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Pulling a long lever arm to force batter through a die into the steaming pot below

Vietnam

Making Fresh Rice Noodles in Vietnam

January 2003

These photographs, taken in January 2003, document one small-scale method of producing fresh bún, the round rice noodles used in many Vietnamese dishes. Methods vary among regions and workshops, but the process observed here followed seven principal stages:

  1. Rice selected for noodle making was rinsed and drained.

  2. The rice was soaked in water overnight to soften the grains.

  3. The softened rice was wet-milled with water into a thick white slurry, then allowed to rest for approximately two to three days. This resting period allowed natural fermentation to develop, influencing the texture of the finished noodles.

  4. The slurry was transferred into cloth bags and compressed with a jack. Pressure forced out excess liquid and left dense blocks of rice paste. Some of the starchy liquid was retained for the next stage.

  5. The pressed rice paste was broken apart and mixed with the reserved liquid until it formed a smooth, pourable batter. Experienced workers adjusted the consistency so the noodles would hold together without becoming dry or sticky.

  6. The batter was forced through a perforated die, producing thin strands directly into hot water, where the noodles cooked and set. They were then rinsed, cooled, drained, and gathered into portions.

  7. Once cool, the fresh noodles were arranged in bundles, packed, and distributed to local markets and restaurants.

The process combined soaked rice, natural fermentation, pressure, heat, and skilled judgment to produce fresh noodles in a small workshop.

Stacked black tubs of resting rice slurry beside a weighing scale and a bowl of pressed rice paste
Woman in a yellow shirt dipping a red mug into a basin while another worker handles a tin of batter
Rinsed white rice noodles gathered into loose bundles on a perforated metal tray
Press frame standing over a metal basin holding a dense block of white rice paste
Workers in a dim workshop around pots of rice batter, finished noodle bundles stacked at right
Batter-crusted metal drum clamped beneath the screw of a rusted press
Turning the press screw over a drum of rice paste while a woman and a child watch
Aluminium pot brimming with smooth white rice batter, a spatula standing upright in it
Man pressing down on a lever above a steaming pot of water
Pulling a long lever arm to force batter through a die into the steaming pot below
Cooled noodle portions laid out in rows on a perforated draining tray
Stacked black tubs of settling rice slurry beside a basin holding a pressed block of rice paste
Worker lifting a ladle of thick white rice batter from a pot in a dim workshop
Man testing the consistency of rice batter with his hand in a large aluminium pot
Steaming pot of milky rice liquid on a stove under a rusted pipe
Green plastic basin lined with broad banana leaves ready for finished noodles
Four bundles of fresh white rice noodles drying on a bamboo mat above a leaf-lined basin
Overhead view of banana leaves layered inside a green basin on a wet floor
Portions of rinsed rice noodles set out on a wooden board and a perforated metal tray
Two workers in the noodle workshop with trays of finished noodle bundles on the floor
Metal tray on a red patterned mat with lettuce, chilli sauce and a covered dish of meat in broth
Meal tray from above: lettuce, chilli paste, salt, chopsticks and a lidded bowl of broth

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