Vietnamese typical food

Geographic setting and environment

Vietnam is a long and narrow country in Southeast Asia. China limits it to the north; Cambodia, Laos, and the Gulf of Thailand to the west; and the South China Sea (which the Vietnamese call “the East Sea”) to the east. Covering a total of 327,500 square kilometers, Vietnam is roughly the same size as Italy and Japan.

The geography of Vietnam plays an important role in the cuisine of the country. Rice, which is the mainstay of the Vietnamese diet, is grown throughout the country, but especially in the Red River Delta in the north and the Mekong River Delta in the south. In fact, the Vietnamese people say that their country resembles a bamboo pole (the narrow central region) with a basket of rice at each end.

Although three-quarters of the land in Vietnam is mountainous or hilly, the long seacoast and many inland waterways provide fish and other aquatic life that are staples of the Vietnamese diet. Vietnamese cuisine varies somewhat by region, with Chinese influences (such as French fries, noodles, and chopsticks) in the north, as well as Cambodian (Khmer) and French influences in the south.

Climate affects the availability of ingredients, which in turn affects the types of dishes that dominate a particular region. During the winter months in the north, families gather around a large bowl of spiced broth and cook vegetables and meat in it for sustenance and warmth. A fish dish called cha ca, which is cooked in a similar way, is also quite common. The charcoal brazier (small barbecue-like heat source) that keeps the broth boiling sits on the table and keeps the whole family warm.

In the South, where the climate is conducive to a long growing season and where more ingredients are available, the typical diet contains a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. In the south, sugar and sugarcane are used more often than in the north. A popular dish in the south is cha tom (shrimp wrapped in sugar cane). Reflecting the tropical climate, food in the south is cooked for a shorter period than in the north. In the north, there are many slow-cooked stir-fries and stews, while in the south most foods are quickly grilled or eaten raw.

Viet Nam is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, with a rapidly growing population, estimated at 76 million people in 2000. As the population increases, more land is cleared for agriculture. Estimates from 2001 indicated that less than 20% of the land was still forested and 40% was considered useless for cultivation. Farmers trying to clear land quickly burn the vegetation to make way for crops. So they overuse the land until it is no longer fertile or suitable for growing crops. Known as shifting cultivation (or “slash and burn”), this type of cultivation is most commonly practiced in the North and in other countries around the world.

Overfishing has depleted fish numbers in the waters around Vietnam, and the coastal marine environment is also threatened by oilfield development in the south.

Drinking water is another problem in Vietnam. According to UNICEF, only 45% of Viet Nam’s inhabitants have access to safe drinking water and only 29% have access to adequate sanitation. In recent years, the government and other organizations have initiated programs to slow the rate of environmental degradation by educating citizens on sanitation and sustainable agricultural practices.

History and food

The neighbors have influenced the Vietnamese people when it comes to what they eat and how they cook. The Mongolian people who invaded Vietnam from the north in the 10th century brought beef with them. This is how beef became part of the Vietnamese diet. The most common Vietnamese meat dishes are pho bo (meat noodle soup) and bo bay mon (meat cooked in seven ways). The Chinese who ruled Vietnam for 1,000 years taught the Vietnamese people cooking techniques such as frying and deep frying, as well as the use of chopsticks. In the south, neighboring Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand introduced ingredients such as Cambodian-style flat egg noodles, spices, chili, and coconut milk.

Beginning in the 16th century, explorers and traders introduced foods such as potatoes, tomatoes, and peas. When the French colonized Vietnam (1858-1954), they introduced foods such as baguettes (French bread), pate, coffee with cream, milk, butter, custard, and cakes. In the 1960s and 1970s (Vietnam War era), the US military introduced ice cream to Vietnam when it contracted with two US dairies to build dozens of ice cream factories.

Vietnamese food

Common rice (com trang) is at the center of the Vietnamese diet. Steamed rice is part of almost every meal. The Vietnamese prefer long-grain white rice, as opposed to the short-grain rice more common in Chinese cuisine. Rice is also made into other common ingredients like rice wine, rice vinegar, rice noodles, and rice paper wrappers for spring rolls.

Rice is also used to make noodles. There are four main types of rice noodles used in Vietnamese cuisine. Banh pho are the wide white noodles used in the quintessential Vietnamese soup, pho. Bun noodles (also called rice noodles) look like long white strings when cooked. Banh hoi are a thinner version of bun noodles. In addition, there are dry glass or cellophane noodles (mien or bun tao) made from mung bean starch.

As essential to Vietnamese cuisine as rice and noodles is nuoc mam, a salty fish sauce used in most Vietnamese recipes (just as salt is used in most Western dishes). Nuoc mam is produced in factories along the coast of Vietnam. The anchovies and salt are layered in wooden barrels and left to ferment for about six months. Light colored sauce, drained first is most desirable. It is also the most expensive and is primarily reserved for tabletop use. The least expensive nuoc mam is used in the kitchen. When purchasing a nuoc mam, one should look for the words ca com on the label, which indicates the highest quality.

The most popular condiment is nuoc cham (dipping sauce), which is as common in Vietnam as ketchup is in North America. Plates full of nuoc cham are present at virtually every meal, with diners dipping everything from spring rolls to meatballs. The recipe that follows can be adjusted to individual tastes by using more or less red pepper and nuoc mam. Nuoc cham is quite simple to make and will keep in the refrigerator for up to 30 days. A few spoonfuls over a bowl of plain rice can be considered an authentic Vietnamese peasant meal.

carbonated 6portions

Ingredients

• tablespoons

Process

1. Heat

Nuoc Cham (dipping sauce)

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
• ½ cup nuoc mam (fish sauce), available in Asian markets
• ½ cup fresh lime juice
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup sugar

Process

1. In a small bowl, soak the red pepper flakes in the vinegar for 10-15 minutes.
2. In a second bowl, combine fish sauce, lemon juice, garlic, and sugar.
3. Add to 1½ cups boiling water and the pepper-vinegar mixture.
4. Stir until sugar dissolves. Let it cooldown. Serve at room temperature.
5. Store in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 30 days.

Fish and other aquatic animals, such as squid and eel, are central to the Vietnamese diet. Beef, pork and chicken are also important, but are consumed in smaller quantities. The unique flavors of Vietnamese cuisine are created with a variety of spices and seasonings, including mint leaves, parsley, coriander, lemongrass, shrimp, fish sauces (nuoc nam and nuoc cham), peanuts, star anise, black pepper, garlic, shallots, basil, rice vinegar, sugar, green onions and lime juice. To provide a contrast in texture and flavor to the spicy meat components of a meal, vegetables are often left raw and cut into small pieces (typically cut at an angle, or julienned), especially in the South.. Crispy fresh foods include cucumbers and bean sprouts. Typical Vietnamese food includes meat and vegetables, either with chopsticks and rice or rolled up in rice paper or (red) lettuce leaves and dipped in an accompanying sauce. Traditional preparation techniques are determined by eating habits, geography, and the economy.

Pho bo (beef noodle soup) is the signature dish of Vietnamese cuisine. Often eaten for breakfast, purchased from sidewalk vendors on the way to work or school. Pho bo is also a common comfort food, and is a fun dish to make for a group. Sitting around a table with plates of ingredients in the center, each person is given a bowl of spicy beef broth. Then, each one selects their vegetables and noodles to add to the broth. No two bowls of pho bo are alike.

Dessert is not as common in Vietnam as it is in North America, except perhaps for a piece of fresh fruit. An exception is sweet coconut custard, which can follow a celebratory meal.

food words in vietnamese

• pho (fol) = soup
• bo (ball) = beef
• ga (gaw) = chicken
• gao (gow) = raw rice
• com (gum) = cooked rice
• nuoc mam (nook mum) = fish sauce
• bun (poom) = noodles
• cuon (coom) = salad or lettuce

carbonated 6portions

Ingredients

• tablespoons

Process

1. Heat

Pho Bo (Beef Noodle Soup)

Broth Ingredients

• 3 cans beef broth (low salt suggested)
• 2 carrots, julienned
• 4 slices fresh ginger, minced
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise
• 2 whole cloves
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 teaspoons of black peppercorns
• 3 tablespoons of fish sauce

The ingredients of the accompaniments

• ½ pound roast beef (can be purchased at a deli), cut into very thin bite-size strips
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cups fresh bean sprouts
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 bunch of fresh basil, coarsely chopped
• 2 or more chiles, sliced ​​diagonally
• 2 limes, cut into chunks
• 1 package of rice noodles, cooked

Process

1. Make stock by pouring the contents of three cans of stock into a large saucepan.
2. Add carrots, ginger, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, garlic, and peppercorns.
3. Cover over low heat for 20 minutes.
4. Add the fish sauce and simmer for about 5 more minutes.
5. Strain through a strainer.
6. To serve, arrange the following on a platter: meat, onion, bean sprouts, cilantro, basil, chiles, lime wedges, and noodles.
7. Pour the broth into bowls and serve.
8. Each person chooses the items on the plate to add to their bowl of broth.

carbonated 6portions

Ingredients

• tablespoons

Process

1. Heat

coconut custard

Ingredients

• 5 eggs
• 1 cup of coconut milk
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Process

1. Beat the eggs, sugar, coconut milk and vanilla until foamy.
2. Pour it into the “ramekins” (small baking cups).
3. Place it in a steamer over boiling water.
4. Cover and cook about 20 minutes or until done. Calm.

Serves 4.

Food for religious and festive celebrations

Of the many influences that China has had on Vietnam, the most profound is probably the introduction of Buddhism. The widespread practice of Buddhism in Vietnam has led to the development of one of the world’s most sophisticated styles of vegetarian cuisine (an chay), particularly in the coastal city of Hue, which is home to many Buddhists.

On the first and noon days of each lunar month (full moon and waning moon), many Vietnamese do not eat meat, seafood, chicken, or eggs. These days, street vendors have numerous vegetarian dishes available. Below is a recipe for a traditional Buddhist vegetarian dish.

carbonated 6portions

Ingredients

• tablespoons

Process

1. Heat

Canh Bi Ro Ham Dua (Pumpkin cooked with coconut milk)

Ingredients

• 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced (¾-inch)
• 2 cups of fine coconut milk
• 2 cups (¾-inch) cubed sweet potatoes
• ½ cup wood ear or shiitake mushrooms
• ¼ cup thick coconut cream
• ½ raw peanuts, soaked in hot water
• ½ cup thinly sliced ​​zucchini
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• Salt to taste
• fresh coriander leaves

Process

1. In a deep saucepan, bring the coconut milk and pumpkin to a boil.
2. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the squash is medium cooked (still too firm to be easily pierced with a knife).
3. Add sweet potatoes and mushrooms… Reduce heat and simmer until sweet potatoes are tender.
4. Add thick coconut cream, peanuts and zucchini. Bring it to a boil again, and then remove it from the heat. Season with salt and sugar.
5. Serve garnished with fresh coriander leaves.

Tet Nguyen Dan (often referred to simply as Tet) is the Lunar New Year, perhaps the biggest holiday of the year. The New Year does not fall on the same date every year, although it is always in January or February. The official holiday lasts for three days, but is often celebrated for a full seven days. In many ways, the Tet “holiday season” is not much different from the December “holiday season” in North America.

Tet Nguyen Dan literally means “first morning of the first day of the new period.” The course of these few days is believed to determine the events of the coming year. People stop fighting, children swear to behave, and families make special efforts to reunite. Before the celebration, the houses are cleaned and painted and decorated with yellow hoa mai (peach blossoms). Many Tet traditions concern the Tao Quan, the Spirit of the Hearth, or the God of the Kitchen. The Kitchen God is believed to leave the house during Tet to report on the family to the Jade Emperor. (Cleaning is avoided during Tet,so good luck will not be “swept away”.) New clothes are bought and old debts are paid. Many superstitions and traditions revolve around Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year. One of these beliefs is that when a watermelon splits open, the redder the flesh, the luckier the family will be in the following year. Families build a Cay Neu (New Year’s tree) with a bamboo stick stripped of its leaves, except for a few on top, and then decorated with red paper. (Red is believed to ward off evil.) The Cay Neu stands in front of their houses to protect them from evil spirits while Tao Quan is away.

Families prepare for and partake in festivities that include such rare delicacies as sup bao ngu (abalone soup) and canh vay ca (shark fin soup). People bring gifts of food to their families and friends. The following banana cake recipe could be considered the Vietnamese equivalent of fruit cake.

carbonated 6portions

Ingredients

• tablespoons

Process

1. Heat

Banh Chuoi Nuong (Banana Cake)

Ingredients

• 1¼ pounds ripe plantain, sliced ​​on the diagonal
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 cup of coconut milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 7 slices of white bread
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Process

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a mixing bowl, sprinkle ½ cup sugar over banana slices. Move away.
3. In a saucepan, cook ½ cup of the sugar in the coconut milk until dissolved; then add the vanilla.
4. Soak bread in this sweetened coconut milk.
5. Grease a 12-inch-square nonstick pan and place ⅓ of the plantains in the bottom.
6. Top with half the soaked bread, ⅓ more bananas, another layer of bread, then finish with the bananas. Drizzle melted butter on top.
7. Cover it with aluminum foil and bake it for an hour. Let stand for 12 hours before cutting.
8. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

It serves from 16 to 20.

Mealtime customs

Vietnamese meals are rarely divided into separate dishes. Rather, all food is served at once and shared on communal plates placed on a low table. The family sits on mats on the floor, and each person has a bowl of rice, chopsticks, and a soup spoon. Family members use the narrow end of chopsticks to bring food to their mouths and the wide end to serve common dishes. Certain foods, such as spring rolls, are picked and eaten by hand. Most meals include soup, a stir-fry or other main course, a light salad, and a variety of side dishes.

Snacks are often purchased from street vendors. Popular handheld snacks include spring rolls or pork dumplings on a stick. These foods and pho (beef noodle soup) are the equivalent of fast food in Vietnamese cities. Also common among meals are sweet fruits and ice cream, introduced during the Vietnam War era (1960s and 1970s). Another “imported” snack is a baguette with pate, left over from the years when Vietnam was a colony of France.

Tea (che o tra) is the most common drink in Vietnam. It is common practice to brew enough tea for the day first thing in the morning because traditional Vietnamese hospitality dictates that tea should be served immediately if unexpected visitors pass by. Tea is served before and after meals, but not during. The Vietnamese prefer green (unfermented) tea, but black tea, better known to Westerners, is available in the cities.

Although most Vietnamese prefer tea, coffee is grown in Vietnam and is readily available in the cities. Served both hot and cold, caphe is a well-known Vietnamese drink consisting of coffee with sweetened condensed milk (recipe follows). Fresh coconut milk is another popular drink that is widely available from street vendors, who simply cut the top off a young coconut and then serve it through a straw. A particularly refreshing drink on a hot day is soda chanh (lemon soda).

carbonated 6portions

Ingredients

• tablespoons

Process

1. Heat

Caphe (Vietnamese coffee)

Ingredients

• ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
• 3 or 4 cups of hot, strongly brewed French roast coffee.

Process

1. Pour 2 tablespoons of condensed milk into the bottom of each of four clear glass coffee cups.
2. Slowly fill each cup with the coffee, making sure not to disturb the milk layer at the bottom. She serve immediately.
3. Each person stirs their own milk into the coffee before drinking it.
4. For the iced coffee, pour the condensed milk into the bottom of four tall glasses.
5. Fill the glasses to overflowing with ice cubes, then slowly pour in the coffee.

Serves 4.

carbonated 6portions

Ingredients

• tablespoons

Process

1. Heat

Soda Chanh (Lemon Soda)

Ingredients

• For the simple syrup:
• 2 cups of sugar (to make 1 cup of simple syrup)
• 2 cups of water
• For the soda:
• ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Ice cubes or crushed ice
• 6 cups sparkling water or carbonated water

Process

1. To make the simple syrup, combine 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of water in a saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves.
3. Continue cooking without stirring for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is clear and has the consistency of light syrup.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool completely.
5. Use immediately or pour into a clean, dry jar and refrigerate, tightly covered, until ready to use. Makes about 2½ cups.
6. To make lemon soda: In a pitcher, combine 1 cup of simple syrup and lemon juice. Stir to mix well.
7. Fill six glasses with crushed ice; then pour ¼ cup lemon syrup into each glass. Fill the rest of the way with sparkling water, stir and serve immediately.

Serves 6.

In southern Vietnam, it is rude for visitors to refuse a meal. If guests aren’t hungry, they can excuse themselves by explaining what they’ve eaten recently, and then sit down with the hosts and keep them company through the meal. Polite guests will take a small amount so as not to insult their hosts.

In North Vietnam, the situation is reversed. Invitations to join someone for a meal should always be declined unless they have been repeated many times. This custom is probably due to the fact that, historically, northern people did not have enough food to feed an extra mouth. Although invitations are extended out of courtesy, a guest is expected to decline them.

Vietnamese city dwellers often eat out. For example, pho bo is available on almost every street corner in the morning, and there are spring rolls or pork dumpling skewers later in the day. The cost of meals away from home can vary widely depending on the type of establishment from which they are purchased. A street vendor meal (the Vietnamese equivalent of “fast food”) can cost anywhere from $1 to $2, while a sit-down restaurant meal ranges from $4 to $8 per person. In the most exclusive restaurants, an elaborate meal can cost up to 40 dollars per person.

A typical “lunch box” type item in Vietnam would be spring rolls, which can be prepared in advance and wrapped in plastic to be eaten by hand later.

carbonated 6portions

Ingredients

• tablespoons

Process

1. Heat

spring rolls

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 1 pound pork tenderloin, sliced
• 1½ pound medium shrimp
• ½ pound rice noodles (Bun noodles)
• 2 heads of Boston lettuce
• 2 large carrots, peeled and shredded
• ¾ fresh mint leaves, crumbled
• ¾ cup fresh cilantro leaves, crumbled
• 35 round rice paper wrappers (8-inch diameter)

Process

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, garlic, and honey.
3. Put the pork tenderloin on a foil-lined baking sheet. Pour the soy sauce-garlic marinade over the meat and coat again.
4. Roast about 35 minutes or until pork is cooked through.
5. Let cool; then cut into 1½-inch-long strips.
6. Poach shrimp in boiling water until pink; then peel them, cut them in half lengthwise and devein them. Move away.
7. Heat water in a saucepan to cook the rice noodles. Soften noodles in hot water; then cook them until tender.
8. Rinse under cold water and drain. Move away.
9. Separate lettuce leaves; rinse, dry and remove tough center ribs.
10. In a large bowl, mix pork, rice, carrots, mint, and cilantro.
11. Fill a roasting pan with hot water.
12. Submerge a rice paper wrapper in the hot water; then place it on a kitchen towel.
13. Place lettuce leaf in bottom third of wrapper; then spoon 2 tablespoons of the pork stuffing onto the lettuce.
14. Fold the bottom edge over the filling and tuck in the sides.
15. Place two shrimp halves, cut down the underside, on top, then rolled into a tight cylinder.
16. As the spring rolls complete, place them on a serving tray and cover with a damp towel to keep them from drying out.
17. These can be prepared ahead of time and wrapped in plastic until ready to eat.

Serve from 15 to 35.

Politics, economics and nutrition

Vietnam’s population is growing rapidly, and farmers must work hard to produce enough food. Viet Nam produces about 25 million tons of rice per year, making it the world’s third largest exporter of this product (after Thailand and the United States). Agricultural products include rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas, poultry, pork, fish, cashews, and sugar cane.

Socio-economics determine how much protein is in the Vietnamese diet. The poorest Vietnamese eat less beef, pork, fish, and poultry than the upper classes. Consequently, iron deficiency anemia and other dietary deficiencies are more common among the rural poor. City dwellers tend to be better off economically and are more likely to have access to refrigeration, clean water and sanitation.

Share the typical food of Vietnamese cuisine.