Bun Bo Hue

Allergens at a glance

• UsuallyCrustaceansFermented shrimp paste (mắm ruốc) is a defining broth seasoning.
• UsuallyFishFish sauce in the broth and on the table.
• SometimesEggsCrab and pork cakes (chả cua) are often bound with egg.

Usually in the standard recipe. Often in many versions. Sometimes in some kitchens, or a cross-contact risk.

Diets

• Not vegetarian: beef and pork broth with shrimp paste. Bún bò Huế chay exists in Huế's vegetarian restaurants.
• Not halal: pork knuckle, pork sausage and pig's blood are standard.
• Rice noodles and broth are usually wheat-free, but coeliac (celiac) diners should ask about the sausage and stock powder.

Recipes change from kitchen to kitchen. If you have an allergy, confirm every ingredient with the restaurant before you order.

What is bun bo Hue?

Bun bo Hue is a rich, spicy noodle soup from Huế, the old imperial capital in central Vietnam. The broth is made from beef and pork bones and tastes strongly of lemongrass and fermented shrimp paste, with a red slick of chilli oil on top. It's heartier and funkier than pho, and the noodles are thick and round rather than flat.

What's in it

• Broth: beef shank and pork bones simmered with lemongrass, seasoned with mắm ruốc (fermented shrimp paste), fish sauce, sugar and annatto for colour
• Thick round rice noodles
• Toppings: sliced beef shank, pork knuckle, chả Huế (pork sausage) and congealed pig's blood cubes (huyết)
• Sometimes chả cua, small cakes of crab and pork
• Sa tế, a chilli and lemongrass oil
• On the side: banana blossom, bean sprouts, herbs, lime and chilli

Allergens and diets

Crustaceans are the key allergen and the easiest to miss. Mắm ruốc, a pungent paste of fermented tiny shrimp, is dissolved into the broth: it's part of what makes the soup taste like bun bo Hue, so it can't be left out of a bowl ladled from the pot. Fish sauce adds fish. If your bowl has chả cua, that adds crab and, often, egg.

Some versions of the chilli oil also contain dried shrimp. The noodles are rice and the broth has no wheat by recipe, but restaurants outside Vietnam sometimes use stock powder, and the sausages vary, so coeliac (celiac) diners should ask.

The toppings matter for other diets. Pig's blood cubes and pork knuckle are standard, so this isn't a dish for halal, kosher or pork-free diners. Ask for bò only (beef only) to skip the pork toppings, but the broth itself still contains pork bones.

On the menu

Outside Vietnam it's often listed as "spicy beef noodle soup". It's usually hotter than pho, so ask for less chilli oil if you need to.

Last checked 1 November 2026. Spotted something wrong? Email support@inventum.com.au.