Another new discovery. A bowl of bright yellow noodles with thick, orange paste. I’ve never given a second thought to the fact that nowhere in Vietnam I see turmeric in use while it’s so accessible all over Asia. And boom! There’s bun nghe vibrating with radiant colour and overwhelming you with the amount of this gorgeous spice. Not only the noodles are precisely covered in the turmeric paste, but also meat is cooked with the use of it and you get a scoopful of it on top of each portion. The food tasted amazing! Especially if you’re a fan of this versatile root as much as I am. It works as a cleansing tonic for the liver and blood, helps to digest, boosts the immune system to name just a few of its benefits. So wait no longer and start adding it to your food immediately or look for it as you hunt for your lunch or dinner!

The skin of an older lady doesn’t reveal her 71 years of age and mothering 7 babies, it’s smooth and radiates with a healthy glow. She claims this is thanks to the everyday use of turmeric in her diet. Asked where the idea for bun nghe came from she admits not to know the origin, just following her family tradition that was there since she can remember. Every morning, accompanied by her husband, she arranges all the ingredients on the kitchen floor. The firm, orange turmeric roots, cooked pig offals, snow white rice noodles and crunchy, fresh rau ram herb. As soon as they start working the whole house fills up with the muffled sounds of pounding and joyful chopping. When ready, the food goes to the pots and then to the street stall close to their house, where you can enjoy it until late evening.

Bun nghe, 20 Trần Quang Khải, Hue. Regular portion is 10.000 vnd, the big, special order costs twice the price. Enjoy it with a glass of delicious, cold passion fruit juice or glass of soy milk.