Fish Paste Noodles (Bún chả cá)
A city on the coastline of the Azure sea, Danang abounds in seafood with a vast variety of fish being part of the culinary delights. Assorted types of fish are used to prepare fish paste noodles. According to Danang connoisseurs, however, the best fish for the dish is arguably mackerel (locally called cá thu). Fresh fish has to be cleaned and gutted to get their meat which is then spiced before being ground together with pork into thick paste. The mixture, made into balls or round cakes, is boiled or fried. The broth is obtained from fish and pig bones that are boiled together with pumpkin, cabbage, pineapple and tomato.
Diners can have two options. Choose either boiled or fried slices of fish paste with your bowls of rice noodles. Enjoy them extremely hot with green bean sprouts, lettuce and sweet basil. Add slices of red chilli, if you like. Fish paste noodles are recommended because fish is believed to be able to prevent heart disease and even Alzheimer's and strokes. We haven't known to what extent this claim is true, but all Danang residents never lose love for fish paste noodles.
The dish is cheap and healthy, and thus available around town, from sunrise to sunset.
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