Vietnamese Crab Udon / Bánh Canh Cua

I have such fond memories of bánh canh cua from my childhood because growing up, my church would host a summer festival every year called hội chợ hè, where community organizations and local businesses would set up various vendor stalls to raise money for the church. The best stall, though? It was the one my mom volunteered at because after I had spent all my money playing games and eating snacks, my mom would hook me up with a steaming styrofoam quart takeout filled with bright red bánh canh cua. My recipe is an homage to that memory.

Similar to my bánh canh giò heo (Vietnamese udon with pork hock) recipe, bánh canh cua is arguably the more popular older sibling.
The two broths start off the same, but adding crab and annatto seed oil helps bánh canh cua set itself apart. The vibrant red/orange color that the annatto seed oil imparts makes the noodle soup particularly vibrant and a feast for the eyes.

What is Bánh Canh Cua?

As a refresher, the words “bánh canh” in the dish’s name refer to the noodles, and they’re really great noodles if you’ve never had them before. Typically made from tapioca and rice flour, the noodles’ texture is bouncy and chewy, radically different from the traditional rice noodles that you’d find in phở or a vermicelli bowl.

I’m using both real crab and imitation crab for this recipe, as that’s typically how I’ve had it all my life. Real crab is definitely a little too pricey, so each bowl would only have a little bit, and the imitation crab would help add sustenance.

I’ve also opted to use jumbo lump crab from a can, cause me personally, I would never spend all the time picking out fresh crab. If you’re inclined to do so, you’d definitely be rewarded with the tomalley from the body cavity of the crab. Since we don’t have that in the canned crab, the annatto seed oil is absolutely required for us to get the color we’re looking for.