Hu Tieu

Brought to the Mekong Delta by Teochew Chinese immigrants in the 18th–19th centuries — the name itself derives from the Teochew "kway teow." The southern Vietnamese version diverged from its Chinese parent through the addition of dried squid to the stock and the use of tapioca noodles, both regional adaptations. Hu tieu Nam Vang, the Phnom Penh style, traveled back across the Cambodian border and is the version most foreign visitors meet.

Cambodian-Chinese-Vietnamese border noodle — kuy teav crossed the Mekong into the Delta. My Tho's clear pork-bone broth is canonical, served dry (kho) or wet (nuoc); pork everywhere — quail eggs, liver, head meat.

A clear, slightly sweet pork broth — the sweetness comes from rock sugar and dried squid in the stock, not seasoning at the table. Tapioca-and-rice noodles that are translucent and springier than regular rice noodles. Toppings vary by shop: poached shrimp, sliced pork, quail eggs, a few cracklings, fried garlic on top. The broth should be clean enough to drink straight, no oil slick.

Dried squid is the load-bearing trick. A few pieces simmered in the pork stock contribute glutamates that round out the broth and a faint marine perfume that distinguishes hu tieu from generic pork-bone soup. Without it, the soup tastes like watered phở; with it, the bowl reads as something specifically southern. The squid is removed before serving — diners rarely see it.