Hu Tieu

Hu tieu is the noodle soup of southern Vietnam, a lighter and sweeter counterpart to the north's pho. The dish features a clear pork bone broth that is naturally sweet and clean-tasting, served over thin, slightly chewy rice noodles (or sometimes egg noodles) with a variety of toppings including sliced pork, shrimp, pork liver, quail eggs, and Chinese celery. What makes hu tieu particularly versatile is that it can be served either as a soup (hủ tiếu nước) or dry (hủ tiếu khô), where the noodles are tossed in a savory sauce and the broth comes in a separate bowl on the side. The dish reflects the Chinese-Vietnamese culinary heritage of the Mekong Delta and Saigon, brought by Teochew (Chaozhou) Chinese immigrants who settled in the region centuries ago. Hu tieu is a common breakfast food throughout southern Vietnam, with stalls opening before dawn to serve the morning rush.

Region: Southern Vietnam (Mekong Delta / Ho Chi Minh City)

Hu tieu has its roots in the Teochew (Chaozhou) Chinese community of southern Vietnam and Cambodia. The name 'hủ tiếu' derives from the Teochew pronunciation of 'kway teow' (rice noodle strips). Chinese immigrants from the Guangdong province brought their noodle soup traditions to the Mekong Delta region, where the dish evolved to incorporate Vietnamese flavors and ingredients. The Mekong Delta town of My Tho and the Sa Dec area in Dong Thap province are considered the spiritual homes of hu tieu, and the dish is named after these places in its most famous variants: 'Hủ Tiếu Mỹ Tho' and 'Hủ Tiếu Sa Đéc.' In Saigon, the dish was further refined by the city's Chinese-Vietnamese (Hoa) community, particularly in Cholon (Chinatown), District 5, where some of the best hu tieu in Vietnam can still be found.

Hu tieu tells the story of Vietnam's multicultural south, where Vietnamese, Chinese, Cambodian, and other culinary traditions have blended over centuries. The Teochew Chinese community that brought the original noodle soup to Vietnam's Mekong Delta created a foundation that Vietnamese cooks then adapted with local fish sauce, fresh herbs, and their own flavor preferences. The dish also reflects the economic connections between southern Vietnam and Cambodia — 'Hủ Tiếu Nam Vang' literally means 'Phnom Penh noodle soup,' acknowledging the Cambodian capital's role in the dish's evolution. Today, hu tieu is as much a part of Saigon's identity as com tam and banh mi, representing the city's embrace of diverse culinary influences and its reputation as Vietnam's most cosmopolitan food city.