A tangy tomato-based noodle soup built on freshwater crab paste, with soft curds of crab-and-egg, tofu, and vermicelli.
Lunch or a light dinner, brightened at the table with herbs, lime, and chili.
North (origin) · nationwide
Southern versions often add pork blood, snails, or pork hock and lean sweeter; northern versions stay sharper and simpler.
A dish strongly associated with mothers and aunts rather than restaurants — many people abroad describe it as one of the hardest flavors to find outside a home kitchen.