Bun cha — Hanoi, Vietnam

Bun cha combines two cuts of pork - ground pork shaped into small patties and thin slices of pork belly - both grilled over charcoal until lightly charred, then set into a bowl of warm, sweet-and-sour fish sauce broth. The dish is eaten by dipping cold rice vermicelli and a handful of fresh herbs into that broth rather than pouring it over the noodles. It is reported from Hanoi, in northern Vietnam, where street stalls dedicated to the dish are common, and it remains widely eaten across the country at lunchtime. Vietnamese cooks distinguish it clearly from bun thit nuong, a noodle dish from the south built around skewered pork, even though both are sometimes confused by visitors. To prepare it, ground pork shoulder is seasoned and shaped into flat patties while pork belly is cut into thin strips and marinated separately; both are grilled over charcoal for a smoky edge. The dipping sauce is built from fish sauce diluted with sugar, lime juice, vinegar and a little broth, then finished with crushed garlic and chili. Green papaya is pickled briefly and added to the sauce, and the whole assembly is served alongside cold rice vermicelli and a plate of lettuce, basil, perilla and rice paddy herb. What marks this Hanoi version is the warm broth itself, kept in a bowl for dipping rather than poured as a sauce on top, and the pairing of two textures of pork - the tighter patties and the fattier belly slices - grilled together. The balance of sweet, sour, salty and spicy in the broth, adjusted with lime and chili at the table, is what a diner tastes first.