 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Canh chua" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(February 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
 A bowl ofCanh chua | |
| Type | Soup |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Vietnam |
| Region or state | Mekong Delta |
| Main ingredients | Fish,pineapple,tomatoes, sometimes other vegetables,bean sprouts,tamarind-flavoredbroth |
| Similar dishes | Samlor machu[1] |
Canh chua (Vietnamese:[kaiŋcuə],sour soup)[2] is aVietnamesesour soup indigenous to theMekong Delta region ofSouthern Vietnam (Central Vietnam also have their own canh chua). It is typically made withfish from the Mekong River Delta,pineapple,tomatoes (and sometimes also other vegetables such asladyfingers (đậu bắp) orstems of giant elephant ears (dọc mùng)), andbean sprouts, in atamarind-flavoredbroth. It is garnished with the lemony-scented herbngò gai (Limnophila aromatica),caramelizedgarlic, and choppedscallions, as well as other herbs, according to the specific variety ofcanh chua; these other herbs may includerau răm (Vietnamese coriander),ngò om (long coriander), andrau quế (Thai basil). It can be served alone, withwhite rice, or withrice vermicelli. Variations can includeprawns,squid,spare ribs,fish cakes andquail eggs.
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 ahot pot,canh chua is calledlẩu canh chua.
Somluar machu is the Khmer version of the Southern Vietnamese hot and sour soupcanh chua.
