Vietnamese Cuisine

Vietnames cuisine, by many considered as one of the best cuisines in Asia, if not in the world, is influenced by the cuisines of China, India and France.

From China the Vietnamese cuisine adopted the wok, chopsticks, and the habit to cut every ingredient into small, bite-sized pieces as well as some special Chinese ways of food-preparation which are especially common in the North of Vietnam.

India brought Buddhism to Vietnam which resulted in the many vegetarian dishes the Vietnamese cuisine has to offer. Finally, the century-long French colonization of Vietnam also left its traces in the Vietnamese cuisine, especially in soups and certain expressions used in the cuisine. For example, the very popular soup Pho Bo, is based on a classic French consommé.

Regional differences

Vietnam consists of two river deltas separated by a belt of mountains. The Red River Delta surrounding Hanoi provides rice for the residents of North Vietnam. The fertile Mekong Delta, centered by Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) produces rice and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables both for itself and the central strip of the country whose principal city is the former capital-city Hue.

• The traditional North-Vietnamese is heavily influenced by their neighbour, the Chinese. There is also a preference for beef which is a result of the Mongolian raids in the 13th century. The cuisine of North-Vietnam uses less herbs than the cuisine in the South. It also rather uses black pepper to add heat to the dishes instead of chili. The cuisine in the north also uses soy sauce for seasoning, where in the rest of Vietnam fish sauce (Nouc mam) is used for this purpose.

• The central region of Vietnam is heavily influenced by their ancient royal traditions. These tradition reveals itself in the preference for many small dishes placed on the table at once. The more lavish the spread, the wealthier the household. Even the poorer families are likely to have multiple dishes of simple vegetables.

• Servings are smaller but fewer in South Vietnam. The heat comes from hot chilies. The wealth of fruit results in several recipes were fruits and vegetables are combined into one dish.

Despite the regional differences there are some things that are common throughout the country: Like in most other southeast Asian cuisines, the Vietnames cuisine does not differ between starters, main-courses, and desserts. All dishes are served at once. Meals usually consist of a large bowl of rice or, especially in the North, noodles. To accompany the rice or noodles, usually a soup is served, one or several other main-dishes and maybe, but not very often, a stir-fried dish. The meal is often completed with a fesh salad with prawns and various vegetables. A key portion of every meal, north, south and central, is a platter containing cucumbers, bean threads, slices of hot pepper and sprigs of various herbs such as basil, coriander and mint.

Meat does not play an important role in Vietnamese cuisine. Like in may other southeast Asian cuisines, it is rather considered a condiment to vegetables. Fish and seafood, on the other side, play a very important rule in the Vietnamese diet. As do noodles, which come in every shape and form and are consumed for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Another common dish, eaten throughout the whole country is the Vietnames springroll, Cha Gio.