Boat Noodles (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ (kuai tiao ruea))
Overview
Boat noodles are small, intensely flavoured bowls of Thai rice noodle soup. The dark broth is made from beef or pork simmered with star anise, cinnamon, galangal and other spices and is thickened and enriched with a little fresh pig's or cow's blood. Thin rice noodles are topped with sliced meat, meatballs, morning glory and bean sprouts, and finished with crispy pork rinds, fried garlic, basil and chilli. The bowls are small, so diners often eat several. Bowls are usually small, so people often order several.
History
The dish began on the canals of central Thailand, where vendors sold noodles from small boats; the portions were kept small to avoid spills. Today the best-known boat noodle shops cluster around Victory Monument in Bangkok and in Ayutthaya. Some restaurants stack the empty bowls on the table to show how many have been eaten.
Main ingredients
Rice noodles, beef or pork, dark spiced broth, pig's or cow's blood, morning glory, fried pork rinds. The soup is built on spiced beef or pork broth with blood and is usually served hot. Diet: contains meat; usually gluten-free.
Explore: Beef soups · Pork soups · Noodle soups · More soups from Thailand
Recipe outline serves 4 · ~170 min
Ingredients
- 300 g thin rice noodles
- 1.5 l beef broth simmered with star anise, cinnamon and galangal
- 300 g thinly sliced beef, beef balls
- 100 ml fresh blood (optional)
- morning glory, bean sprouts, Thai basil
- fried pork rinds, fried garlic, chilli
Allergens: Contains: Fish, Soya. Based on the typical recipe. Recipes and products vary; always check labels if you have an allergy.
Method
- Season the hot broth with soy sauce (gluten-free), fish sauce and sugar and stir in the blood.
- Blanch noodles, greens and meat in boiling water.
- Put them in small bowls and ladle over the broth.
- Top with pork rinds, garlic, basil and chilli.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
