The food in Vietnam is simply a masterpiece. Definitely a reason as to why I fell in love with this country in the first place and have been dying to get back here. The ingredients and flavours are fresh, diverse and colourful; sweet, spicy, salty and sour are the pillars that make up this diverse cuisine. The variation in the dishes are as extensive as the diversity in landscape and culture here in Vietnam.the flavours and textures enhance each other, making for an enticing dining experience every time. Experimentation is a good work to use to describe the food and the Vietnamese have mastered the art. From simple street food snacks to complex old-school french technique, everyone will find a dish that they will love. Each region has their own flair. The centre and the north divvy out spicy and rich flavours and you’ll find sweeter and tangier notes in the south. But as we know, people move and bring customs and styles along with them. Food is such a beautiful and intimate way to get to know the people of a place, and the Vietnamese are deeply proud of their cuisine and how it represents their identity.
Bustling markets down little streets with ingredients waiting to be discovered at every turn.
The cuisine is immensely influenced by China and France, but of course maintains a unique Vietnamese flair. The imperial nature of the dynasties upheld variety and pleasure. So many dishes as beautiful to look at as to eat. There is even an art to wrapping and unwrapping certain dishes (say in banana leaves or wicker baskets) as you often see in authentic dim sum. The french of course brought with them attention to fine-detail and technique, and unique cooking methods. As for the US… I draw a blank. At least we have Anthony Bourdain to inspire us on his many visits here.
A people and a place rich in the currency of cuisine, and the traditions that come with it. You won’t come away from here without gaining a new appreciation for beautiful, bizarre, and extensive ingredients, and a lesson in the resourcefulness of using all of what can be found and cultivated. Again I’m struck with the notion that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. And the Viet sure use all of the parts. Come and find out if you dare….
First thing’s first. Before every meal it is custom to say: Chúc ngon miệng! Which translates to: Enjoy your meal! Etiquette is very important here, drawing upon the religious customs of Buddhism and especially Confusionism. Politeness and order are highly valued and upheld in this country. The dishes often come with many plates, holding different ingredients, that are to be eaten in certain order and combinations. The locals will be sure to correct you if you’re wrong in your approach. Trust me, its very important for them to uphold these traditions.
People just love to eat here! And of course to drink. And whenever you consume alcohol, it’s unheard of to do so without a few tasty snacks. If you order a beer without food, the locals will look at you like you’re crazy, and then bring you something anyway. The Vietnamese love to combine things, always finding ways to make something better, one part to enhance the other. drinking is serious business here, there are big bottles of beer that you share around the table, served in small glasses with ice. The most common brands are Bia Saigon, Bia Hanoi and of course Heineken. In this setting, instead of just saying cheers, you say, “Một, hai, ba, dô!” which translates to 123 go! And its expected that you finish your glass. During my last visit, Mike’s family members took us drinking and eating in their village (what an array of snacks we had!!!) and we learned the hard way that you don’t drink between the cheers, because you’ll get too full and too drunk too quickly. And you need to keep up because to say no in Vietnam is not a good look (its actually quite offensive and discrediting). So pace yourself!!! And be sure to try the local rice wine, fruit wine and rice whiskey. It will make you stronger according to the locals.
There is actually a term for recreational eating in Vietnamese: An choi. It’s eating for fun; always together. Sharing a meal is a deeply rooted custom, held sacred to many people here. Even at a street food stall, you share a long table and eat your meal in close quarters with the other patrons and the chefs and servers. Offering food, cooking for someone and serving them as an honoured guest; this is the love language of the Vietnamese people, treated with great pride.
We can’t begin this list without honoring the sacred ingredient that is rice. Abundantly grown throughout the country; The sustenance of everyone here, from all classes, this is the staple food in all regions and in all households. It is served with every meal, and it may seem simple to you, but the ways the people here have transformed it into a million delicacies will blow your mind. It makes the everyday ingredient a thrilling experience as you meet it in its different forms, reflecting the talent of the Vietnamese to work with what they’ve got. Seafood and meat are also big staples here, and show up in forms unfamiliar to the western world, but delicious nonetheless.
Methods of cooking and materials used are diverse here as well, from charcoal grilling, to clay pots, to wrapping ingredients in banana leaves, you’ll find different styles and techniques in different regions, villages, and families. Recipes have been handed down through many generations and have arrived with migrants throughout Vietnam’s long and winding history.
Let’s get started in an area I’m deeply mesmerized by…
Rice Noodles
Rice is milled and transformed into flour, and then made into a variation of noodles of all shapes and sizes. This is an art form here. Its a real treat to get to watch the craft. Thick, thin, flat, round, fresh, fermented: they’re all magnificent. A main ingredient to the soups here, in which there are just as many variations.
Sauces:
A big deal here in Vietnam! There are a few staples that you will find on every table from street food stands to fine dining restaurants to people’s homes. Hoisin is used as a condiment in many soups and as a glaze on meats. It is a dark reddish brown colour: a salty and sweet flavour made with soybeans, fennel, sweet potato, garlic, and chili peppers. Alongside hoisin, you’ll find soy sauce and fish sauce. Chili sauce is also very prominent, processed version always kickin, but there are fresh variations of chili sauce and chili oil on the scene.
Nuoc Cham:
The fresh chili sauce or oil, that consists of minced fresh chilies, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and garlic. The amounts vary based on regions and the chef. Find this in a little dish alongside the other condiments on whichever table you sit down at.
Along with these sauces, most dishes are accompanied by a plate of fresh herbs, most prominently basil, cilantro and mint; lettuce and other greens, bean sprouts and fresh chilis. The fresh, crisp textures balance out the dishes they come with.
Pho!
You’ve likely heard of this one! The name is referring to the type of noodles: flat rice noodles. The broth is made with star anise, clove and cinnamon, among other spices, giving it a uniquely and sweet taste. There is ‘Pho ba’ (beef), usually rare and thinly sliced, that will slowly cook in the steaming broth in your bowl. Then there is ‘Pho ga’ (chicken) boiled, and added with seasonal veg. How the pho is garnished depends on the region. This dish is eaten as a staple breakfast food here, and you’ll often find the stalls have sold out by midday. So get there early.
Two common styles you’ll find:
Phở Hanoi: Northern pho is made with a clearer broth ad garnished with a squeeze of lime and bird’s eye chilies.
Phở Nam: this comes with a murkier broth, and is served with fresh herbs (basil, mint, cilantro), bean sprouts, and lettuce!
Bún bò huế
This noodle soup is native to the royal city of Hue. A dish that grew from dynasties of the Imperial era, where the emperors demanded variety, in flavour and pleasure. Fittingly, the broth is a deep red, as a result of hours and hours spent simmering with beef bones, and lemon grass which adds citrus tones. Shrimp paste provides a rich and salty taste, plus there are blanched vegetables alongside thin rice noodles and tender beef shank. Often Chả lụa is added, a ham sausage that is similar to tofu in texture. Crab meat dumplings, pigs foot, blood cake (similar to blood sausage but softer and in a cube) are some ingredients that may accompany the base. garnished with lime wedge, cilantro, green onions, chili sauce, shredded banana blossoms, and mung bean sprouts. Talk about a crossroads of textures, colours and flavours. I love bun bo hue, and it’s exciting to try soups like this because you’ll never get the same bowl twice. A great illustration of the notion of impermanence (Buddhism). enjoy the bowl and accept that it’s fleeting. This is an emotional and spiritual experience as much as it is a culinary one. It hits me deeply each time and grounds me solidly in the moment with all that it is to be human.
Banh beo:
This is another dish that originated in Hue. A savoury street food snack steamed rice (and tapioca flour to give it a chewy texture cakes topped with fried shallots and shrimp
Wrapping and unwrapping items is an art form here. Its the idea of giving and recieving is revered as a tradition of the culture.
Bún chả:
Pork sausage cakes and often pork belly are cooked over charcoal, and accompanied by cold Bún (rice vermicelli noodles), and a gracious pile of herbs and greens. All of this is accompanied by a bowl of fish-sauce based broth and of course fresh chilis. The proper way to eat it is to add some bun to your broth, then go back and forth eating the noodles, the pork and the herbs. Variations in texture, flavour and taste will definitely excite your senses and makes for a memorable meal. This dish became a sensation after Obama tried it on the Anthony Bourdain episode of Parts Unknown in Hanoi. Hes a cool guy, and the first US President to visit since the Vietnam War. They went to a truly local place to eat (leave it to Bourdain). since, the place has seen immense traffic, which is nice.
bún thịt nướng:
(grilled pork noodle bowls)
As I said before, there are so many variations of noodle soups and noodle bowls without broth but full of intuitively curated combinations of ingredients. Each region, family will put them together based on what’s available, in season, and to their own and their guest’s preference. Some of the best bowls of noodles I’ve ever had remain unnamed. Most of them are from hole-in-the-wall type places, to which I’ve been brought to by some locals I’ve met. When I ask them what I’m eating so I can find it again or give due credit, they simply look at me funny and say, “noodles” to me. What you lose in transation is gained in taste and that familiar air of mystery that flows through this country. Some of these bowls have changed my life. On a damp and dreary day in the mist among the highest mountains of Sapa, after a long motorbike ride. Pull into one of these places, sit down among hungry, breathe in the smells, feel the steam of the broth on your cold cheeks, taste the richness you get with of hours of the simmer, strangely sour fermented noodles, crunchy greens, crackling pork, punching chilies, cooling mint… Pure happiness in a bowl.
On my last day in Vietnam, on my walk back to my place from the post office, I decided to pull a first day move. I've discovered some of the best food here by totally winging it at street food stalls. Order the special or the bowl of noodles the person next to you is eating. I ended up with a game changer on this last day in Hanoi. This particular stand's specialty is mien luong, which as it turns out is crispy eel soup. Never would I find myself thinking, I want a bowl of eel soup... but here I was enjoying one of the most delicious bowls of noodles I've ever had. Renewed curiosity for my next visit ... what else is out there?
Bánh xèo:
It just keeps getting better. Crispy Vietnamese crepes, influenced of course by the French during their occupation. The xeo translates to the “sizzling” sound they make in the skillet, cooked in oil at a high temperature. Rice flour is mixed with coconut cream, scallions and turmeric, which gives them a distinct yellow colour. The filling is typically shrimp, pork belly and bean sprouts. They are served with herbs, lettuce and other greens. In the south of Vietnam, they are also served with rice paper. When it comes to eating them, your crepes are sliced into strips with scissors, so you can take a strip, and use your lettuce, and/or rice paper to wrap up with some herbs and greens. Then dip it in the chili sauce and enjoy. You can use your chopsticks to add your ingredients to the wrap, but then people just use their hands. So delicious. Cripsy, hot, crunchy, cool, fresh. These are served in many street food stalls throughout the country! And you probably won’t pay for than a dollar per crepe. I found the most amazing little operation next to my air bnb in Hanoi. Down the narrowest alley, a lady was five woks deep, sizzling like no one’s business. A few grab drivers lingering about signal the locale. At first it looks like just the cook and a couple little tables down the alley, so I took my order to go, as the tables were full. The next day I tried to go again but it was no where to be found. Again the next day I go looking, and the oil at combustable temps. One of the little tables is open so I went for it. I make my way down the passageway. Little did I know when I got to the table, I would turn to the left and a huge room full of tables and locals eating and drinking up a storm in this hidden chamber in the back of the alley made itself known to me. Best believe I came here everyday and made myself into a regular. The owner was a strong and straight-up woman, serving her guests on the front line. A knowing look dances across her features when she sees me return and then disappears just as quickly as it appears. See what I mean with the air of mystery? There are secrets beyond just finding a place like this to eat.
Gỏi cuốn
Fresh spring rolls; they’re made with softened rice paper, to wrap cucumber, herbs, lettuce, and usually a form of protein (most often pork and shrimp) you can order vegetarian but this often is hard to translate because it’s not common to be vegetarian if you don’t have to be here. And of course they are dipped in nuoc chom or a delicious peanut/hoisin sauce.
đồ chua:
Loosly translated as vegetables and pickles. You’ll see fresh cucumber slices alongside almost every meal here in Vietnam, and often pickled carrots and daikon radish as well. These veg are always growing nearby, so their trip to your plate is a short one, and you can taste it. The fresh crisp crunch and the acidity from the vinegar balance out the out the salty, spicy, fatty attributes of Vietnamese dishes. The first time I became acquainted with this sensation was inside the famous bahn mi…
Bánh mì:
This French-influenced sandwich can be found at food stalls in most cities of Vietam. Bahn literally traslates to bread and mi to meat. Of course it’s more eloquent than that. The French baguettes are baked daily making them the perfect balance of crusty on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. They surround some stellar ingredients that most often include pate, cucumbers, đồ chua (those pickled veg), cilantro, chilies and/or chili sauce. You can get one with pork belly, sausage or pork floss (dehydrated skin) or the Bánh mì trứng ốp la, with fried egg, the perfect breakfast if you ask me, especially with lots of chili sauce). These are seriously addictive.
But don’t lose sight of the history, and that this is a food that mostly foreigners and the younger generations eat. It was brought here in essence by outsiders and made into something with unique Vietnamese flair. Most of the old school folk don’t like bread, it’s just not something that is part of their diet. Interpret that as you will, whether it’s taste, habit, principle or a statement. Regardless, this brings us to our next item…
Cơm tấm:
This dish literally just means broken rice. the broken and fractured rice grains used to be consumed by farmers would eat that couldn’t be sold at market, sold to the lower class and the poor. This style of rice is now widely consumed by everyday working class people. It is most popular in the south, you see signs for it everywhere in Saigon. Cơm tấm sườn nướng ốp la is a version
accompanied by a fried egg, a grilled pork chop (American influence), and nuoc cham (chili sauce) and doa hua (veg).
Xôi:
Vietnamese sticky rice is a departure from other sticky rice interpretations in the region. The weighted, more dense glutinous style comes in a savoury or a sweet option. Xôi mặn, savoury xôi, is a popular, inexpensive breakfast food. There are around 20 variations. Xôi ngũ sắc refers to a five-coloured one with purple, yellow, green red and white, and is considered a delicacy, often eaten at weddings and during Tet New Year. I tried the purple at a wedding I attended in a northern village near Sapa (don’t worry that story is coming later).
Hot Pot:
This is a meal that centres on the notion of sharing and celebration, with roots in Chinese cuisine. A family or group of friends will gather around a pot of simmering broth, with a variety of dishes like meat, fish, tofu vegetables and of course the herbs and greens. Together you cook the dishes in the broth and eat out of small bowls that you fill throughout the meal. You can make the broth as spicy as you want by adding chilies as you go. The longer the broth simmers, the spicier it gets. And trust me, this convivial event can go on for hours!! I got to enjoy a nice hot pot celebration for International Women's Day in a village called Ta Van where I was volunteering as an English teachers. My host invited all the teachers from the local elementary school over and we feasted and of course this was accompanied by some local rice wine.
Dessert:
In Vietnam it is custom to have fresh fruit after a meal and there is a great deal to choose from!! Pineapple, oranges, mango. Pick your pleasure. If you're looking for something a little more rich (if you're not already bursting at the seams) there are sweet crepes served at many food stalls filled with chocolate, fruit, sweet milk.
The locals go for a sweet drink like cà phê sữa đá, an iced coffee made with condensed milk. Bubble tea and other sweet tapioca drinks fill the tables of the night markets too!
Vietnam as a culinary experience is both eye and pallet opening; and I hope you get to try it for yourself one day. Just another reason to love this county and to keep coming back for more.
Oh wow 😋😋😋😋we’re definitely going food shopping when you’re back! Also learned I eat my bun cha backwards 😂, I always dump the broth in the noodles instead of dipping the noodles in the broth, oops.