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Vietnamese cuisine
Vietnamese cuisine encompasses the foods and beverages of Vietnam.
Regular ingredients include fish sauce, shrimp paste, soy sauce, rice,
fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables. Vietnamese recipes utilize
lemongrass, mint, Vietnamese mint, long coriander and Thai basil
leaves.[1] Traditional Vietnamese cooking is greatly admired for its
fresh ingredients, minimal use of oil, and reliance on herbs and
vegetables. Vietnamese food is often ranked as one of the healthiest
cuisines in the world.[2] The most common meats used in Vietnamese
cuisine are fish, chicken, pork, beef, and various kinds of seafood. The
Vietnamese also have a strong vegetarian tradition influenced by
Buddhist values.
Bn Tht Nng Ch Gi
Regional variations
The mainstream culinary traditions in all three regions of Vietnam share some fundamental features:
Freshness of food: Most meats are only briefly cooked to preserve their original textures and colors. Vegetables
are eaten fresh; if they are cooked, they are boiled or only briefly stir-fried.
Presence of herbs and vegetables: Herbs and vegetables are essential to many Vietnamese dishes and are often
abundantly used.
Broths or soup-based dishes are common in all three regions
Presentation: The condiments that accompany Vietnamese meals are usually colorful and arranged in
eye-pleasing manners.
While sharing some key features, Vietnamese culinary tradition differs from region to region.[3]
In northern Vietnam, a colder climate limits the production and availability of spices. As a result, the foods here are
often less spicy than those in other regions. Black pepper is used in place of chiles as the most popular ingredient to
produce spicy flavors. In general, Northern Vietnamese cuisine is not bold in any particular flavorsweet, salty,
spicy, bitter, or sour. Most northern Vietnamese foods feature light and balanced flavors that result from subtle
combinations of many different flavoring ingredients. The use of meats such as pork, beef, and chicken were
relatively limited in the past. Freshwater fish, crustaceans, and molluskssuch as prawns, squids, shrimps, crabs,
clams, musselsare widely used. Many notable dishes of northern Vietnam are crab-centered (e.g., bn riu). Fish
sauce, soy sauce, prawn sauce, and limes are among the main flavoring ingredients. Being the cradle of Vietnamese
civilization, northern Vietnam produces many signature dishes of Vietnam, such as ph, bn riu, and bnh cun,
which were carried to central and southern Vietnam through the road of Vietnamese migration.[4]
The abundance of spices produced by central Vietnams mountainous terrain makes this regions cuisine notable for
its spicy food, which sets it apart from the two other regions of Vietnam where foods are mostly non-spicy. Once the
capital of the last dynasty of Vietnam, Hues culinary tradition features highly decorative and colorful food,
reflecting the influence of ancient Vietnamese royal cuisine. The regions cuisine is also notable for its sophisticated
meals constituted by many complex dishes served in small portions. Chili peppers and shrimp sauces are among the
frequently used ingredients. Some Vietnamese signature dishes produced in central Vietnam are bn b Hu and
bnh xo.
The warm weather and fertile soil of southern Vietnam create an ideal condition for growing a wide variety of fruits,
vegetables, and livestock. As a result, foods in southern Vietnam are often vibrant and flavorful with liberal uses of
garlic, shallots, and fresh herbs. Sugar is added to food more than in the other regions. The preference for sweetness
in southern Vietnam can also be seen through the widespread use of coconut milk in southern Vietnamese cuisine.
Vietnamese cuisine
Vast shorelines make seafood a natural staple for people in this region. Southern Vietnam has also been the region
where influences from foreign cuisines (Chinese, Indian, French, Thai, etc.) are most prominent.
Historical influences
Due to historical contact with China, Vietnam shares many of its characteristics with China. In culinary traditions,
the Chinese introduced to Vietnam many dishes, including honh thnh (wonton), x xu (char siu), h co (har
gow), h tiu (ka tieu), m (wheat noodles), b ba (popiah), bnh quy (youtiao), mooncake and bnh pa (Suzhou
style mooncake), bnh t (nian gao), si dn (tang yuan), bnh b, bnh bao (baozi), cm chin Dng Chu
(Yangzhou-fried rice), m xo (chow mein). The Vietnamese adopted these foods and added their own styles and
flavors to the foods. Ethnic minorities in the mountainous region near the ChinaVietnam border also adopted some
foods from China. Ethnic Ty and Nng in Lng Sn province adopted tht ln quay (roasted pork) and khau nhc
(braised pork belly) from China. Some New World vegetables, such as chilli and maize, also made way to Vietnam
from the Ming dynasty.
The French introduced baguettes to Vietnam, which were then combined with Vietnamese stuffing to become a
popular fast food in Vietnam called bnh m and known overseas as Vietnamese sandwich. The French also
brought to Vietnam onions, cauliflower, lettuce, potatoes, tarragon, carrot, artichoke, asparagus, and coffee. Onions
are called hnh ty (literally Western shallots), asparagus as mng ty (literally Western bamboo shoots) and
potatoes are called khoai ty (literally Western yam) in Vietnamese, which reflect their origin before arriving in
Vietnam. French-influenced dishes are numerous and not limited to: sa lt (salad), pt, pat s (a Brittany pasty
called "pat chaud), bnh sng tru (croissant), bnh flan, ya ua (yogurt), rti (rotisserie), b (butter), vt nu cam
(duck l'orange), p lt (omelette), p la (ufs au plat), phc xi (farcies), bt tt (beefsteak), st vang (cooking with
wine), dm bng (jambon), xc xch (saucisse).
During the 17th century, contact with Siam and merchants from India lead to the adoption of curry in Vietnamese
cuisine.[5] Though not common in the north, c ri is a quite popular dish in central and southern Vietnam. The most
common form is the chicken curry and to a lesser extent, the goat curry. The chicken curry is an indispensable dish
in many social gathering events such as weddings, funerals and the yearly death anniversary of a loved one. In
Vietnam, curry is eaten either with the French baguettes or with steamed rice. The round rice noodles (rice
vermicelli) are sometimes eaten with curry.
Vietnamese cuisine also has Khmer influences with the adoption of mm b hc (prahok). Mm b hc is used as a
central ingredient of a Vietnamese rice noodle soup called bn nc lo.
With the contact with communist countries from Eastern Europe, the Vietnamese adopted dishes such as stuffed
cabbage soup, sa lt Nga (Russian salad) and Czech beer.
From Thai cuisine, Vietnamese adopted xi xoi (mango sticky rice) and lu Thi (Thai hotpot) a very popular
party food in Vietnam, especially in Saigon. Recently, the Koreans and Japanese also introduced m Hn Quc and
m tt wasabi.
Vietnamese cuisine
Cooking techniques
Common Vietnamese methods usually observed in preparing all ingredients include:
Rn,Chin: fried dishes.
Chin nc mm: Fried with fish sauce.
Chin bt: Battered then deep fried.
Rang: fried dishes without oil.
p cho: Pan-fried then sauted.
Xo: stir fry, sauting.
Xo ti: Stir fry with garlic. Very common way of treating vegetables.
Xo s t: Sauted with lemongrass and chilli.
Xo ln: Pan searing or stir frying quickly to cook rare meat.
Xo mng: Cooked/sauted with bamboo shoots.
Nhi tht: Squid or vegetable stuffed with minced meat then cooked.
St chua ngt: Fried with sweet and sour sauce.
Kho: stew, braised dishes.
Kho kh: literally dried stew (until the sauce thickens).
Kho tiu/kho gng/kho ring: Stewed with peppercorns/ginger/galangal.
Nu: Simply means cooking, usually in a pot.
Vietnamese cuisine
Nhng dm: Cooked in a vinegar-based hotpot.
Cun: Refers to any dish featuring rice paper wraps with bn and fresh herbs.
Bp thu/ti chanh: Raw meat/seafood preparing with lime or vinegar.
Vietnamese cuisine
Feast
Feast (Vietnamese: c, tic) is a significant event for
families or a villages, usually up to 12 people for each
table. Feast is prepared for weddings, funerals and
festivals, including the wish-for-longevity ceremony. In
a feast, ordinary foods are not served but boiled rice is
still used. The well-known feast is the feast of 49 quan
h villages with c nm tng.
Vietnamese feast has two courses: main course (mn
mn. Literally: salty dish) and dessert (mn ngt.
Literally: sweet dish). All dishes, except for individual
bowls of rice, are enjoyed collectively. All main course
dishes are served simultaneously rather than one after
another. The major dish of the main course is placed in
the centers of the tables, usually big pots of soup or
hotpot.
Attendants are arranged into several groups according
to their social status, genders, ages, their degree of
acquantaince and their eating habits and preferences. It
is a custom that female guests will bring some food and
help the hosts to prepare the feast.
Feast in Vietnamese New Year.
Imperial cuisine
In Nguyn dynasty, 50 best chefs were selected in to Thng Thin board all over the kingdom to serve the King.
There are 3 meals per day, 12 dishes in breakfast and 66 dishes in lunch and dinner (including 50 main dishes and 16
sweets). An essential dish is bird's nest soup (Vietnamese language: t yn). Others are: fish fin (vi c), abalone (bo
ng), deer's tendon (gn nai), bear' hands (tay gu), rhinoceros' skin (da t gic), etc. Water must come from Hm
Long well, Bo Quc pagoda, Cam L well near Thy Vn mountain's bottom or from the source of Hng river.
Rice is de variety coming from An Cu imperial rice field. Phc Tch clay pots for cooking rice was used one time
only. Except for Thng Thin board members, no one are allowed to have any contact with cooked dishes. The
dishes then are given to eunuchs before passing to the King' wives, and at last, being offered to the King. The King
enjoy meals (Vietnamese: ng thin) alone in comfortable musical space. (ref: Vietnamese language: [7]).
Vietnamese cuisine
Popularity
Outside of Vietnam, Vietnamese cuisine is widely available in countries with strong Vietnamese immigrant
communities, such as Australia, the United States, Canada, and France. Vietnamese cuisine is also popular in Japan,
Korea, Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, and Russia, and in areas with dense Asian populations. In recent years,
Vietnamese cuisine has become popular in other Southeast Asian countries such as Laos, and Thailand. Dishes that
have become trademarks of Vietnamese cuisine are ph, gi cun (spring/summer rolls), bn, and bnh m
(Vietnamese sandwich).
Television shows featuring Vietnamese food have increased its publicity. On The Great Food Truck Race, a
Vietnamese sandwich truck called Nom Nom Truck received the most money in the first five episodes. Anthony
Bourdain wrote for the Financial Times in 2005:
A year from now, I plan to live here. I will move to a small fishing village in a coastal area of Vietnam
near Hoi An. I have no idea what I'm going to do there, other than write about the experience. I plan
only on being a visual curiosity, the lone westerner in a Vietnamese community; to rent a house, move
in with few, if any, expectations and let the experience wash over me. Whatever happens, happens.
Philosophical influences
Yin yang balance
The principle of yin and yang is applied in composing a meal in a way
that provides a balance that is beneficial for the body. While
contrasting texture and flavors are important, the principal primarily
concerns the "heating" and "cooling" properties of ingredients. Certain
dishes are served in their respective seasons to provide contrasts in
temperature and spiciness of the food and environment.[8]
Some examples are:[9]
Duck meat, considered "cool", is served during the hot summer with
ginger fish sauce, which is "warm". On the other hand, chicken,
which is "warm," and pork, which is "hot," are eaten in the winter.
Seafood ranging from "cool" to "cold" are suitable to use with ginger ("warm").
Spicy food ("hot") are typically balanced with sourness, which is considered "cool"
Balut (Ht vt ln), meaning "Upside-down egg" ("cold"), must be combined with Vietnamese mint (Rau rm)
("hot").
Cold and flu patients must drink ginger water ("hot").
Vietnamese cuisine
[10]
Elements
Correspondence
Wood
Fire
Bitter
Earth
Sweet
Metal
Spicy
Water
Spices (ng v)
Sour
Salty
Green
Red
Yellow
Black
White
Taste
Touch
Smell
Sound
Fat
Protein
Minerals
Water
Powder
Many Vietnamese dishes include five spices (ng v) that correspond to five organs (ng tng). Vietnamese dishes
typically include five types of nutrients (ng cht) in addition to five colours (ng sc) when possible. Dishes in
Vietnam appeal to gastronomes via the five senses (nm gic quan) by the use of food arrangement for the visual,
crispy ingredients for the sound, five spices for the taste, aromatic herbs for the smell, and contrasting texture and
consistency for the touch.[11]
Cultural importance
Salt is used as the connection between the world of the living and the world of the dead. Bnh phu th is used to
remind new couples of perfection and harmony at their weddings. Food is often placed at the ancestral altar as an
offering to the dead. Cooking and eating play an extremely important role in Vietnamese culture. The word n (eat)
is included in a great number of proverbs and has a large range of semantic extensions.
Proverbs
Examples:
n coi ni, ngi coi hng (lit. "Checking the status of the rice pot when eating, watch where/what direction you
are sitting.") = Be careful of possible faux pas.
n theo thu, theo th = Living in accordance to one's limit and social circumstance. A variation of "In Rome,
do as Romans do" (within your means).
Cha n mn, con kht nc (lit. "Father eats salty food, the children will be thirsty.") = Bad actions will later
bring bad luck/consequences to descendants.
n k no lu, cy su tt la (lit. Eating carefully [makes you] feel full longer, ploughing deep is good for the
rice) = Careful execution brings better results than hasty actions.
Semantic extensions
Examples:
Vietnamese cuisine
Lifestyle
Vietnamese cuisine is reflective of the Vietnamese lifestyle from the preparation to how the food is served.
Going through long phases of war, political conflicts, as well as cultural shifts, the vast majority of the Vietnamese
people have been living in poverty. Therefore, the ingredients for Vietnamese food are often very inexpensive but
nonetheless, the way they are cooked together to create a yin-yang balance make the food simple in look but rich in
flavor.
Due to economic condition, maximizing the use of ingredients to save money has become a tradition in Vietnamese
cooking. In earlier decades and even nowadays in rural areas, every part of a cow is used, from the tasty meat to the
gamy intestines; nothing is wasted. The same goes for vegetables like scallions: the leafy part is diced into small bits
which are used to add flavor to the food while the crunchy stock and roots are re-planted.
Nc Mm (Fish Sauce) is the most commonly used and symbolic condiment in Vietnamese cooking. It is made
from fermented raw fish, and is served with most of the Vietnamese dishes. Vietnamese cuisines are not known for
ingredients with top quality, but rather for the very inexpensive and simple scraps that are creatively mixed together
to create dishes with bold flavor. A traditional Southern Vietnamese meal usually includes Cm Trng (plain white
rice,) C Kho T (catfish in a clay pot,) Canh Chua C Lc (Sour Soup with Snakehead fish,) and it will not be
completed without Nc Mm (Fish Sauce) as a condiment. The average cost for a complete meal for a Vietnamese
family is most often less than $3, but it is never less delicious and satisfying. Dishes are prepared not for the look,
but are served family style to bring everyone together after a long day of work.
Despite being a small country in Southeast Asia, the food from each region in Vietnam carry their distinctive and
unique characteristic that portray the geographical and living condition of the people there. The traditional Southern
Vietnamese meal is made up of fresh ingredients that only the fertile Mekong Delta could provide like C Lc, and a
wide range of tropical fruit like Mng Ct (Mangosteen,) Hng Dn, Xoi Ct (Mango,) Thanh Long (Dragon fruit,)
etc.[12] To sum it up, the Southern style diet is very 'green' with vegetable, fish and tropical fruits as the main
ingredients. Central Vietnam is the region in which food is prepared with the strongest, boldest flavor. This region is
constantly under harsh weather condition all throughout the year, so people here do not have as many green
ingredients as others do in the North and South of Vietnam. Instead, the coastline around the Central Vietnam area is
known for its salt and fish sauce industries, these two condiments are central to their daily diet. Northern Vietnamese
cuisine has a strong Chinese influence, and its iconic dish is Ph. While rice is a staple in the Southern Vietnamese
diet, the North has a preference for noodles. Due to the drastic differences in climate, lifestyles throughout the three
main regions of Vietnam vary and so do their foods. Northern Vietnamese cooking is the least bold in flavor
compared to the foods from Central and Southern Vietnam.[13]
Vietnamese cuisine
Popular dishes
When Vietnamese dishes are referred to in English, it is generally by the Vietnamese name without the diacritics.
Some dishes have gained descriptive English names as well.
Popular Vietnamese dishes include:
Noodle soups
Vietnamese cuisine boasts a huge variety of noodle soups, each with
distinct influences, origins and flavours. A common characteristic of
many of these soups is a rich broth.
A bowl of Ph
Name
Description
Bn b
Hu
Spicy beef noodle soup originated from the royal city of Hu in Central Vietnam. Beef bones, fermented shrimp paste, lemongrass, and
dried chilies give the broth its distinctive flavors. Often served with mint leaves, bean sprouts, and lime wedges. Blood cakes and pig's
feet are also common ingredients at some restaurants in the United States and possibly elsewhere..
Bn
mng
vt
Bn c
Vermicelli with snails (sea snails similar to the snails in French cuisine).
Bnh
canh
A thick tapioca/rice noodle soup with a simple broth. Often includes pork, crab, chicken, shrimp, spring onions and freshly sauted
onions sprinkled on top.
Bn
riu
A noodle soup made of thin rice noodles and topped with crab and shrimp paste, served in a tomato-based broth and garnished with bean
sprouts, prawn paste, herb leaves, water spinach, and chunks of tomato.
M b
vin
A Chinese-influenced egg noodle soup with beef meatballs and raw steak
Ph
A noodle soup with a rich, clear broth made from a long boiling of meat and spices. There are many varieties of ph made with different
meats (most commonly beef or chicken) along with beef meatballs. Ph is typically served in bowls with spring onion, (in ph tai) slices
of semi-cooked beef (to be cooked by the boiling hot broth), and broth. In the South, vegetables and various herbs are also added.
[14]
Ph sat Spicy noodle soup with thinly sliced rare beef steak, sat hot chili sauce, sliced cucumber, tomatoes, and peanut.
M vt
tim
H Tiu A noodle soup with many varied styles including a 'dry' (non-soup but with sauce) version, brought to Vietnam by way of Chinese
(Teochew) immigrants. The noodles are usually egg noodles or rice noodles, however, many other types may be used. The soup base is
made of pork bones.
Vietnamese cuisine
10
Name
Description
Sp mng cua
Asparagus and crab soup typically served as the first dish at banquets.
Lu (Vietnamese
hot pot)
A spicy variation of the Vietnamese sour soup with assorted vegetables, meats, seafood, and spicy herbs.
Cho
A variation of congee. There are also a variety of different broths and meats used, including duck, offal, fish, etc. When
chicken is used, it is called Cho g.
Cho lng
Rice porridge with pork intestine, liver, gizzard, heart, and kidney.
B kho
Beef stew with carrots and usually served with toasted bread or rice noodles.
Lu
Firepot with a combination of fish, chicken, or seafood cooked in chicken broth and mixed vegetables.
Nhng dm
Firepot with a combination of sliced rare beef and seafood cooked in sour broth, served with thin rice vermicelli noodles,
fresh vegetables, rice spring roll wrapper, and dipping sauce.
Canh chua
Vietnamese sour soup typically include fish, pineapples, tomatoes, herbs, beansprouts, tamarind, and various kinds of
vegetables; when made in style of a hotpot, it is called Lu Canh Chua.
Rice dishes
Cm tm
Vietnamese cuisine
11
Name
Description
Cm chin
Dng Chu
A Chinese fried rice dish, named after the Yangzhou region in China. It is a well-known dish in Vietnam.
Cm g rau
thm (chicken
and rice with
mint)
A dish of rice cooked in chicken stock and topped with chicken that has been fried then shredded, and flavoured with mint and
other herbs. The rice has a unique texture and taste that the fried mint garnish enhances. Served with a special herb sauce on the
side.
Cm hn
Rice with clams a popular inexpensive dish in the city of Hu and its vicinity.
Cm chin c
mn
Fried rice with salty fermented fish and chopped snow pea and chicken.
C/tht kho
A traditional family dish <12>. Fish or pork cooked in clay pot and served with sweet and sour soup (canh chua).
G xo gng
B lc lc
Cubed beef sauteed with cucumber, tomatoes, onion, pepper, and soy sauce <12>.
Rau mun xo
ti
Cm tm
In general, grilled pork (either ribs or shredded) plus b (thinly shredded pork mixed with cooked and thinly shredded pork skin
plus fried ground rice) over com tam ("broken rice" in Vietnamese) and sweet and sour fish sauce. Other types of meat, prepared
in various ways, may be served with the broken rice. One can have barbecued beef, pork, or chicken served with the broken rice.
The rice and meat are served with various greens and pickled vegetables, along with a prawn paste cake (ch tm), steamed egg
(trng hp) and grilled prawns.
Bnh chng
Name
Description
Bnh
chng
Sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves and stuffed with mung bean paste, lean pork and black pepper, traditionally eaten during the Lunar
New Year(Tt). Bnh chng is popular in the North, while its cousin version bnh tt is more popular in the South. Bnh tt has the same
content, except cylindrical in shape and lean pork is substituted with fatty pork.
Xi
Sticky rice with coconut milk, cooked the same way as one cooks rice, or steamed for a firmer texture and more flavorful taste. It comes
in a great number of varieties.
Vietnamese cuisine
12
Bnh bao
Bnh xo
Name
Bnh bao
A steamed bun dumpling that can be stuffed with onion, mushrooms, or vegetables. Bnh bao is an adaptation from the Chinese
baozi to fit Vietnamese taste. Vegetarian banh bao are also available. Vegetarian bnh bao are popular food in Buddhist temples.
Typical stuffings for bnh bao include slices of marinated x xu (BBQ pork from Chinese cooking) meat, tiny boiled quail eggs,
and pork.
Bnh bo
A central Vietnamese dish consisting of tiny round rice flour pancakes, each served in a similarly shaped dish. They are topped with
minced shrimp and other ingredients such as chives, fried shallots, and pork rinds. Eaten with nc chm.
Bnh bt
chin (fried
rice flour
cake)
A Chinese influenced pastry that exists in many versions all over Asia; the Vietnamese version features a special tangy soy sauce on
the side, rice flour cubes with fried eggs (either duck or chicken) and some vegetables. This is a popular after-school snack for
young students in the Southern part of Vietnam.
Bnh bt lc
A Hu food, consisting of tiny rice dumplings made in a clear rice flour batter, often in a small flattish tube shape. Stuffed with
shrimp and ground pork. It is wrapped and cooked inside a banana leaf, served often as Vietnamese hors d'uvres at more casual
buffet-type parties.
Bnh xo
A type of crpe made out of rice flour with turmeric, shrimps with shells on, slivers of fatty pork, sliced onions, and sometimes
button mushrooms, fried in one or two teaspoons of oil, usually coconut oil, which is the most popular oil used in Vietnam. It is
eaten with lettuce and various local herbs and dipped in Nc chm or sweet fermented peanut butter sauce. Rice papers are
sometimes used as wrappers to contain banh xeo and the accompanying vegetables.
Name
Bnh cun
Description
Rice flour rolls stuffed with ground pork, prawns, and wood ear mushroom. They are eaten in a variety of ways with many
side dishes, including one out of many kinds of ch (sausage).
Vietnamese cuisine
13
B cun
Rice paper rolls with the bi (b) mixture of thinly shredded pork and thinly shredded pork skin tossed with powdered toasted
rice, among other ingredients, along with salad. Similar to summer rolls.
B ba
(Vietnamese-style
popiah)
Stir-fried jicama and carrots, Chinese sausage, shredded scrambled eggs, all wrapped with vermicelli noodle in a rice paper
roll. Dipped into a spicy peanut sauce (with freshly roasted and ground peanuts). It is of Chinese (Hokkien/Chaozhou) origin,
having been brought over by the immigrants. In Saigon (particularly in Cholon), it is common to see an old Teochew man or
woman selling b ba at their roadside stand. The name b ba phonetically resembles its original name popiah in the
Teochew language.
Ch gi or Nem rn
(Northern)
A kind of spring roll (sometimes referred to as egg roll) deep-fried flour rolls filled with pork, yam, crab, shrimp, rice
vermicelli, mushrooms ("wood ear" variety) and other ingredients. The spring roll goes by many names as many people
actually use (falsely) the word "spring roll" while referring to the fresh transparent rice paper rolls (discussed below as
"Summer Rolls"), where the rice paper is dipped into water to soften and then rolled up with various ingredients.
Traditionally these rolls are made with a rice paper wrapper but in recent years Vietnamese chefs outside of Vietnam have
changed the recipe to use a wheat-flour-based wrapper.
Gi cun (Salad
rolls)
Also known as Vietnamese fresh rolls, or summer rolls. They are rice paper rolls that often include shrimp, herbs, pork, rice
vermicelli and other ingredients wrapped up and dipped in nc chm or peanut sauce. Spring rolls almost constitute an
entire category of Vietnamese foods, as there are numerous different kinds of spring rolls with different ingredients in them.
Bnh m
Vietnamese cuisine
14
Name
Description
Bnh m
kp tht
Vietnamese baguette or French bread traditionally with pt, Vietnamese mayonnaise, cold cuts, jalapeos, pickled daikon, pickled
carrot, and cucumber slices. While traditional cold cuts include ham, head cheese, and Vietnamese bologna, it is common to see
varieties of stuffing such as eggs, canned sardines, shredded pork, fried tofu, and grilled meats. Sandwiches are often garnished with
coriander leaves and black pepper.
Bnh
Pt
Chaud
A French inspired meat-filled pastry. Characterized by flaky crust and either pork or chicken as the filling.
Meat dishes
Name
Description
A beef and vegetable stew, often cooked with warm, spicy herbs and served very hot with French baguettes for dipping.
In northern Vietnam, it is known as "b st vang"
B l lt
B lc lc (Shaking beef) A dish of beef cut into cubes and marinated, served over greens (usually watercress), and sauted onions and tomatoes.
Eaten with rice.
B 7 mn (Vietnamese
seven courses of Beef)
Ch la
A sausage made with ground lean pork and potato starch. Also available fried; known as ch chin. There are various
kinds of ch (sausage), made of ground chicken (ch g), ground beef (ch b), fish (ch c), or tofu (ch chay, or
vegetarian sausage).
G nng s
Grilled chicken with lemon grass(s). Lemon grass grilled beef and other meats are also popular variations.
Nem nng
Grilled meatballs, usually made of seasoned pork. Often colored reddish with food coloring and with a distinct taste,
grilled on skewers like kebabs. Ingredients in the marinade include fish sauce.
Nem Ngui
A Hu dish and a variation of the Nem nng meatballs, these also come from Central Vietnam. They are chilled, small
and rectangular in shape, and stuffed with vermicelli. The reddish meat is covered with peppers and typically a chili.
Very spicy, eaten almost exclusively as a cocktail snack.
Vietnamese cuisine
15
Seafood dishes
Name
C cun
Description
A roll with fish and spring onions.
Salads
Gi is Vietnamese salad. Many varieties with the most popular including:
Name
Description
Gi u
Vietnamese papaya Salad typically with shredded papaya, herbs, various meats such as shrimp, slices of pork, liver, or jerky,
herbs, and with a more vinegar-based rendition of nc chm.
Gi Hu rau
mung
A salad dish originating from Hu (Central Vietnam), including water spinach (Rau Mung).
Gi ng sen
Gi u h
Gi sa
Gi chn vt
Duck feet salad with shredded cabbage and sweet and sour fish sauce <12>.
B ti chanh
Shredded salad with thinly sliced rare beef, fresh lemon, onion, fried onions, and fish sauce.
Gi g
Gi mit
Curries
Vietnamese curry is also popular, especially in the south. Curry chicken can be either similar to the Thai curries
with coconut milk or similar to Caribbean curries, stir-fried with no coconut milk. It is usually served with bread,
rice, or noodles.
Another type of well-known Vietnamese curry is beef brisket curry or oxtail curry. The beef curries are often
served with French bread for dipping, or with rice.
C ri g is a popular Vietnamese curry that is made with chicken, carrots, sweet potatoes, and peas in a coconut
curry sauce. It is also served with rice or baguette.
Vietnamese cuisine
16
Name
Description
Da kiu
Da hnh
Da mn
Description
Mm tm
Mm c thu
Mm nm
Usually made from round scad fish. This is a dish of Central Vietnam.
Mm c linh
Made from a kind of fish that immigrates to Mekong delta every flood season from Tonl Sap, Cambodia.
Vietnamese cuisine
17
Sausages
The Vietnamese term for sausage is gi, usually made from fresh ground pork and beef. Sausage makers may use
their meat, skin or ear. Fish sauce is added before banana leaves are used to wrapped. The last step is boiling. For
common sausage, 1kg meat is boiled for 1-hour. For ch qu, the boiled meat mixture will then be roasted with
cinnamon.
Vegetarian dishes
Desserts
Vietnamese-style donuts
Name
Description
Ch
A sweet dessert beverage or pudding usually made from beans and sticky rice. Many varieties of ch are available, each with different
fruits, beans (for example, mung beans or kidney beans), and other ingredients. Ch can be served hot or cold and often with coconut
milk.
Rau cu
A popular gelatin dessert cake made with agar and flavored with coconut milk, pandan or other flavors. Because the gelatin is firm in
texture compared to American gelatin, Vietnamese gelatin can be layered and shaped into intricate cakes. The gelatin is often called
sng sa.
Chui
Chin
Banana deep-fried in a batter and often served hot with cold ice cream, usually vanilla or coconut.
Bnh
Flan
Sinh t
A fruit smoothie made with just a few teaspoons of sweetened condensed milk, crushed ice and fresh local fruits. The smoothies come in
many varieties including custard apple, sugar apple, avocado, jackfruit, durian, strawberry, passionfruit, dragonfruit, lychee, mango, and
banana.
Sa chua Made with condensed milk and has a sweet, tart flavor. It can be eaten in its cool, soft form or frozen. In Vietnam, it can be seen served
frozen in small, clear bags.
Vietnamese cuisine
There are also various cakes and confections made with any combination of sweet beans, tropical fruit and glutinous
rice.
Fruit preserves
Vietnamese use fruits in season. When the season is passing, they made candied fruit, called mai and fruit
preserves, called mt in Vietnamese language. The original taste of mai is sour, sweet, salty and spicy. The most
famous kind of mai is mai m, made from apricot harvested from the forest around Perfume pagoda (cha
Hng), H Ty province. This mai consists of apricot covered by ginger, sugar, liquorice root slivers.
Tofu
Tofu (u h) is widely used in Vietnamese cuisine. Tofu is boiled, fried (sprinkled by ground shrimp or oil-dipped
minced spring onion) or used as ingredient in a variety of dishes.
Other soybean products ranges from soy sauce (nc tng)- usually light soy sauce, fermented bean paste
(tng), fermented bean curd (u ph nh or chao) to douhua (soft tofu sweet soup- tu h nc ng, or to
ph).
Pastries
The Vietnamese name for pastries is bnh. Most Vietnamese pastries is made by leaf-wrapping and boiling. The
most famous pair of cake is square cake (bnh chng) symbolizing the Earth and a round cake (bnh dy)
symbolizing the Heaven, which are used in Vietnamese New Year (Tt).
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Vietnamese cuisine
Pairing
Chicken dishes are combined with lime leaves.
Crab and seashell dishes are combined with fishy smell herb and perilla.
Dishes reputed as "cold" or "fishy smelled", such as catfish, clams or snails, are combined with ginger or
lemongrass.
Sauces
Mm tm (shrimp paste)
Nc mm (fish extract) The fish sauce can be used as it is or mixed with lemon juice, garlic, vinegar, sugar, and
chili. This mixture is called Nc mm pha
Tng Made from fermented soybeans
Soya sauce, mostly used in marinades and sauces.
Hoisin sauce, mixed in Ph or as a dipping sauce
Hot chili sauce
Food colourings
The colour of Vietnamese food comes from natural ingredients.
Red: usually from beetroot or by frying annatto seed to make oil (du iu)
Orange: for sticky rice, comes from Gac
Yellow: from turmeric
Green: from pandan leaf or katuk
Purple: from magenta plant (l cm)
Black: of gai cake is from ramie leaf (l gai)
Dark brown: for stew dishes, using nc mu or nc hng, which is made by heating sugar to the temperature
above that of caramel (170 C).
Colourings can be absorbed by mixing ground colourings or colouring liquid or wraping before boiling to get the
extracts. When colouring dishes, the tastes and smells of colourings must also be considered.
Coriander and green onion leaves can be found in most Vietnamese dishes.
A basic technique of stir-frying vegetable is frying garlic or shallot with oil before put vegetable into the pan.
In Northern Vietnam, all dishes with fish must be garnished with dill.
In Central Vietnam, the mixture of ground lemon grass and chili pepper are frequently used in dishes with beef.
In Southern Vietnam, coconut water is used in most stew dishes.
The pair culantro (ng gai) and rice paddy herb (ng om or ng) is indispensable in all kinds of sour soups in the
Southern Vietnam.
Spearmint is often used with strongly fishy dishes.
Perilla is usually used with crab dishes.
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Vietnamese cuisine
20
Beverages
C ph sa
Name
Description
Bia hi
C ph sa
Strong iced coffee, most often served with sweetened condensed milk at the bottom of the cup to be stirred in. The beverage
is very popular among the Vietnamese.
Nc ma
Sugar cane juice extracted from squeezing sugar cane plant, served with ice.
Rau m
Pennywort juice made from blending fresh pennywort leaves with water and sugar until dissolved. The beverage is a
near-transparent green color and served over ice.
(tropical sorbets)
N/A
Sa u nnh (Soy
milk)
Ru
Tr
A kind of ice tea popular for its cheap price. Has a faint lime-yellow color and usually doesn't have much taste.
Tr chanh
Lemon iced-tea.
Chanh mui
Soda x mui
Soda ht g
Egg soda.
Sinh t
Vietnamese fruit smoothie with green bean, red bean, avocado, pineapple, strawberry, jackfruit, durian, sapota, or mango with
sweet condensed milk.
Nc sn dy hoa
bi
Vietnamese cuisine
Exotic dishes
The use of ingredients that are typically uncommon or taboo in most countries is one of the quintessential attributes
that make Vietnamese cuisine unique. Television chef Andrew Zimmern visited Vietnam in the twelfth episode of
his popular show Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern. Cobra beating heart and dried bones, silk worms and bull
penis are some examples of the dishes he sampled.
In some countries, unusual ingredients, most of the time, can be found only in exotic restaurants. What makes the use
of these ingredients in Vietnam stand out is that ingredients that are deemed atypical in most countries can play a
customary role in daily family dishes, from the poor's to the riches'.
A common and inexpensive breakfast dish that can be found in any wet market, balut (ht vt ln) is a fertilized duck
egg with a nearly developed embryo inside which is boiled and eaten in the shell. It is typically served with fresh
herbs: rau rm or Vietnamese coriander, salt, and pepper; lime juice is another popular additive, when available. A
more unusual version of balut dish Fetus quails (trng ct ln)- is a snack favored by many Vietnamese students.
Paddy crab and paddy snail are the main ingredients in bn riu c a popular noodle dish and in some everyday
soup dishes (canh) and braised food (mn bung). Family meals with silk worms (nhng), banana flowers (hoa
chui), sparrows, doves, fermented fish and shrimp (mm c, mm tm tp) are not rare sights. Seasonal favorites
include ragworm (ri), which are made into many dishes such as fried ri omelet ( ch ri), fermented "ri"
sauce (mm ri), steamed ri (ri hp), stir-fried ri with radish or bamboo shoot (ri xo c ning mng
ti hay c ci).
Vietnamese cuisine is also notable for its wide range of meat choices. Exotic meat such as dog meat, snake,
soft-shell turtle, deer and domestic goat are sold in street-side restaurants and generally paired with alcoholic
beverages. A taboo in many Western countries, consumption of dog meat is a common sight throughout the country
and is believed to raise the libido in men. Paddy mouse meat barbecued, braised, stir- or deep-fried is a rarer dish
that can be found in many Vietnamese rural areas or even high-end city restaurants.
Anthony Bourdain, the host chef of Travel Channel's Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, wrote in April 2005, for
the Financial Times, "...everything is used and nothing wasted in Vietnam." Animal parts that are often disposed of
in many Western countries are utilized fully in Vietnamese cooking. Organs, including lungs, livers, hearts,
intestines and bladders of pigs, cows and chickens are sold at an even higher price than their meat. Chicken testicles
and undeveloped eggs are stir-fried with vegetables and served as an everyday dish.
Many of the traditional Northern Lunar New Year Tt dishes such as tht ng, gi th, canh mng mng gi
involve the use of pig heads, tongues, throats and feet. Pig and cow tails as well as chicken heads, necks and feet are
Vietnamese favorite beer dishes. Bng, used as an ingredient in canh bng a kind of soup, is pig skin baked until
popped. Steamed pig brains can be found anywhere along a Vietnamese street. Different kinds of animal blood is
made into tit canh by whisking the blood with fish sauce and cold water in a shallow dish along with finely chopped
cooked duck innards (such as gizzards), sprinkled with crushed peanuts and chopped herbs such as Vietnamese
coriander, mint, etc. It is then cooled until the blood coagulates into a soft jelly-like mixture and served raw.
Common ingredients
Further information: List of Vietnamese ingredients
Vegetables
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Vietnamese cuisine
22
Carrot (c rt)
Daikon (c ci trng)
Eggplant (c tm)
Jicama (c u or c sn)
Fruits
Acerola (s ri or x-ri)
Lychee (vi)
Mango (xoi)
Coconut (da)
Papaya (u )
Persimmon (hng)
Tomato (c chua)
Guava (i)
Plum (mn)
Jackfruit (mt)
Pomelo (bi)
Genus Allium:
Parsley
Lemon grass (x or s)
Perilla (ta t)
Dill (th l)
Long coriander/culantro
(ng gai)
Vietnamese cuisine
Vietnamese utensils
References
Footnotes
[1] "Vietnamese Ingredients" (http:/ / www. wokme. com/ ingredients/ vietnamese. htm). WokMe. 2011. . Retrieved 2 December 2011.
[2] Annie Corapi (2011). "The 10 healthiest ethnic cuisines" (http:/ / www. cnn. com/ 2010/ HEALTH/ 08/ 25/ healthiest. ethnic. cuisines/ index.
html). CNN Health. . Retrieved 3 December 2011.
[3] "Typical Vietnamese Foods" (http:/ / www. activetravelvietnam. com/ culture_customs/ typical_vietnamese_foods. html).
ActiveTravelVIetnam.com. . Retrieved 3 December 2011.
[4] Andrea Nguyen (13 March 2011). "Heaven in a Bowl: The Original Pho" (http:/ / www. saveur. com/ article/ Travels/
Heaven-in-a-Bowl#errors). . Retrieved 28 December 2011.
[5] "Vietnamese Cuisine and Recipes" (http:/ / www. recipes4us. co. uk/ Cooking by Country/ vietnam. htm). Recipes4us. 2003. . Retrieved 3
December 2011.
[6] Nguyen Vu Hanh Dung and Phan Dieu Linh. "The Food of Vietnam Vietnamese Food" (http:/ / www. guidevietnam. com/ travel/
vietnamese-food-cuisine. html). GuideVietnam.com. . Retrieved 3 December 2011.
[7] http:/ / hanoimoi. com. vn/ forumdetail/ 1000_nam_thang_long/ 36239/ mon-259n-cung-273inh-th7901i-nguy7877n. htm
[8] "VIETNAMESE FOOD" (http:/ / www. vietnamtravel. net/ specials/ vietnamese-food). Vietnam Travel. . Retrieved 3 December 2011.
[9] "Yin Yang in Vietnamese culinary art" (http:/ / www. vietnammonpaysnatal. fr/ e_art_culinaire. html). Viet Nam mon pays natal. .
Retrieved 3 December 2011.
[10] "Five Element Acupuncture Theory and Clinical Applications" (http:/ / www. yinyanghouse. com/ theory/ chinese/
five_element_acupuncture_theory). Yin Yang House. 20 June 2006. . Retrieved 3 December 2011.
[11] "Gastronomic Tourism" (http:/ / www. vietnamfood. org/ overview/ gastronomic-tourism. html). Vietnam Online. . Retrieved 2 December
2011.
[12] http:/ / www. dacsandongthap. com/ dac-san-dong-thap/ dieu-thi-dac-san/ trai-cay. html
[13] http:/ / us. 24h. com. vn/ am-thuc/ mon-an-ba-mien-phong-phu-am-thuc-viet-nam-c460a340325. html
[14] Dang, Vinh. "Bn 101" (http:/ / talk. onevietnam. org/ bun-101/ ). Vietnam Talking Points. One Vietnam Network. . Retrieved 16 September
2010.
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Vietnamese cuisine
Notations
Nguyen, Andrea Quynhgiao; Cost, Bruce (FRW); Beisch, Leigh. (2006) Into the Vietnamese kitchen: treasured
foodways, modern flavors (http://books.google.com/books?id=xVMws0_WSA4C). Ten Speed Press, ISBN
1-58008-665-9
Le, Ann; Fay, Julie. (2006) The Little Saigon Cookbook: Vietnamese Cuisine and Culture in Southern California's
Little Saigon (http://books.google.com/books?id=ef7uLfhufaYC), Globe Pequot, ISBN 0-7627-3831-6
Th Chi Triu, Marcel Isaak, (1998) The Food of Vietnam: Authentic Recipes from the Heart of Indochina (http:/
/books.google.com/books?id=23whNlie230C), Tuttle Publishing, ISBN 962-593-394-8
McDermott, Nancie; Alpert, Caren (2005) Quick & Easy Vietnamese: 75 Everyday Recipes (http://books.
google.com/books?id=Cs3qBejSyQsC) Chronicle Books, ISBN 0-8118-4434-X
Chi Nguyen; Judy Monroe, (2002) Cooking the Vietnamese way: revised and expanded to include new low-fat
and vegetarian recipes (http://books.google.com/books?id=5SkUejTKo8oC) Twenty-First Century Books,
ISBN 0-8225-4125-4
Pauline Nguyen; Luke Nguyen; Mark Jensen (2007), Secrets of the Red Lantern: Stories and Vietnamese Recipes
from the Heart (http://books.google.com/books?id=Yqyz-8MEAE0C) Murdoch Books, ISBN 1-74045-904-0
Trieu Thi Choi, Th Chi Triu, Marcel Isaak, Heinz Von Holzen (2005), Authentic Recipes from Vietnam (http://
books.google.com/books?id=_gCZCyKMfP8C) Tuttle Publishing, ISBN 0-7946-0327-0
Hoyer, Daniel. (2009) Culinary Vietnam (http://books.google.com/books/about/Culinary_Vietnam.
html?id=QwnI2lynQREC). Gibbs Smith, ISBN 1-4236-0320-6
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