Bún is a familiar dish to Vietnamese people. Typically, it takes about 5 to 7 days to make a clean batch of bún, but due to the high demand for this food in our current lifestyle, some bún manufacturers have used chemicals to increase profits and shorten the production process.
The chemicals commonly used in bún are tinopal fluorescent agents, funfit bleaching agents, and borax. These substances are on the list of additives prohibited for use in food.
Since this is a handmade food product, it is difficult to control the ingredients and additives used, making it challenging to distinguish chemically-treated bún by sight or taste alone. However, you can observe the color of the bún strands to make a judgment.
The main ingredient for making bún is rice starch, and clean bún strands are typically ivory-white in color and naturally chewy. Illustration.
– Chewy texture: To differentiate between bún with and without chemicals, pay attention to the natural chewiness of the strands. Clean bún tends to break or crumble easily when pulled apart forcefully. When touched, it should feel slightly sticky and soft, characteristic of rice flour. In contrast, bún treated with chemicals is often chewier, crispier, and more elastic, lacking the sticky and soft feel of rice flour.
– Observe the color: Since it is made from rice flour, natural bún strands will have an ivory-white color and a slightly dull appearance, unlike the bright white color of chemically-treated bún.
– Observe the shine: Another indicator to distinguish clean bún from chemically-treated bún is the shine. Many manufacturers use chemicals to make the bún look more appealing and attractive to customers. This type of bún is usually bright white, shiny, and chewier, while clean bún lacks the shine and has a dull white color.
– Taste test: Apart from visual observation, there is also a difference in taste between clean bún and chemically-treated bún. Clean bún strands usually have a mild sour smell, which is the natural sour smell of fermented rice flour, not an indication of spoilage. In contrast, chemically-treated bún has been bleached and deodorized, so it no longer has the characteristic sour smell. This is an important sign to differentiate between clean and chemically-treated bún.
– Distinguish with fish sauce: With this helpful tip, you can use fish sauce to differentiate between clean and chemically-treated bún. Before a meal, try mixing a small amount of bún with fish sauce; if the strands soften and absorb the fish sauce quickly, it indicates clean bún. On the other hand, chemically-treated bún will remain firmer and absorb less fish sauce due to the chemical coating preventing the sauce from penetrating.
The only way to know for sure if bún contains chemicals is to have it tested in a laboratory. Bún treated with bleaching agents and borax is usually bright white and aesthetically pleasing, but consuming it can cause stomach aches, diarrhea, poisoning, and, in the long run, liver and kidney damage, and even cancer.
If the bún shows signs of chemical treatment, it is best not to consume it. The harmful chemicals in bún can cause acute or chronic poisoning, depending on the amount of toxins ingested.
These toxins can damage the digestive system and the mucous membranes of the intestines, leading to intestinal and gastric ulcers. In severe cases, long-term accumulation of these toxins can cause liver and kidney failure and even cancer.
Since bún is made from rice, it can easily turn sour, so it is essential to store it at low temperatures or in a well-ventilated area to prevent food poisoning. Illustration.
There are several types of bún available in the market:
– Bún rối (Tangled Bún): After being removed from the boiling water, the bún strands are placed in a basket in a somewhat tangled manner, without a definite shape. Bún rối is the most common type and goes well with various dishes.
– Bún lá (Leaf Bún): The bún strands are twisted into strands with a diameter of about 4-5mm and a length of 30-40 cm. When eating, these strands are cut into shorter lengths.
– Bún nắm (Clumped Bún): The bún strands are clumped into small, flat cakes. This type is less common than the previous two. Bún vắt and bún nắm are suitable for dipping sauces, such as cold snail bún or tofu shrimp paste bún.
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