photo: Green papaya beef salad
Vietnam has a reputation for its bland-tasting food. Lightly cooked, boiled or stir-fried meat and vegetables often paired with a big serving of fresh herbs on the side, may not sound appetizing to one’s taste buds. However, that is changing.
As with any national cuisine, the regional dishes vary from north to south. Northern Vietnamese dishes have a strong Chinese influence due to proximity to China. They tend to feature lighter flavored soups such as bún riêu (rice noodle soup with meat), bánh cuốn (fermented rice sheet with minced pork), bún chả (grilled meat noodle dish) and phở gà (rice noodle soup with chicken). These dishes are spiced with black pepper rather than fresh chili.
Southern Vietnamese dishes on the other hand, are more varied, colorful, and flavorful. This is because of the abundance of fresh herbs, spices, and vegetables cultivated all year round. Many dishes are also influenced by Cambodian, Thailand, and French cuisine. For example, the popular Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwich is inspired from the crusty French baguette. Other examples of popular southern food include the bánh khọt (bite sized crispy savory pancakes)1 and the Bún mắm (fermented vermicelli soup) – also known as the ‘Vietnamese gumbo2.
photo: Pho Ga (rice noodle with chicken)
The most distinctive but least known internationally is Hue or central Vietnam cuisine. Hue was the capital city of Vietnam during the Tay Son dynasty 400 years ago3 and was historically the gastronomy center of Vietnam. Today, tourists visit Hue for its golden temples and palaces, as well as its delicate traditional crafts and food. Hue cuisine is highly complex and can be divided into three groups – rustic food for everyday consumption, vegetarian food that is traditionally for Buddhist monks, and imperial dishes that was historically served to nobles and kings.
(1) https://migrationology.com/banh-khot/
(2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%BAn_m%E1%BA%AFm
(3) https://vina.com/food/hue-food/
Tags: Vietnam Special 2019