hà)","Celery stalks, or peeled and sliced taro stem from an Asian grocer","Nothing quite matches its sponginess. Celery keeps the crunch, which is the more noticeable loss if you skip it entirely.",{"original":40,"swap":41,"note":42},"Rice paddy herb (ngò om)","Extra cilantro plus a pinch of ground cumin","A rough approximation of its citrus-cumin aroma. If you find the real thing frozen at a Vietnamese grocer, it works well from frozen.",[44,47,50],{"name":45,"description":46},"Canh chua tôm","Made with shrimp instead of fish. Shrimp go in for the last 90 seconds only, and the shells can be simmered first to give the broth more depth.",{"name":48,"description":49},"Canh chua chay","The vegetarian version with fried tofu and mushrooms, seasoned with salt and soy instead of fish sauce. Common on the first and fifteenth of the lunar month.",{"name":51,"description":52},"Canh chua with sấu or khế","Northern and central households often use sour fruits like dracontomelon or starfruit in place of tamarind, giving a leaner, less sweet soup.",[54],"Steamed rice and cá kho tộ — caramel-braised fish in a clay pot — which is the standard Delta pairing.","Canh chua keeps 2 days refrigerated but changes character: the vegetables go soft and the herbs lose their aroma entirely. Reheat gently without boiling and add a fresh handful of herbs and a squeeze of lime to bring it back. Do not freeze — the fish turns woolly and okra collapses. Better strategy for leftovers: strain the broth, refrigerate it alone, and poach fresh fish and vegetables in it the next day.",[57,60,63,66,69],{"question":58,"answer":59},"How sour should canh chua actually be?","Noticeably sour — it should make you salivate on the first spoonful — but balanced by clear sweetness from the pineapple and sugar. Aim for a broth that tastes slightly too sour on its own, because it is eaten with plain rice and a salty braised dish that will blunt it. Adjust with more tamarind or more sugar right up until the fish goes in.",{"question":61,"answer":62},"What is the spongy vegetable in canh chua?","It is bạc hà, the stem of a taro-family plant, often sold in English as elephant ear stem or taro stem. It is peeled, cut into thick diagonal batons and added near the end. It has almost no flavour of its own and behaves like a sponge, absorbing broth while staying crunchy. Celery is the usual home substitute.",{"question":64,"answer":65},"Can I make canh chua without fish?","Yes. Fried tofu and mushrooms make a common vegetarian version, seasoned with salt and soy sauce instead of fish sauce, and the sour-sweet broth carries it fine. Shrimp is another standard option. What you cannot skip is the tamarind and the pineapple, which between them create the flavour the dish is named for.",{"question":67,"answer":68},"Why is my broth cloudy?","Usually because it boiled hard after the fish went in, which breaks down the flesh and clouds everything. Keep the pot at a bare simmer once the fish is added, skim the foam that rises in the first minute, and avoid stirring. Rinsing the fish pieces and patting them dry before adding also helps considerably.",{"question":70,"answer":71},"How does canh chua differ from tom yum?","Both are sour Southeast Asian soups, but tom yum gets its sourness from lime and lemongrass with heavy chile heat, and often coconut milk or chile paste. Canh chua is sour from tamarind, distinctly sweet from pineapple, barely spicy, and thin and clear rather than rich. The herb finish is also completely different — rice paddy herb rather than kaffir lime and galangal.",[73,74,75],"Medium pot","Small frying pan for the garlic oil","Fine sieve for the tamarind",4,20,"medium",[80],"soup",[82,83,84],"pescatarian","dairy-free","gluten-free",[86,87,88,89],"white-fish","pineapple","tomato","fish-sauce",[91,96,99,103,106,110,113,115,118,122,124,128,133,135,139],{"ref":86,"qty":92,"unit":93,"name":94,"group":95},600,"g","catfish or firm white fish, in thick steaks","For the soup",{"qty":97,"unit":93,"name":98,"group":95},40,"seedless tamarind pulp",{"qty":100,"unit":101,"name":102,"group":95},1.2,"l","water",{"ref":87,"qty":104,"unit":93,"name":105,"group":95},200,"ripe pineapple, in thin wedges",{"ref":88,"qty":107,"unit":108,"name":109,"group":95},2,"piece","tomatoes, cut into wedges",{"qty":111,"unit":108,"name":112,"group":95},8,"okra, sliced on a steep diagonal",{"qty":104,"unit":93,"name":114,"group":95},"elephant ear stem (bạc hà) or celery, in thick diagonal batons",{"qty":116,"unit":93,"name":117,"group":95},150,"bean sprouts",{"ref":89,"qty":119,"unit":120,"name":121,"group":95},3,"tbsp","fish sauce",{"qty":107,"unit":120,"name":123,"group":95},"sugar",{"qty":125,"unit":108,"name":126,"optional":127,"group":95},1,"red chile, sliced",true,{"ref":129,"qty":76,"unit":130,"name":131,"group":132},"garlic","clove","garlic, thinly sliced","To finish",{"qty":107,"unit":120,"name":134,"group":132},"neutral oil",{"qty":136,"unit":137,"name":138,"group":132},0.5,"cup","rice paddy herb (ngò om) and sawtooth coriander, chopped",{"ref":140,"qty":107,"unit":108,"name":141,"group":132},"scallions","scallions, sliced",[143,146,151,156,159,163],{"title":144,"text":145,"timerSeconds":92},"Extract the tamarind","Soak the tamarind pulp in 200 ml of hot water for 10 minutes, then mash it with your fingers or a fork and push it through a sieve, scraping the underside. Discard the fibres and keep the thick brown liquid.",{"title":147,"text":148,"timerSeconds":149,"tip":150},"Build the sour base","Bring the remaining water to a boil, stir in the tamarind liquid, fish sauce and sugar, and add {qty:pineapple} of pineapple wedges. Simmer 5 minutes so the pineapple softens and gives up its sweetness into the broth.",300,"Taste now and fix the balance — sour first, then a clear sweet backnote, then salt. It gets harder to adjust once the fish is in.",{"title":152,"text":153,"timerSeconds":154,"tip":155},"Poach the fish","Lower the fish steaks into the barely simmering broth and cook 6–8 minutes without stirring, skimming the grey foam that rises in the first minute. The fish is ready when the flesh turns opaque and pulls cleanly from the bone.",420,"Bare simmer only. A rolling boil shreds the fish and turns the broth cloudy.",{"title":157,"text":158,"timerSeconds":149},"Add the vegetables in order","Slide in the tomato wedges and elephant ear stem and simmer 3 minutes, then add the okra and chile for a final 2 minutes, until the okra is bright green and still firm when pressed. Turn off the heat and stir in the bean sprouts.",{"title":160,"text":161,"timerSeconds":162},"Make the fried garlic oil","Heat the oil in a small pan and fry the sliced garlic over medium heat for about 90 seconds, until it turns pale gold and smells nutty. Pull it off the heat immediately — garlic goes from gold to bitter in seconds.",90,{"title":164,"text":165},"Finish and serve","Stir the chopped rice paddy herb and scallions into the pot off the heat so they stay aromatic. Ladle into bowls, spoon the fried garlic and its oil over the top, and serve with steamed rice.",{"calories":167,"protein":168,"carbs":169,"fat":170,"fiber":76,"sugar":171,"sodium":172,"estimated":127},280,30,21,9,13,1250,[174],{"src":175,"alt":176},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fcanh-chua\u002Fhero.svg","Bowl of clear sour Vietnamese soup with catfish, pineapple wedges, tomato, okra and green herbs on top",[178,179,180,181,182,183,87],"canh chua","sour soup","tamarind","catfish","mekong delta","vietnamese soup","2026-08-19","dishroute-kitchen",{"items":187,"total":391,"page":125,"limit":410,"hasMore":411},[188,212,239,259,278,304,311,338,363,386],{"slug":189,"title":190,"nativeName":191,"countrySlug":8,"region":192,"baseServings":76,"prepMinutes":168,"cookMinutes":97,"restMinutes":193,"difficulty":194,"course":195,"diet":197,"mainIngredients":198,"images":201,"keywords":205,"publishedAt":184,"updatedAt":184,"authorSlug":185},"banh-cuon","Bánh Cuốn (Steamed Rice Rolls with Pork and Wood Ear)","Bánh cuốn","Hanoi",60,"hard",[196],"breakfast",[83],[199,200,89],"ground-pork","mushrooms",[202],{"src":203,"alt":204},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fbanh-cuon\u002Fhero.svg","Plate of translucent steamed rice rolls filled with minced pork, topped with golden fried shallots and cilantro",[206,207,208,209,210,211],"banh cuon","steamed rice rolls","hanoi breakfast","wood ear mushroom","rice flour","vietnamese",{"slug":213,"title":214,"nativeName":215,"countrySlug":8,"region":216,"baseServings":76,"prepMinutes":77,"cookMinutes":217,"restMinutes":193,"difficulty":218,"course":219,"diet":221,"mainIngredients":222,"images":227,"keywords":231,"publishedAt":184,"updatedAt":184,"authorSlug":185},"banh-mi","Bánh Mì (Vietnamese Baguette Sandwich with Pâté and Pickles)","Bánh mì thịt","Saigon",5,"easy",[220],"street-food",[],[223,224,225,226],"carrot","cucumber","cilantro","chicken-liver",[228],{"src":229,"alt":230},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fbanh-mi\u002Fhero.svg","Split Vietnamese baguette filled with pâté, sliced pork roll, orange carrot pickles, cucumber and cilantro sprigs",[232,233,234,235,236,237,238],"banh mi","vietnamese sandwich","baguette","do chua pickles","pate","street food","saigon",{"slug":240,"title":241,"nativeName":242,"countrySlug":8,"region":9,"baseServings":76,"prepMinutes":243,"cookMinutes":168,"restMinutes":168,"difficulty":78,"course":244,"diet":246,"mainIngredients":247,"images":250,"keywords":254,"publishedAt":184,"updatedAt":184,"authorSlug":185},"banh-xeo","Bánh Xèo (Crispy Vietnamese Turmeric Rice Crepe)","Bánh xèo",25,[245,220],"main",[83],[248,249,140,89],"shrimp","pork-belly",[251],{"src":252,"alt":253},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fbanh-xeo\u002Fhero.svg","Golden turmeric rice crepe folded over shrimp and bean sprouts with crisp lacy edges, beside a plate of herbs",[255,256,257,210,248,182,258],"banh xeo","vietnamese crepe","turmeric","gluten free",{"slug":260,"title":261,"nativeName":262,"countrySlug":8,"region":192,"baseServings":76,"prepMinutes":168,"cookMinutes":243,"restMinutes":193,"difficulty":78,"course":263,"diet":264,"mainIngredients":265,"images":267,"keywords":271,"publishedAt":184,"updatedAt":184,"authorSlug":185},"bun-cha","Bún Chả (Hanoi Grilled Pork with Rice Noodles)","Bún chả Hà Nội",[245],[83],[199,249,89,266],"lime",[268],{"src":269,"alt":270},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fbun-cha\u002Fhero.svg","Bowl of charred pork patties and belly slices in amber dipping broth beside cold rice vermicelli and fresh herbs",[272,273,274,275,276,277],"bun cha","hanoi","grilled pork","rice vermicelli","nuoc cham","vietnamese noodles",{"slug":279,"title":280,"nativeName":281,"romanized":282,"countrySlug":8,"region":283,"baseServings":107,"prepMinutes":119,"cookMinutes":284,"difficulty":218,"course":285,"diet":287,"mainIngredients":290,"images":292,"keywords":296,"publishedAt":184,"updatedAt":184,"authorSlug":185},"ca-phe-sua-da","Cà Phê Sữa Đá (Vietnamese Iced Coffee with Condensed Milk)","Cà phê sữa đá","Ca phe sua da","Nationwide",7,[286],"drink",[288,84,289],"vegetarian","nut-free",[291],"condensed-milk",[293],{"src":294,"alt":295},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fca-phe-sua-da\u002Fhero.svg","Tall glass of Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk swirling into dark coffee over ice, phin filter beside it",[297,298,299,300,301,302,303],"ca phe sua da","vietnamese iced coffee","phin filter","condensed milk coffee","robusta","cafe sua da","iced coffee",{"slug":4,"title":5,"nativeName":6,"countrySlug":8,"region":9,"baseServings":76,"prepMinutes":77,"cookMinutes":77,"difficulty":78,"course":305,"diet":306,"mainIngredients":307,"images":308,"keywords":310,"publishedAt":184,"updatedAt":184,"authorSlug":185},[80],[82,83,84],[86,87,88,89],[309],{"src":175,"alt":176},[178,179,180,181,182,183,87],{"slug":312,"title":313,"nativeName":314,"romanized":315,"countrySlug":8,"region":316,"baseServings":76,"prepMinutes":243,"cookMinutes":317,"restMinutes":318,"difficulty":218,"course":319,"diet":321,"mainIngredients":323,"images":326,"keywords":330,"publishedAt":184,"updatedAt":184,"authorSlug":185},"che-ba-mau","Chè Ba Màu (Vietnamese Three-Color Bean Dessert)","Chè ba màu","Che ba mau","Southern Vietnam",55,120,[320,286],"dessert",[288,322,84,83,289],"vegan",[324,325],"coconut-milk","cornstarch",[327],{"src":328,"alt":329},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fche-ba-mau\u002Fhero.svg","Tall glass of Vietnamese three-color dessert with yellow mung bean, red beans, green pandan jelly and coconut cream over ice",[331,332,333,334,335,336,337],"che ba mau","vietnamese dessert","three color dessert","mung bean","pandan jelly","coconut cream","iced dessert",{"slug":339,"title":340,"nativeName":341,"romanized":342,"countrySlug":8,"region":343,"baseServings":76,"prepMinutes":243,"cookMinutes":344,"difficulty":78,"course":345,"diet":346,"mainIngredients":347,"images":351,"keywords":355,"publishedAt":362,"updatedAt":362,"authorSlug":185},"chicken-pho","Chicken Pho (Hanoi-Style Phở Gà)","Phở gà","Pho ga","Northern Vietnam",100,[80,245],[83,84,289],[348,349,350,89],"chicken","onion","ginger",[352],{"src":353,"alt":354},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fchicken-pho\u002Fhero.svg","Bowl of chicken pho with flat rice noodles, shredded chicken, scallions and herbs in clear broth",[356,357,358,359,273,360,361],"pho","pho ga","chicken soup","rice noodles","vietnamese noodle soup","broth","2026-08-18",{"slug":364,"title":365,"nativeName":366,"romanized":367,"countrySlug":8,"region":316,"baseServings":368,"prepMinutes":243,"cookMinutes":344,"difficulty":78,"course":369,"diet":370,"mainIngredients":371,"images":374,"keywords":378,"publishedAt":362,"updatedAt":362,"authorSlug":185},"thit-kho","Thịt Kho Trứng (Vietnamese Caramel Braised Pork with Eggs)","Thịt kho trứng","Thit kho trung",6,[245],[83,84,289],[372,373,89],"pork-shoulder","eggs",[375],{"src":376,"alt":377},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fthit-kho\u002Fhero.svg","Mahogany caramel-braised pork belly chunks and amber-stained eggs in a glossy sauce over rice",[379,380,381,382,383,384,385],"thit kho","vietnamese braised pork","caramel pork","tet","pork belly","coconut water","nuoc mau",{"slug":387,"title":388,"nativeName":389,"romanized":390,"countrySlug":8,"region":316,"baseServings":76,"prepMinutes":97,"cookMinutes":391,"difficulty":218,"course":392,"diet":395,"mainIngredients":396,"images":399,"keywords":403,"publishedAt":362,"updatedAt":362,"authorSlug":185},"vietnamese-summer-rolls","Vietnamese Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce","Gỏi cuốn","Goi cuon",10,[393,394],"appetizer","snack",[83],[248,397,224,398],"mint","rice",[400],{"src":401,"alt":402},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fvietnamese-summer-rolls\u002Fhero.svg","Fresh summer rolls with shrimp and herbs visible through rice paper, beside a bowl of peanut sauce",[404,405,406,248,407,408,409],"summer rolls","goi cuon","rice paper rolls","fresh rolls","peanut sauce","vietnamese appetizer",24,false,1787360058444]