essay about vietnamese food

• Ho Chi Minh City

• Vietnamese Food

Food Culture

Vietnam food culture: the basics.

Vietnam food culture is characterized by rice, fish sauce, snacks and regional diversity.

• 1. A typical rice-based culture
• 2. Vietnam Fish Sauce
• 3. Snack paradise to venture into
• 4. Of unity and diversity
• 5. Sprout and Herbs

If you live in one of the multicultural cities such as Toronto, Los Angeles, London or Paris, you will probably have some idea what Vietnam cuisines are like. The country boasts one of the most diverse, delicious and healthy gastronomy in the world. The main ingredients used in Vietnamese food are rice and its derivatives, fish sauce and vegetable. 

Thanks to Vietnam´s tropical climate, the long coast and the gigantic range of mountain, Vietnam is blessed with numerous varieties of plants. You will be pleasantly surprised by the amount of fruits and vegetables produced and consumed daily in the country. 

A visit to a Vietnamese restaurants abroad will probably spark some light: you are most likely to be served a plate of fresh herbs before anything else.

A typical rice-based culture

Vietnamese sometime wonder how westerners can eat bread days after days but the vice-versa also holds water. Most tourists coming to Vietnam are amazed at the omni-presence of rice and rice-related dishes.

Rice Production

Rice continues to be the most important component of agriculture and food scene

Rice is an object for worshiping in many temples of Vietnam. It is said to originate from the Mother Godness Worshipping, the most long–standing belief in Vietnam. Yes rice is a big thing out here. The very first written characters constituting the word “Happiness” in ancient Vietnamese is the image of many rice plants and a square symbolizing a paddy field. Rice is not only happiness, it really forms Vietnamese.

Accordingly, many main dishes and snacks in Vietnam are made from rice: boiled rice in daily meal, rice porridge, steamed rice, glutinous rice cake, well-known Banh Chung (square cake) and uncountable made-from-rice dishes from every region in Vietnam.

Even the universal Pho that you definitely hear about is made from rice as well. Rice is the center of everything, like a sun lying in the center of the whole solar planet.

Considering rice important, Vietnamese has been always developing their farming method and new rice genres. Many Vietnam rice varieties exported to all over the world are renowned for their distinctive flavor, yet only when coming to Vietnam and have boiled rice with soya sauce pickled egg-plants, your adventure to Vietnam is considered perfect.

Vietnamese Rice

A Bowl of Rice if a must for all lunches and dinners

If you believe the way people eat forms their society, you must feel excited to learn about the fish sauce in every meal of Vietnamese. You often finish your meal portion in silence without putting your fork into others’? There are no transparent meal portions among Vietnam family members in a meal and they must consider thoughtfully how much they should eat since all the food together is put in a tray.

Vietnam Fish Sauce

In the center of the tray, there goes the renowned fish sauce bowl which is used by all the eaters and supposed to form Vietnamese characteristics. Some says that the common fish sauce bowl represents Vietnamese solidarity, yet some others say the bowl is the root of many bad personalities such as jealousy and embezzlement.

Whatever it is, there is one thing for sure that fish sauce contributes a great culture feature in Vietnamese food. Vietnam is known as a wet rice farming country, animal breeding was not well developed and people mainly live on vegetable and aquatic thing such as shrimp, fish and snail. As a result, boiled dishes are the most popular, and fish sauce is a certain demand.

Now, Vietnamese has a hundred kind of sauce, applied for different dishes and different regions and four different seasons.

Snack paradise to venture into

Vietnam peasants used to have a lot of free time after the busy crop time past, and preparing some nosh to eat is a certain result of the circumstance. Sweet potato is a prime example for the case. It is considered the most popular nosh in the countryside. Ever experience Vietnam home-staying? You must realize boiled sweet potato, cassava and peanuts are the most typically Vietnamese snack - of course without salt or sugar added.

Vietnam Snacks often come in non-package no sugar or salt added form.

And if you dare venture beyond the standard ones, there are surely bizarre things to try. The best place to taste purely Vietnamese snacks is to have them right in a family or on the sidewalks along every street. Tasting a fertilized egg at 4pm in a breezy afternoon may scare you, yet it is one of the most popular snacks out here and is considered extremely nutritious.

Besides varieties of wonderful noodle, made-of-rice cakes, bean sweet soups you may be too shy to eat a bowl of pig raw blood soups. Does it originate from Totem belief? Not many Vietnamese questions that when eating the dish. All they want to do is to choose a right restaurant and wait to be served the raw blood soups with Vietnamese spirit (read more about Fun Facts of Vietnam Food).

Of unity and diversity

If there is anything to conclude about Vietnamese food, it can only be the "unpredictable diversity". Each region- North, Central and South has something to be proud of. The influence of Chinese and French culture during colonial time adds more to the vibrant scenes of gastronomy. It is hard to describe and compare the specific features of cuisines from each region as there is more than a capital of food in Vietnam. While Hanoi offers some authentic and original food experience, Hue boasts about its royal trait and Ho Chi Minh City is proud that it is the most inclusive place when it comes to dining. You will have to discover it yourself and decide which one you like the most!

Sprout and Herbs

You know it is Pho South when your noodle is accompanied with bean sprout and Thai basil

Different from the toast-butter-jam-cereal culture, breakfasts in Vietnam come in a variety of dishes, from noodle to rice to baguette. A famous and common dish is ¨Pho¨, while you can open your horizon of food knowledge by trying ¨banh cuon¨, ¨xoi xeo¨, ¨chao suon¨… For lunch and dinner, people have rice with a vegetable broth and some types of second dish. These include tofu, chicken, pork, beef or potatoes! This is where regional difference comes into play, with various types of processing and adding spice to food.

Besides local dish, you are likely to run into many international food scenes in big cities. In Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Greek and Chinese food can be found in touristic areas. Pizza and pasta are getting there, though only certain class has access to this relatively expensive dish (compared with local food choice). Fast food chains are scantier than most other countries in the world: you may be disappointed as there is no Mc Donald. KFC is spreading and so is Pizza Hut. Nonetheless, what is the point of coming half way through the earth to have a bite of burger?

Learn about essential dishes that you cannot miss when visiting Vietnam.

Top 5 Side Dishes to Serve with Xôi (Vietnamese Sticky Rice)

Most common add-ons for Vietnamese Xoi.

Different Types of Vietnamese Sticky Rice (Xoi)

It will be a big miss if you come to Vietnam without trying “xoi”.

Vietnamese Coriander

All about Gastronomy Tourism in Vietnam

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• Appetizers Recipes (5)
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• World Cuisines
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• Southeast Asian Cuisines
• Vietnamese Cuisine

A Basic Introduction to Vietnamese Food

What makes Vietnamese food so special? After an eating tour with Intrepid Travel* —traveling through Hanoi, Hoi An, Saigon, and the Mekong Delta—I can't un-smell the fresh herbs and pungent fish sauce in just about every dish. Each dish could really have its own bottled fragrance. L'eau de Pho (care for a spritz?) would be redolent of mint, cilantro, lemongrass, long-simmered beef bones, and, of course, fish sauce.

Despite the varied landscape of Vietnam, all of the cuisine contains this brilliant balance of aromatics, heat, sweetness, sourness, and fish-sauciness. As with other Asian cuisines, it's all about the yin and yang; the sweet and the salty, the cooling and the warming, the fresh and the fermented.

To really understand the flavors of Vietnam, it's helpful to look at a map first.

Shaped like an elongated S, the skinny country is about the size of Italy, with China to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the west, and the South China Sea to the east. The 3,000-kilometer coastline snakes down, marked by Hanoi in the north, the rugged central highlands, the sprawling Hoi Chi Minh City (aka Saigon) in the south, and the fertile Mekong delta ("the rice bowl of the country") at the bottom hook.

The food of the north is heavily influenced by China with its stir-fries and noodle-based soups. As you move south, there's more flavor-blending with nearby Thailand and Cambodia. The tropical climate down south also sustains more rice paddies, coconut groves, jackfruit trees, and herb gardens. The food in southern Vietnam is typically sweeter: sweeter broths for pho, more palm sugar used in savory dishes, and those popular taffy-like coconut candies made with coconut cream.

French Influence

It's hard to talk about Vietnamese food without mentioning French colonization, which began with missionaries arriving in the 18th century and not ending until 1954. Clearly it had a lasting effect on the country, the people, the architecture, the land, and the flavors. Most obvious might be the banh mi, with its crusty French baguette as the foundation. But the Vietnamese have taken this sandwich and made it entirely their own with grilled pork, fish patties, sardines, cilantro, chili-spiked pickled carrots and other fillings.

Pho (pronounced fuh , like "fun" without the "n") is another example of French colonialism leaving its mark—the soup is a blend of Vietnamese rice noodles and French-minded meat broths. One theory contends that pho is a phonetic imitation of the French word "feu" (fire), as in pot-au-feu. Some say French colonialists slaughtered a bunch of cattle in Vietnam to satisfy their appetite for steak, and the ever-resourceful Vietnamese cooks used the scraps, bones, and any other rejected bits to create pho.

A quick note on broths: While we're talking about pho, our Intrepid Travel guide Hanh (a wonderful guy! hi Hanh!) spent an hour-long car ride from Hoi An to the Denang airport explaining the importance of broth in the act of courtship.

A mother judges her son's significant other on broth-making skills. Lackluster broths could mean no approval from the mother, according to Hanh. He cited some personal examples. A true broth-master knows exactly what stage the broth is in just by sniffing it. This is all to say, the Vietnamese are serious about broth.

Watch This Awesome Video

Before we go any further: if you'd rather the 3-minute/no-reading-required explanation, watch this video. Talented filmmakers Daniel Klein and Mirra Fine created this whirlwind of a video after their tour of Vietnam, also hosted by Intrepid Travel.

Basic Elements: Rice and Fish Sauce

Travel all over Vietnam and you'll quickly find two universal themes. Rice and fish sauce.

Vietnam is the second-largest rice exporter in the world (after Thailand). Rice is grown all over the country, most bountifully so in the Mekong Delta down south, which can grow enough rice to feed all 87+ million people of Vietnam, with plenty of leftovers beyond that. (So much rice.)

Rice appears at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. There's regular ol' rice of course as well as rice noodles, rice paper wrappers, rice porridge, sticky rice, fried rice, puffed rice snacks, and rice wine. I don't think I ever went more than a few hours in Vietnam without consuming some form of rice.

One local told us that instead of saying gesundheit in response to a sneeze, you can say cơm muối, meaning "rice and salt." So, rather than blessing someone or wishing them good health, just say rice and salt, and that should cure whatever's ailin' them.

Most salt intake in the Vietnamese diet is delivered in the form of fish sauce. Salty, funky, fermented fish sauce, or nước mắm in Vietnamese, is used in marinades, soup broths, salad dressings, spring roll dips, and it's really hard to think of any dish where it's not used. The national condiment is nước chấm, made of fish sauce that's diluted slightly with a splash of lime juice, sugar, chilies and garlic.

People say the most prized fish sauce comes from Phu Quoc, an island near the Cambodian border. The waters around Phu Quoc are rich in seaweed and plankton, keeping the local anchovy population very happy. While any kind of fish can be used to make fish sauce, anchovies supposedly produce the ultimate fish sauce and Phu Quoc sauce only uses anchovies harvested around the island.

"We like our fish sauce like you like your cheese—pungent," said one of our Vietnamese guides.

I spent a few minutes in a fish sauce factory in the Mekong Delta (it was a challenge to breathe in there, oh boy!) and saw the huge wooden barrels where the little fishies and salt are aged for at least six months. I felt like fish sauce and I reached a new dimension in our friendship together at that moment. It was like visiting the childhood home of a friend for the first time and understanding them better—it was a powerful moment in that stinky room.

Herbs and Aromatics

Vietnamese food makes extensive use of fresh herbs, spices, and aromatics. Sometimes they go into a steamy pot of pho, sometimes wrapped into spring rolls, sometimes enclosed with a banh xeo pancake.

The freshness of each ingredient is crucial. When we met a popular chef in Hoi An, Trinh Diem Vy, she said her highest-paid employee (and she has 280 employees across all her restaurants) is her market shopper. There's a lot of pressure on that market shopper's nose to whiff through the chaos of the market to locate the very best and brightest ingredients.

Here's a quick primer:

• Cilantro: In salads, soups, spring rolls, and beyond. Widely used as the finishing touch garnish. Depending on your genetics, might taste soapy.
• Mint: Several varieties grow in Vietnam. Some are fuzzy, some taste lemony, some spearminty, others are spicy...
• Fish Mint or Fish Leaf: Ever tried fish mint? Wow, it's really fishy. Appropriately named, this leafy herb has an awfully pungent smell and taste. You'll think you wrapped actual fish into your spring roll, but really it's just this sneaky leaf.
• Basil: More popular in Thailand but still makes an appearance in pho and on herb plates.
• Lime Leaf: Bright green and shiny. Somewhat bitter oils.
• Lemongrass: Tastes and smells, not surprisingly, like lemon. Used in both sweet and savory dishes.
• Green Onions and Scallions
• Garlic Chives: Flat leaves with a delicate onion and garlic flavor.
• Perilla Leaf: Green on top, purplish on the underside with a complex flavor that combines licorice, mint, and lemon all in one leaf.
• Dill: Hardly associated with Southeast Asian cuisine but used in a famous Vietnamese fish dish called Cha Ca, where it's treated more like a veggie than an herb.
• Turmeric: Sometimes called poor man's saffron, it adds a vivid goldenness to fried foods and some peppery flavor.
• Ginger and Galangal: Both knobby rhizomes, both pervasive in Vietnamese cooking.
• Saigon Cinnamon: There are different species of cinnamon in the world, and this one is indigenous to Vietnam. Woody, earthy flavor and aroma. Important in pho.
• Tamarind Pulp: Maybe this doesn't belong on this list, but it needed to go somewhere. The sweet-sour pulp is used in noodle soups and curries.

No Fresh Dairy, But Lots of Sweetened Condensed Milk

The French colonists didn't seem to leave behind any wheels of Brie or Camembert. You're not going to find much cheese, butter, or cream in Vietnam but the people still get their calcium fill by way of fish bones and shells. No need to de-shell that shrimp tail--just pop the whole thing in your mouth. Mmm, crunchy.

In lieu of fresh milk, you'll see cans upon cans of sweetened condensed milk, famously used in "white coffee." The sweet, lusciously thick blanket of milk gets mixed with Vietnamese-grown dark roast coffee, individually brewed from a small metal drip filter into each cup. Usually there's more sweetened condensed milk than actual coffee in that cup. Unapologetically sweet and amazing, it's also dangerously strong. I wasn't sure why I couldn't fall asleep in Vietnam for several nights and then realized, oh right—might have been all those cups of coffee.

Fruit: As Vegetables and Dessert

Unripe fruits are considered more like vegetables in Vietnam. A green papaya or banana flower, for example, becomes the base for salads in lieu of leafy greens. Usually a bit sour, the unripe fruit pairs nicely with fish sauce, chili, garlic, dried shrimp, and finely chopped peanuts.

Ripe fruit, on the other hand, is sweet and wondrous. Instead of cakes or cookies for dessert, usually a meal ends with a hot teapot and big platter of indigenous fruits. Slices of banana, mango, pineapple, watermelon (the redder the insides, the more good luck awarded to you!), dragonfruit, papaya, rambutans, and lychees.

That's Not All, Folks!

As I said, this is just a basic introduction to Vietnamese food. Stay tuned for more favorite bites and sips from my trip in the coming weeks. Please chime in with your own Vietnamese food experiences!

* Intrepid Travel is a company that organizes enriching trips all over the world. They just recently launched special food-themed journeys (both long and shorter day trips) to many destinations. Check out the itineraries here . I was able to preview the Vietnam trip and was immensely impressed at how much we were able to see, do, and learn; how many real-life experiences we had with locals, and just how non-tour-group it felt. They keep the groups small, the itineraries interesting, and the meals delicious, often at local joints and family-run homestays.

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An introduction to Vietnamese cuisine (and dishes you can’t miss)

Vietnam cuisine has earned its reputation over the years with the famous Pho and Banh Mi. But that is not the whole essence of Vietnamese culinary culture.

From the North to the very South of this small but beautiful country, traditional Vietnamese food with an elite reflection of the culture is phenomenal. Each delicacy is formed from the lives of Vietnamese people all over the nation. Let’s buckle up, and enjoy the culinary delights from Visa2Asia!

Vietnamese cuisine at a glance 

It is undeniable that food plays a crucial role in a country’s culture. Traditional cuisine is passed down from generation to generation – keeping the good old flavors to this modern day. 

Vietnamese food is widely applauded for its balancing flavors as it is a symphony of protein, spices, herbs, vegetables, and even fruits. No wonder people have also known Vietnamese food as one of the healthiest cuisines in the world. 

There is something really tempting about Vietnamese dishes that most people can’t resist – even the celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey, the famous American chef Anthony Bourdain, and the British chef Jamie Oliver. The distinct and oddly satisfying tastes of Vietnamese cuisine have traveled all around the world.

Rice (or rice flour) plays the main part in every Vietnamese meal – no matter it is a dish from the North, the Central, or the South. However, the side dishes of each region are what set them apart and make them interesting. 

The dishes from the North tend to have a subtle and tender seasoning. Northern citizens are long known for their attractions towards dishes with pure, soft flavors (and maybe a little sour too). 

Central’s food is full of surprises as it is associated with intense, salty, and hot flavors. Even the food here leans toward reddish or orangish shades. A remarkable trait of the Central dishes is that these recipes intertwine refined royal cuisine and ready-to-go street food. A pinch of exquisite taste, a little luxury, and a bit of modest flavor – all mingle together in one dish.

It is such a big fault to mention Vietnamese cuisine without discussing the dishes of Southern people. Richness and sweetness are the main flavors of Southern dishes. They tend to use sugar and coconut juice to sweeten the food. 

But what makes the cuisine of this small country so remarkable and captivating at the same time? Is it the harmony of flavors? Is it the rich history and culture? Perhaps each one will have their own answers once they get a bite of these scrumptious dishes. 

In the next parts, let us guide you through some of the most delicious dishes that Vietnamese cuisine has to offer.

Phở – Vietnam’s elite 

It is undeniable that Pho is the national dish of Vietnam. It is the dish that brought Vietnamese cuisine to global recognition.

To the Vietnamese people, Pho is not just a noodle soup with slides of beef. The origin of Pho is deluged by tradition and echoed Vietnam’s history as well as culture. 

Some people believe that Pho is actually feu – a French word meaning “fire”. And it is inspired by the pot-au-feu – a signature beef stew of France. Some say Pho is originated from 豬肉粉 (Chinese pork noodles). But the cooking method of these pork noodles is nowhere near that of Pho. 

The undeniable value of Pho 

Pho is truly a dish that stands the test of time. You can enjoy a bowl of Pho in, literally, everywhere, every meal of the day, and every season of the year.

Pho is, indeed, a superfood. A smashing fact about Pho is that it consists of raw and fresh ingredients that are in extreme harmony with themselves to create a unique and delicious taste. 

The broth is also dissolved from many distinct dried ingredients such as squid, cardamom, aroma seeds, onion, ginger, cinnamon, pepper, fish sauce, etc. This is a great source of minerals (iron, zinc) and vitamins (B2, B3, B5) that improves blood quality as well as contribute to the protection of blood vessels. 

The calcium from the bones and marrow, the sebum from the cartilage and tendon are extremely good active ingredients in treating arthritis and helping the young to develop their bodies. 

Beef is famous for its richness in ammonia, creatinine, carnitine, and the mineral potassium. All of these support the development of our muscles. 

Pho eases the border between social classes. If certain dishes are associated with whether the rich or the poor, Pho remains a dish for all walks of life. In a Pho restaurant, everyone’s the same. There is no rich or poor person, just a group of people who share the love of Pho enjoying their meals. This is also the second value of Pho.

Pho is a cultural symbol of Vietnam. Looking back at Pho’s origin and history, Pho came from the working class of Vietnam, then became a delicacy that is favorable nationwide. This transformation took decades of changes and refinements. It is no exaggeration to say that Pho stands for a Vietnam with so many distinct values.

Pho from the North to the South 

There is a great debate between Pho lovers in Vietnam: which Pho is better – the North’s or the South’s?

The answer is not easy to find. When it comes to the broth, Northern Pho leans to the clear and simple taste, whereas Southern’s is slightly sweeter and bolder. 

An interesting fact about the Northern Pho is that people tend to eat Pho with Bánh Quẩy (bagel twists). The bagel twist is torn into small pieces then dipped into the broth. Odd, isn’t it? But the taste and the experience will blow you away. 

The main protein in each Pho is also different. Northern people love their Pho with chicken meat or a simple minced rare beef. However, Southern people utilize many parts of beef such as sliced rare beef, bone marrow, tendon, brisket, and meatballs. 

Of course, we cannot discuss Vietnamese food without mentioning the sauces that people use to eat with Pho. Pho from the North mainly uses rice vinegar, fish sauce, and chili sauce to add more flavors. But in the South, people usually serve Pho with lime, hoisin sauce, chili sauce, and fresh sliced chilies to create the taste they prefer. 

To truly evaluate the essence of Pho yourself, here are some addresses. Make sure to check it out when you visit Vietnam.

Ha Noi Capital:

Phở Bò Hàng Đồng

48 Hang Dong, Hoan Kiem district, Ha Noi capital

Price: around $1.5 for each bowl

13 Lo Duc, Ngo Thi Nham Ward, Hai Ba Trung district, Ha Noi capital

Price: around $1.6 for each bowl

Phở 10 Lý Quốc Sư

10 Ly Quoc Su, Hoan Kiem district, Ha Noi capital

Price: around $1.5-3.0 for each bowl

Da Nang City:

10 Ly Tu Trong, Thach Thang Ward, Hai Chau District, Da Nang city

Price: around $1.95 for each bowl

Phở Đống Đa

203 Dong Da, Da Nang

Price: around $1.73 for each bowl

Ho Chi Minh City:

Phở Hòa Pasteur

260C Pasteur, District 3, Ho Chi Minh city

Price: around $3.9 for each bowl

Phở Phú Vương

120 Nguyen Thai Binh, District 1, Ho Chi Minh city

Price: around $2.6 for each bowl

Bánh Mì – leverage eating culture 

No words alone can describe how Banh Mi tastes and means to Vietnamese people. This renowned street food has traveled far and deep to every corner of the world, marking a deep impression on those who got a bite.

Let us show you how a tiny Banh Mi stunts the world and becomes one of the most famous street foods worldwide!

Banh Mi originally came from the West. However, the quintessence and continuous creativeness of Vietnamese Banh Mi have brought a stand in the world’s culinary map.

In the early 19th century, the French brought their tasty baguette to Saigon (now is Ho Chi Minh city) to satisfy their culinary delights. They even built the first-ever brick bakery to make hot loaves of bread in Vietnam. 

This baguette quickly gained popularity among the Vietnamese community. This was also the time that Saigonese turned the French baguette into the unique Vietnamese Banh Mi.

Banh Mi is more hollow than the French baguette. The inner cotton is spongy, but the outer shell is super crispy. These are what set Banh Mi apart from the western bread.

However, Banh Mi became a serious thing only when Hoa Ma – a Banh Mi shop of Mr. Hoa and Mrs. Tinh appeared in 1958. 

Their Banh Mi shop in Saigon mainly served Banh Mi with ham to the locals. At first, their shop only served western-styled sandwiches with ham on a plate along with knives and forks. But then they realized that not everyone had time to sit back and enjoy their meals at the shop, they came up with a brilliant idea that changed Vietnamese cuisine forever. 

The owners of Hoa Ma bakery served banh mi with ham, slides of pork, pâté in the middle of a loaf of bread. Busy white-collar workers and students fell head over heels in this fresh approach. Soon after, tons of other banh mi stalls began to appear in Saigon. Nowadays, banh mi is present everywhere in Vietnam, satisfying the cravings of Vietnamese people. 

Banh Mi, since then, has become a national food of Vietnam because of its diversity, convenience, and most importantly, low prices. 

The surprising diversity of Banh Mi 

To a foreigner, Banh Mi may seem all the same – a loaf of bread with a tasty filling. Still, with different regions, come different flavors and fillings. 

Perhaps you haven’t forgotten about the differences in flavors of Vietnam’s regions that we mentioned earlier. Banh Mi in each region also carries distinct flavors. 

It is no exaggeration to say that you can taste the essence of each city in its Banh Mi. 

Take Banh Mi in Ha Noi for example. The Banh Mi in this capital city may seem simpler than other places. If a Banh Mi full of meat and ingredients is what you expected, then you will be a little bit disappointed with the Hanoi version of banh mi.

The traditional Banh Mi of Ha Noi includes a little bit of creamy butter, liver pâté, slides of pork, ham, char siu. Vegetables are a must. Coriander and fresh cucumber are enough to leverage the bread. The last touch is the chili sauce, bringing the burning hot flavor. 

The most extraordinary thing is the filling. Banh Mi in Hoi An offers a wide range of unique fillings namely ham, sausages, barbecue pork belly, chicken, eggs, cheese, etc. Not to mention the signature butter and sauces of each Banh Mi stall that will make you go wild for its taste. Imagine getting a bite of a Banh Mi filled with the tropical essence and signature flavors of Hoi An. Who wouldn’t crave for more?

The joyful experience of tasting Banh Mi of the Southern part is quite different. Due to the favorable natural conditions, the Southern banh mi is stuffed with tons of veggies such as slides of fresh cucumber, white radish, carrot, pickled carrots, onion, cilantro, and chili. 

It does not only have the diversity of vegetables but also of the variations on the filling of banh mi: fried eggs, shumai, roasted pork, pork skin, fish cake, etc. People always say that the significance of Saigon’s Banh mi is perhaps the openness in the diversity of the fillings and the intensity of flavors in the sauce. 

Banh Mi stalls you can’t miss

In Ha Noi, here are some places to get a bite of a delicious Banh Mi:

Bánh Mỳ Bà Dần

34 Lo Su, Hoan Kiem District, Ha Noi 

Price: around $1

Phố Cổ Banh Mi

38 Dinh Liet, Hang Bac Ward, Hoan Kiem District, Ha Noi

Price: around $0.5 – $2.6

If Da Nang and Hoi An are your destination, here are a list of stunning Banh Mi:

Bánh mì Bà Lan

62 Trung Nu Vuong, Da Nang city

Bánh mì Ông Tý

272 Hung Vuong, Hai Chau District, Da Nang city

Bánh mì Phượng

2B Phan Chau Trinh, Hoi An city

Price: around $1.3

Madam Khánh – The Banh Mi Queen

135 Tran Cao Van, Hoi An city

Price: around $0.9

When you visit Da Lat for a change of scenery, make sure to check these shop out:

Shumar Banh Mi

26 Hoang Dieu, Da Lat city

Price: around $0.6

Bánh mì Nhân Ngãi

23 Tran Phu, Da Lat city

If you fall for the everlasting bustling Ho Chi Minh city, these Banh Mi spots are a must:

Bánh mì Huỳnh Hoa

26 Le Thi Rieng, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh city

Price: around $2

Bánh mì Hòa Mã 

52 Cao Thang, District 3, Ho Chi Minh city

Traveling to the west of Vietnam is not a bad idea at all. Here is a list of Banh Mi stalls that you should pay a visit:

Bánh mì Phan Đình Phùng

37 Phan Dinh Phung, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho city

Price: around $0.5

Bánh mì Tấn Tài

71 Quang Trung, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho city

Price: around $2.2

But seriously, every Banh Mi stall in Vietnam is surprisingly tasty. Just pick a stall and try it out. You will be amazed by how good it is.

Mì Quảng – essence of the Central cuisine 

Mì Quảng (or Quang noodle) is a signature dish of Quang Nam – a region in the Central of Vietnam. Mi Quang was created by the influence of both Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine. 

In the 16th century, under the Nguyen Lords reign, Hoi An city became a stirring international trading spot. As a result, many Chinese people began to come and live here. Of course, they brought along with them their delicacies, including a dish made of rice flour that is quite similar to Mi Quang.

Through the golden dust of time, this noodle dish of the Chinese developed and became nowadays Mi Quang – a specialty of the Central in Vietnam.

The charming flavor of Mi Quang 

There are so many versions of Mi Quang such as chicken, fish, shrimp, beef, and even frog. The process of making Mi Quang is not that difficult, but it is sophisticated in every way.

A Mi Quang dish can only be evaluated as a delicious dish when it is full of colors with a wide variety of ingredients such as shrimps, meat, and boiled quail egg. The rich broth must be cooked to perfection. Nine different types of veggies, roasted peanuts, fresh lemon, and chili sauce add the grand final touch to the dish.

The noodles of Mi Quang is a fine art that is worth mentioning. It is usually bright yellow in color as well as soft and limber in texture. To enjoy Mi Quang like a local, you have to eat it with green chili. The refined flavor along with a little spicy chili will ignite your sense of taste. 

Mi Quang restaurants all across Vietnam 

Though being a specialty of the Central, Mi Quang now exists nationwide. Here is a list of Mi Quang restaurants from the North to the South that you might want to pay a visit:

35 Tran Hung Dao, Hoan Kiem District, Ha Noi Capital

Price: around $3.26

103 Ngoc Khanh, Ba Dinh District, Ha Noi Capital

Price: around $2.4

166 Le Dinh Duong, Hai Chau District, Da Nang city

Bếp Trang (specialty in Mi Quang with frog)

441 Ong Ich Khiem, Hai Chau District, Da Nang city

Price: around $2.8

Ông Hai Hội An

6A Truong Minh Luong, Hoi An city

Price: around $1.7

4 Phan Chau Trinh, Hoi An city

Price: around $1.1

48 Nguyen Binh Khiem, Da Kao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh city

Price: around $2.9

133 Hai Ba Trung, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh city

Price: around $3.2

Xôi – both street food and formal delicacy 

Vietnam has a long-standing rice civilization. As a result, rice products still hold a crucial position in its culinary culture. Rice is present in almost all Vietnamese daily meals: from family meals with rice as a main source of starch, to Pho, Chung cake, Giay cake.

Besides all that, there is another popular dish: Xôi (sticky rice).

It is kind of odd and interesting at the same time that Xoi is a food that can be both street food and a dish that is present at formal events.

From a favorite snack of childhood… 

To a true Vietnamese, perhaps the most significant presence of Xoi is the one that is wrapped in banana leaves. It fits snugly in the palm of your hand. One can feel instant happiness when they buy a Xoi that is still warm and filled with the bean’s fragrance. 

Xoi appears in the very early stages of a Vietnamese, maybe from the moment they start learning how to eat and chew properly. When a child starts going to school, the mother will buy Xoi from a stall on the street, tuck it in her child’s backpack as a quick and convenient breakfast. 

A little bit older, Vietnamese people eat Xoi to fulfill their hunger, their needs. Xoi is full of nutrition, topped with many different side dishes to help replenish energy in a fast and scrumptious way. 

Though being a snack, a street food, Xoi comes in many different styles: Xôi Vò (a mixture of sticky rice, smashed beans), Xôi Xéo (a combination of crush green beans and sticky rice, topped with fried onion), Xôi Đậu Phộng (sticky rice with peanut), etc.

… To a formal dish that must be there for a person’s milestones 

It is undeniable that Xoi is not just a signature dish of Vietnamese people. Xoi is a part of many important customs in the spiritual life of Vietnam. 

Important occasions in Vietnam cannot be completed without the presence of Xoi. On the birthday of a year-old baby, Xoi is a crucial offering that can’t be missed. Plus, on Lễ Cúng Mụ (a worshiping practice when a child turns 12 in the lunar calendar), Xoi is offered as one of the significant dishes in the ceremony. 

Make sure to check these Xoi out when you visit Vietnam:

Xôi rán Hàng Điếu

2 Hang Dieu, Hoan Kiem District, Ha Noi capital Price: around $2.4

57 Tho Nhuom, Cua Nam Ward, Hoan Kiem District, Ha Noi capital

Xôi Bà Chanh

62 Nguyen Huu Tien, Da Nang city

52A Mai Am, Hai Chau District, Da Nang city

Xôi Cá (with a specialty of sticky rice with anchovies)

131 alley, 2/4 Street, Nha Trang city

Price: aroundg $1

Xôi gà Tân Định

310 Hai Ba Trung, District 1, Ho Chi Minh city

Xôi Bùi Hữu Nghĩa (a unique combination of durian and sticky rice)

365 Bui Huu Nghia, Ward 2, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh city

Cơm Gà – A down-to-earth yet brilliant dish (h2)

Rice, a simple ingredient, has been deeply ingrained in every Vietnamese meal through the dust of time. It is not an exaggeration to say that rice is a must of Vietnamese culinary culture existing in every pantry. 

Chicken, the universal type of ingredient that can be found literally anywhere but has a stunning taste, is one of the most loved foods in Vietnam. Combining chicken and rice in a subtle Vietnamese way, we have Cơm Gà.

Cơm Gà (Vietnamese chicken rice) may sound and look like a simple dish, but never judge a book by its cover. 

It is a scrumptious specialty that represents Vietnamese cuisine’s core characteristic – flavor explosion. Perhaps, you may be familiar with this dish in other countries such as Singapore, China, Thailand, or Spain. But we are confident that Vietnamese rice chicken will blow your mind away.  

And to feast the best Cơm Gà ever, journey to Quang Nam province in Central Vietnam and you will find Cơm Gà Hoi An (Hoi An chicken rice) in the old town of Hoi An. 

Munch the true Cơm Gà in Hoi An (h3)

It is said that a trip to Hoi An , the most charming archaic town in Vietnam, is never completed without tasting Com Ga prepared by the locals. 

Hoi An chicken rice dates back to the 50s of the last century. The people of Hoi An by their endless creativity took advantage of the lean chicken from Quang Nam province to create their legendary delicacy. With its special seasoning, tempting smell, and its down-to-earth but oddly appetizing presentation, Com Ga Hoi An is just so Vietnamese!

Com Ga only consists of two simple main ingredients. However, it requires a lot of expertise to exemplary this dish on the plate. The dish features perfectly boiled shredded chicken mixed with chopped onions, Vietnamese coriander, lime juice, and pepper. The secret of the rice’s incredible richness lies in the chicken broth retained to cook the rice. If you wonder how Hoi An chicken rice got its iconic golden color, it is from the turmeric added to the rice.

To fully absorb the flavorsome Hoi An chicken rice, you must learn how to eat it like a true Vietnamese. According to the local’s instruction, when eating Cơm Gà Hoi An, you should first squeeze some lime juice into the soy sauce, mix with some chili and shredded vegetables, then add them to the chicken rice. Voila! Your taste buds will surely be ignited by this dazzling combo of deliciousness.

Having your first mouthful of Hoi An chicken rice, you will easily conclude that it is no ordinary dish. It is a humble display of extraordinary cooking skills that could only be found in Hoi An. So for chicken lovers, this is your holy ground!

Can’t miss places for the best Cơm Gà in Hoi An (h3)

Check out these top 5 best eating venues for Com Ga Hoi An:

Cơm Gà Bà Buội

22 Phan Chu Trinh, Hoi An, Quang Nam

Price: from $1.5 to $2.15

Cơm Gà Bà Minh Hội An

20 Đào Duy Tu, Hoi An, Quang Nam

Price: around $1.5

Cơm Gà Bà Thuận

17/4 Hai Ba Trung, Hoi An, Quang Nam

Price: from $1.5 to $3 

47/2 Tran Hung Dao, Hoi An, Quang Nam

Price: from $1 to $2

Cơm Gà Bà Nga

8 Phan Chu Trinh, Hoi An, Quang Nam

Price: from $2 to $3.5

Let’s try Vietnamese cuisine as much as possible 

Obviously, Vietnamese cuisine isn’t just these four dishes. However, these above delicacies are the best dishes that can represent a Vietnam with a glorious past.

No one can deny that food is a universal necessity. However, the importance of food goes beyond one’s needs. It not only satisfies the needs of your body but also touches deeper places such as your soul, memories, and emotions. 

Isn’t it beautiful that you can taste the whole essence of a country while listening to the bustling sounds of life of that very one nation? Isn’t it amazing that you can get to know a culture just by enjoying its food?

Vietnamese cuisine has been formed and developed throughout its great history. Each dish represents Vietnam with immense joy and unforgettable pride. As a traveler in Vietnam (or seriously, in any other country), make sure to taste and enjoy as many local dishes as possible.

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Vietnamese Food: 34 Traditional Dishes to Try in Vietnam

Written By: The Planet D

Updated On: June 11, 2024

When we visited Vietnam we often found it difficult when ordering food (besides Pho) as we didn’t really know what the traditional Vietnamese dishes were. So, to help you make the dining experience easier we put together this list of the best Vietnamese food and traditional Vietnamese cuisine to help you eat well. We’ve also included links to our favorite Vietnamese recipes so you can try to make them at home.

Table of Contents

Traditional Vietnamese Cuisine

Did you know that Vietnamese culture is one of the oldest in all Southeast Asia? This impressive feat has given the Vietnamese people plenty of time to master their art of cooking. Today, the best Vietnamese food staples are in restaurants in many major cities around the world.

In this article, we’ll be exploring famous Vietnamese dishes from noodle soups to popular Vietnamese street food. You’ll have the opportunity to find out not only what ingredients are in each dish, but also the history and tastes behind every dish. To start off our discussion, we’ll begin with Bun Cha, a flavorful and simple dish and also a very popular food in Vietnam.

1. Bun Cha (Vietnamese Meat Balls)

Bun Cha has roots in  Hanoi , which is the capital of Vietnam. If you’ve ever visited Hanoi, you may know that you can find bun cha on any street you pass. It is a traditional Vietnamese dish that remains a popular Vietnamese street food today.

Bun Cha is essentially a noodle dish filled with meatballs, broth, herbs, and spices. The dish is made by making flat patties out of ground pork in a mixture of fish sauce, sugar, and spices. You then grill the pork until it is caramelized and slightly charred. The pork meatballs are then served with a bowl of rice vermicelli noodles, fresh greens, and sometimes herbs, along with a dipping sauce made from a mixture of fish sauce, sugar, garlic, and vinegar.

What I love about Bun Cha is it has this great taste, with a balance of sweet, salty, sour, and spicy flavors. It is no wonder that it is considered one of the most delicious traditional Vietnamese dishes. Make these at home with this delicious recipe!

2. Banh Mi (Vietnamese Baguette)

Banh Mi is another popular food in Vietnam and could easily be mistaken for a baguette by the untrained eye. What gives away its origins is that it is significantly shorter than a traditional French baguette . This similarity is not a coincidence since it is a product of the French introducing baguettes to the Vietnamese during the 1800s. 

Along with the baguettes, the French also brought their love of sandwiches to Vietnam. However, over time, the Vietnamese departed from ham and cheese sandwiches which were, and still are, a favorite of the French. Instead, they incorporated their  own flavors into their own Vietnamese baguette. The dish originated in Saigon, Vietnam (now known as Ho Chi Minh City), and is widely enjoyed in Vietnam and other countries. Read more about Ho Chi Minh City at The Top Things to Do in Ho Chi Minh City

To make Bánh Mì, a baguette is split open and filled with meats, such as grilled pork or chicken pâté, pickled vegetables like carrots and daikon , fresh herbs like cilantro and mint, and sauces such as mayonnaise and chili sauce. The sandwich is then toasted to warm the ingredients, before being served. These sandwiches may be filled with pork, cucumbers, sardines, or pickled carrots. 

Bánh Mì can be found at restaurants and cafes and is a popular Vietnamese street food. It is a reasonably priced dish, with prices varying depending on the type of ingredients used. Follow the Recipe here to make your own at home.

3. Banh Xeo (Vietnamese Crepes)

Banh Xeo may look like an omelet, but it’s not the kind of omelet you might know. Instead of fluffy and sugary, it is made from rice flour and turmeric along with water to turn the mixture into a smooth batter. 

This traditional Vietnamese food takes a little more effort to make at home than the previous dish. To make Banh Xeo, you first make a batter by mixing rice flour, coconut milk, turmeric, and salt. Then pour it into a pan and make a thin crepe. Add the pork, shrimp, mung bean, bean sprouts, and some green onion in the center of the crepe, which is then folded in half to seal the filling inside. The Banh Xeo is then fried until crispy and golden brown on both sides.

When you serve Banh Xeo make sure to have lettuce leaves and herbs, which are used to wrap the crepe, along with dipping sauces like nuoc cham or a sweet chili sauce. To eat it, cut off a larger-than-bite-sized piece, wrap it in the lettuce leaves or rice paper, and dip it into the sauce before taking a bite. Delicious.

Banh Xeo is undoubtedly a savory rather than a sweet dish. It reminds me of an omelet but it doesn’t use any eggs.  You are going to love them, especially if you try this recipe!

4. Bun Bo Hue (Spicy Beef & Pork Rice Noodles Soup)

If you are looking for the best food in Vietnam in soup form, look no further than bun bo hue. Its name pays homage to its origins since this dish comes from the city of Hue. However, this soup is not for the picky eater since it is often made with pig knuckles and congealed blood. This definitely qualifies as a traditional Vietnamese food.

It is known for its spicy and flavorful broth made from a combination of beef and pork bones, lemongrass, and a variety of spices such as chili pepper, shrimp paste, and garlic.

To make Bun Bo Hue, the broth is first simmered for several hours to extract the flavors from the bones and spices. The noodles used for the dish are thick and round, made from rice flour and tapioca flour. The noodles are then cooked in boiling water until they are soft and tender.

In addition to the noodles, the broth is typically served with a variety of ingredients, including thinly sliced beef, round slices of cooked ham, and pig’s blood cubes. The dish is also often topped with herbs like mint, basil, and cilantro, as well as bean sprouts, lime wedges, and chili peppers.

Don’t let the ingredients dissuade you from trying bun bo hue, however. This soup contains an amazing mix of umami flavors and lemongrass as well as a spicy kick. Bun bo hue is filled with rice noodles and a variety of vegetables such as red cabbage, cilantro, basil, and mint. 

5. Pho (Noodle soup)

More likely than not, you’ve already heard of pho. It is one of Vietnam’s most popular soups next to bun bo hue. It is also a great alternative if bun bo hue sounds a little too much for you.

What really makes Pho so good, like most Vietnamese soups is the broth. You have to simmer beef bones and aromatic spices such as cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and ginger for several hours. This really creates that rich, savory broth that is the foundation of the dish.

Once the broth is ready to go, place the noodles in a bowl and pour it over them. Then add your favorite ingredients, I like to use thin slices of raw beef or cooked chicken, and then add the flavor explosion of basil, cilantro, and mint, as well as bean sprouts, lime wedges, and chili peppers.

Depending on where you get your pho, it could be mild or very spicy. The dish can be customized to individual tastes, with options for adding additional ingredients such as hoisin sauce, sriracha, or chili paste to adjust the level of spice or sweetness. Try making it at home

6. Banh Cuon (Rice Rolls)

Banh Cuon are rolls of fermented rice batter made into rice paper. It is a typical Vietnamese food you simply cannot pass up. The Vietnamese rice paper wraps up little balls of pork and minced mushrooms, resulting in little packets of flavor. 

Making Banh Cuon takes a little finesse as you are working with a really thin batter that is made up of rice flour, water, and a pinch of salt. You then pour it onto a large, flat steamer basket and steam it until it is cooked through and translucent. Then add your filling of seasoned minced pork, mushrooms, and minced onions onto one half then fold it over to seal it.

When you serve the Banh Cuon top it with chopped herbs, bean sprouts, and cucumber slices. It is best when served with a dipping sauce that is made up of fish sauce, vinegar, and chili peppers.

These rolls need to be cooked very carefully because the batter is so thin. Because of this, they are briefly steamed and soon ready to eat.  They are the perfect dish to make at home.

7. Che (Sweet Pudding)

Have you ever heard of a dessert soup? Vietnamese Che is precisely that. While chè has some savory hints, it is mostly a sweet dish. This is because coconut milk and tapioca fruit are some of the main ingredients of this soup. The savory ingredients include mung beans and vegetables.  To make this recipe at home try this Che Bap Recipe for your own sweet corn pudding.

8. Mi Vit Tiem (Braised Duck Noodle Soup)

If you love duck, Mi Vit Tiem is what you’re looking for. It is another noodle soup but instead of sweet flavors, it boasts the savory flavors of roasted duck. Mi Vit Tiem has roots in Chinese cuisine, but there is undoubtedly a Vietnamese twist to it. Instead of rice noodles, egg noodles are used. This soup can also be quite spicy.

To make Mi Vit Tiem, the duck meat is first marinated in a mixture of spices and seasonings, then braised in a sauce made from soy sauce, rice wine, and other ingredients. The broth is made by simmering chicken or duck bones with spices, herbs, and seasonings until a rich and flavorful broth is produced. The egg noodles are then boiled and added to the broth along with the braised duck meat and vegetables.

It is known for its rich and savory flavor and is often enjoyed as a main course. The dish is typically served with a variety of herbs and dipping sauces on the side. Follow this traditional recipe to make it at home.

9. Hu Tieu (Pork and Seafood Noodle Soup)

On the other hand, if you want Vietnamese cuisine to warm you up, why not opt for Hu Tieu? It can be hard to find any single version of this noodle soup dish since it can vary so much from place to place, but every version has its own charm. It almost always contains pork and some kind of seafood. Hu Tieu is a pork bone soup. Beyond that, from the noodles to the vegetables and herbs, there is no standard recipe. So get creative and see if you can make your own hodge podge of goodness.

10. Goi Cuon (Vietnamese Spring Rolls)

What Vietnamese cuisine should you  be looking for  if you want something cool and refreshing? Goi Cuon is your answer. Goi Cuon is like a salad wrapped up in convenient rolls. These rice paper rolls are filled with seafood, leafy greens, and sometimes pork. There’s no better dish for a hot summer day. These are our favorite Vietnamese dishes to make at home. as they are so easy to eat. While traveling in Vietnam, they are a perfect alternative after you have been eating too much fried food. Follow this easy recipe to impress your friends.

11. Cao Lau

If you want to experiment with textures, Cau Lau is the perfect Vietnamese food for you. It consists of thick, chewy noodles and crunchy crackers. On the other hand, it also is full of succulent pork and broth. Try Cao Lau for a true gastronomical adventure. We had this quite a few times in Vietnam and loved it.

The dish is made with rice noodles that are soaked in a mixture of ash and water from a specific well in Hoi An. The noodles are then stir-fried with slices of pork, greens, and sometimes bean sprouts. The dish is topped with a broth made from a mixture of pork stock, soy sauce, and spices, and is finished with a sprinkle of crispy rice paper.

Cao Lau has a distinct flavor that is savory, salty, and slightly sweet, with a combination of textures from the chewy noodles, tender pork, and crispy fried noodles. Asian Inspirations has the full recipe to follow.

12. Ga Tan (Poached Chicken soup)

If you want to try some Vietnamese foods that are similar to your grandmother’s homemade soup, Ga Tan is what you’re looking for. It is a warm and very healthy soup sure to clear out your sinuses if you’re feeling stuffed up. This specialty has its roots in Hanoi and is fully stocked with chicken as well as herbs. The aroma and the taste of ga tan can do wonders.

Looking for more information about Vietnam? Read these articles to help with travel planning.

• Photography: Breathtaking Pictures of Vietnam
• Southern Vietnam: Places to Visit in Southern Vietnam
• Vietnam: The Very Best Things to do in Vietnam
• Ho Chi Minh City: Cu Chi Tunnels of Vietnam
• Ho Chi Minh City: Top Things to Do in Ho Chi Minh City
• Hanoi: 7 Things to do in Hanoi

13. Ga Nuong (Barbeque Chicken)

Are you looking for sweet yet savory chicken? Ga Nuong is what you need. It is essentially Vietnam’s version of barbeque chicken with spices. You’ll be amazed at how Ga Nuong can cook for such a long time and still be succulent instead of dry. This is one of those Vietnamese dishes that really surprised us. It is a nice detour from all the soups.

14. Bot Chien (Fried Rice Cakes)

Bot Chien can be enjoyed in the morning or late at night. It is definitely our favorite fried food in Vietnam. It is a simple dish consisting of fried pieces of rice flour with egg mixed in. However, the refreshing flavors of accompanying papaya and vegetables can transform the flavors of Bot Chien into something wonderful. 

15. Chao (Vietnamese Rice Porridge)

Chao might not seem very impressive to you. After all, it’s only porridge.  However, this creamy dish is ideal if you’re not very hungry or are dealing with stomach troubles. You can easily make Chao more flavorful by adding meat and herbs.  Hungry Huy has an easy-to-follow recipe here.

16. Lau (Hot Pot)

Lau is not something to be eaten alone. In fact, the making of Lau is a community experience surrounding a large, boiling pot. You’ll never eat the same Lau twice because of how much it can vary. One pot might be stuffed with tofu and another might be filled with fish. There are no limits when it comes to making Lau.

17. Com Chay (Burne Rice)

Looking for some vegetarian Vietnamese cuisine? Look no further than Com Chay. Com Chay is a crispy rice delight stuffed with imitation meat, although some places use the real deal. Because of this, make sure you know what you’re getting when you order com chay. 

18. Bun Rieu (Crab Noodle Soup)

Are you hungry for lunch and don’t know what to eat? Do you also love seafood? Why not choose Bun Rieu? This crab and noodle soup is sure to delight your taste buds, especially if you like a crab. You’ll find that the type of noodles can vary greatly with this soup but the taste is incredible.

19. Dau Phu Sot Ca Chua (Fried Tofu in Tomato Sauce)

This is sure to be a favorite if you love tofu. Dau Phu Sot Ca Chua consists of deep-fried tofu chunks which are then drenched in tomato sauce.  The tofu is then sprinkled with aromatic herbs. There’s no shortage of flavor with this tofu dish and it is easy to see why this is a popular food in Vietnam.

20. Bo Bit Tet (Vietnamese Beef Steak)

Craving something fast and greasy? You can find this steak and egg dish just about anywhere because of how easy it is to prepare. This thin steak often comes with eggs, metaballs, and freshly cooked potatoes. 

21. Goi Xoai Xanh Tom Hap

Goi Xoai Xanh Tom Hap (Vietnamese Shrimp and Green Mango Salad) is a type of Vietnamese salad that is typically made with shredded green mango, boiled shrimp, and a dressing made from fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, and chili peppers. The origin of this dish is not specific to one city in Vietnam, and it can be found in various regions throughout the country.

To make Goi Xoai Xanh Tom Hap, the shredded green mango is tossed with boiled shrimp, fresh herbs such as mint and cilantro, and the dressing. The salad is then typically garnished with crushed peanuts and served as a light and refreshing dish.

Goi Xoai Xanh Tom Hap has a sweet and sour flavor, with a balance of tangy mango, savory shrimp, and spicy chili peppers. The crunchy texture of the green mango and crushed peanuts add an extra layer of texture to the dish.

22. Bánh Khot – Mini Vietnamese Crispy Pancakes

Bánh Khot is a popular Vietnamese dish made from a small, round, rice flour cake that is filled with seasoned whole or ground shrimp and then deep-fried until crispy. The cakes are usually served with a dipping sauce made from fish sauce, sugar, and chili peppers, and are often garnished with freshly chopped herbs such as mint and cilantro.

With its crispy exterior and a soft, savory filling with a balance of sweet, salty, and spicy flavors, Bánh Khot is the perfect snack. The dipping sauce provides a tangy contrast to the savory filling, while the herbs add a fresh, fragrant flavor.

Bánh Khot is sometimes referred to as Vietnamese shrimp pancakes or fried rice cakes. It is a popular Vietnamese street food snack and is also found in Vietnamese restaurants and Vietnamese food markets.

23. Banh Ghoi (Vietnamese Fried Dumpling)

Bánh Ghoi is a Vietnamese dish made from thin, round, rice flour cakes that are filled with seasoned ground pork and then deep-fried until crispy. The dish originated in the northern region of Vietnam and is a popular snack and street food item.

To make Bánh Ghoi, the rice flour cakes are filled with seasoned ground pork, rolled up, and then deep-fried. The dish is typically served with a dipping sauce made from fish sauce, sugar, and chili peppers, and is often garnished with freshly chopped herbs such as mint and cilantro.

Bánh Ghoi has a crispy exterior and a savory filling with a balance of sweet, salty, and spicy flavors. The dipping sauce provides a tangy and spicy contrast to the savory filling, while the herbs add a fresh, fragrant flavor.

24. Ban Hue

Banh Hue is a type of Vietnamese rice noodle soup that originated in the central region of Vietnam. It is made by simmering beef or pork broth with lemongrass, shrimp paste, and spices, then adding rice noodles and various toppings such as sliced pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts. The soup is typically served with a side of fresh herbs such as basil, cilantro, and mint, and a squeeze of lime juice to add brightness and acidity to the dish.

Banh Hue has a flavorful, savory broth that is slightly sour and spicy, and the toppings provide texture and crunch. The noodles are soft and chewy, and the herbs add a fresh, bright flavor to the dish.

Yes, Banh Hue comes in different types, including vegetarian versions that use a mushroom broth instead of meat broth, and variations with different toppings such as beef, seafood, or meatballs. There are also regional variations of Banh Hue that use different ingredients and spices, reflecting the local cuisine of different parts of Vietnam.

25. Mi Xao Mem (Traditional Vietnamese Stir-Fried Noodles)

Mi Xao Mem is a traditional Vietnamese dish made from stir-fried egg noodles and a variety of ingredients such as meats, seafood, vegetables, and spices. The dish originated in the southern region of Vietnam and is popular street food and a home-cooked meal.

To make Mi Xao Mem, the egg noodles are stir-fried with ingredients such as beef, chicken, shrimp, or tofu, along with a variety of vegetables such as carrots, onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms. The stir-fry is seasoned with spices and sauces to create a flavorful and savory dish. It is often served with a garnish of fresh herbs such as mint or cilantro.

26. Bun Dau Mom Tom

Bun Dau Mom Tom (Vietnamese rice Vermicelli with Shrimp Sauce) is a Vietnamese noodle dish made from vermicelli noodles served with a spicy, savory sauce made from fermented shrimp paste and topped with deep-fried tofu and boiled shrimp.

It has a unique combination of chewy noodles and spicy, savory sauce, with a balance of sweet, salty, and spicy flavors. The deep-fried tofu and boiled shrimp provide a crispy and tender contrast to the noodles, and the fresh herbs add a fragrant, refreshing flavor.

Bun Dau Mom Tom can be found at street food stalls, Vietnamese food markets, and Vietnamese restaurants, and is typically a reasonably priced dish.

27. White Rose Dumplings

White Rose Dumplings are made from a mixture of ground pork and shrimp, combined with mushrooms, vermicelli noodles, and seasonings, and wrapped in a thin, translucent dough made from tapioca flour. They are typically served with a dipping sauce made from soy sauce, vinegar, and chili. The taste of White Rose Dumplings is described as savory, slightly sweet, and a little bit sour, with a chewy texture from the tapioca flour dough and a satisfying filling of seasoned meat and mushrooms.

28. Chao Tom

Chao Tom is a type of Vietnamese dish that originated in the southern part of Vietnam. It is made by grinding cooked prawns with sugar, salt, and spices to form a mixture, which is then shaped around sugarcane sticks and grilled until golden and crisp. The grilled prawn mixture is then dipped in a sweet and savory sauce made from fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice.

Chao Tom has a unique texture, with a crisp exterior and a tender, juicy interior. The combination of sweet and savory flavors in the sauce balances well with the natural sweetness of the prawns. The sugarcane stick provides a crunchy texture, and the dish is typically served with fresh herbs such as mint and cilantro to add a fresh, bright flavor.

There are different types of Chao Tom that use different ingredients, such as minced chicken or beef, in place of prawns, or different seasonings and spices to vary the flavor profile. Additionally, there are regional variations of the dish in Vietnam that reflect local ingredients and culinary traditions.

29. Mi Quang

Mi Quang is a type of Vietnamese rice noodle dish that originated in the central region of Vietnam’s Quang Nam Province. A quintessential Da Nang food It is made with a mixture of rice noodles, various toppings such as sliced pork, shrimp, quail eggs, bean sprouts, and a flavorful broth made with chicken or beef broth, turmeric, and spices.

The dish is typically topped with crushed peanuts, crispy fried onions, and fresh herbs such as cilantro and basil, and served with a side of fresh vegetables and a lime wedge.

Mi Quang has a rich, savory broth with a slightly spicy and slightly sweet flavor, and the toppings provide a mix of textures, with the soft noodles and tender meats contrasting with the crunchy peanuts and crisp vegetables. The fresh herbs and lime juice add a bright, acidic flavor to the dish.

There are different types of Mi Quang that use different ingredients, such as seafood or vegetarian versions that use mushrooms or tofu as the main topping, and regional variations that use different spices and seasonings to reflect local culinary traditions. There are variations that incorporate different types of noodles, such as egg noodles or glass noodles, in place of traditional rice noodles.

30. Banh Beo (Vietnamese Steamed Rice Cake)

Banh Beo is a type of Vietnamese steamed rice. It is made by mixing rice flour with water to form a batter, which is then steamed in small, shallow dishes until set. The cake is then topped with various ingredients such as chopped shrimp, pork cracklings, scallions, and a savory sauce made from Vietnamese fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice. The dish is typically served as an appetizer or snack and is often enjoyed with a cold Tiger beer or other refreshing beverages.

Banh Beo has a soft, delicate texture with a subtle sweetness from the rice flour, and the toppings provide a variety of flavors and textures, including savory shrimp, crunchy pork cracklings, and bright, acidic sauce.

This popular Vietnamese food is enjoyed for its delicate, subtle flavor and unique texture, and is a staple of the central region’s cuisine. Banh Beo is also favored for its versatility, as it can be made with a variety of toppings to suit different tastes and preferences. Additionally, Banh Beo is a traditional and cultural dish in Vietnam and is often served at family gatherings and special occasions.

31. Goi Cá Mai – Vietnamese Raw Fish Roll

Goi Cá Mai is a type of Vietnamese salad that originated in the central region of Vietnam. It is made by combining thin slices of raw fish (often catfish or snakehead fish) with fresh herbs such as mint, cilantro, and basil, shredded green papaya, and a dressing made from fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, and chili peppers. The salad is typically served cold and is garnished with crushed peanuts and crispy fried onions.

The thin slices of raw fish provide a delicate, tender texture, while the fresh herbs and green papaya add a crisp, crunchy texture. The crushed peanuts and fried onions add even more depth and texture to the flavor of the dish.

Goi Cá Mai can be found at Vietnamese restaurants and street food stalls, especially in the central region of Vietnam where the dish originated. It is also a popular dish in Vietnamese communities around the world and can be found at specialty Vietnamese restaurants and food markets. If you are looking to try Goi Cá Mai, it is recommended to seek out a reputable Vietnamese restaurant that serves authentic dishes.

32. Com Tam (Traditional Vietnamese Broken Rice)

Com Tam, also known as broken rice, is a traditional Vietnamese food that originated in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It is made by cooking short-grain glutinous rice and then breaking it into small pieces, which are then served with a variety of toppings such as grilled pork, steamed eggs, and pickled vegetables.

Broken Rice is typically garnished with a sauce made from fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice, and is often served with a side of freshly cooked greens such as morning glory.

Com Tam has a soft, slightly chewy texture and a mild, slightly sweet flavor. The toppings provide a variety of flavors and textures, including savory grilled pork, creamy steamed eggs, and tangy pickled vegetables. The sauce adds a balance of salty, sweet, and sour flavors to the dish.

33. Xôi Vietnamese Sticky Rice

Vietnamese sticky rice, also known as “xoi,” is made by soaking glutinous rice overnight and then steaming it until it becomes soft and sticky. It is often served with savory dishes such as grilled meat, fried eggs, and steamed vegetables. Sticky rice is popular in Vietnam because it is a staple food that can be easily prepared and paired with a variety of flavors. The texture of sticky rice is chewy and its flavor is subtle, making it a versatile side dish. Sticky rice can be found everywhere and is usually served with meals and as a compliment to many Vietnamese foods and dishes.

34. Chè Ba Màu 

The beautiful three-colored dessert, chè ba màu is often called the rainbow dessert. This is a layered spectacle of red beans, mashed mung beans, and pandan jelly, topped with crushed ice and coconut milk and jelly. t is a sweet and refreshing treat that is enjoyed in warm weather and can be found in many Vietnamese restaurants and street food stalls. Chè Ba Màu is popular in Vietnam because it offers a range of flavors and textures in one dish, making it a unique and satisfying dessert.

I’m not going to lie, it’s not my cup of tea, but this is a very popular Vietnamese dish. If you can’t travel to Vietnam, you can try to make Chè Ba Màu at home. Cook the black beans, mung beans, lotus seeds, and tapioca pearls separately until they are soft. Then mix the beans together and add sugar to tase. Boil the mixture with water and food coloring until it turns red. Then let the mixture cool to room temperature and add coconut milk. Serve it in a small cup topped with jelly and enjoy!

Finding The Best Food in Vietnam

By the end of this article, you know all about the best Vietnamese food around. If you want to try some amazing new dishes, look no further than Vietnamese cuisine. 

Check out More Great Food From Around the World

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Vietnam is just one of those places where every single meal is divine, no matter if you’re at a nice restaurant or eating by the side of the road. All these pictures made me salivate and reminisce — cheers!

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Street food in Vietnam

An amalgamation of history and culture, philosophy and geography, street food in Vietnam is one of the healthiest, tastiest, and most distinct cuisines in the world. And the best part? You just need to take a few steps outside your hotel to experience it. The Vietnam street food culture is almost inescapable, and for good reason too- why would anyone want to skip out on delicious food? From ten unmissable dishes to the vegetarians’ dilemma- we’ve got it all covered in our Street food in Vietnam guide. 

10 Must-Haves in Vietnam

There’s no singular place offering the best street food in Vietnam, instead, it can be found across the country. Additionally, a country filled with so much regional diversity warrants a diversity in cuisine and dishes, and it can be overwhelming trying to pinpoint certain specialties you need to try. Our travel scouts did some research of their own, and after traversing through Vietnam, have come up with a list of 10 dishes that you can’t miss on your trip to Vietnam.

1. Pho 

Vietnam’s breakfast meal, pho consists of a beef or chicken-based broth, rice noodles, herbs and thinly sliced meats, served alongside condiments such as hoisin sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, Sriracha, and chili paste, to flavor the broth.  Arguably Vietnam’s most famous dish known around the world, pho has several variations, most notably the northern pho bac (clearer broth, subtler flavours) and pho nam (murkier, with more veggies and spice) of the south. Pho is flavourful due to it being cooked for several hours and is served almost everywhere. But, it’s primary designation is as a breakfast meal. You can find the best, freshest pho in the morning hours, cooked for hours the previous night. 

Best Pho: Nothing matches the rich and tasty Pho broth at Pho 2000 in District 1 in Ho Chi Minh City. Yes, it has acquired fame only after President Clinton visited in 2000, and it isn’t the cheapest place to have Pho but it’s iconic, and certainly very yummy.

A legacy left behind by the French, banh mi refers to a baguette stuffed with sheer goodness and sold on the streets. After the French left Vietnam, their influence remained in the form of the wheat baguette, and this, combined with the veggies and meats of Vietnam, led to the creation of banh mi. This street food in Vietnam is one you can easily find. Nonetheless, you can head to ‘Banh Mi Phuong’ in Hoi An that got international attention after celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain called it the ‘best banh mi in the world’. Do note that due to the (well deserved) hype, the banh mi here is more expensive: about $2 each, whereas street banh mi is $1.50 for 2 sandwiches. 

Best Banh Mi: For a less hyped but equally yummy Banh Mi experience head to Banh Mi Huynh Hoa in Ho Chi Minh City. We challenge you to find a Banh Mi that is as stuffed with deliciousness as this one. 

3. Goi Cuon (summer rolls)

These appetizing spring rolls have a mixture of pork , prawn , vegetabl es, rice vermicelli and other ingredients wrapped in Vietnamese rice paper. Goi cuon, believed to have originated from China, is seasonal and consumed during the spring, which is how it got its name. It makes for a fresh, light break when you’ve been indulging too much fried food. The vegetables used for the filling are generally from the new season’s fresh harvest, and the rice paper wrapping is translucent, making this not just a tasty, but also a pretty dish.

Best Goi Cuon: You can get spring rolls at any restaurant in Vietnam, but at Thanh Van in Can Tho you can roll your own with some locally famous Nem Nuong, grilled pork sausage, green banana, star fruit (carambola), cucumber and a riot of fresh herbs. Dip this delicious mix into some yummy peanut-and-something-else sauce and take your tastebuds on a journey.

Ban xeo is yet another staple of street food in Vietnam, found all over the country. Literally translated as ‘sizzling pancake’, ban xeo is thus named for the loud sizzling sound the rice batter makes when it is poured into the hot skillet. Normally a distinct yellow due to the use of turmeric in the batter, this crispy, chewy crepe is crammed with bean sprouts, shrimp, pork and mung beans. A must-try among street food in Vietnam.

Best Ban Xeo: The best Ban Xeo is had at a place where it’s made fresh and in front of your eyes like at Banh Xeo, Nem Cuon, Quay in the old quarter in Hanoi or at Banh Xeo 46A in Ho Chi Minh City. The first one is a ‘hole-in-the-wall’ kind of place and might only be for the adventurous among you but we guarantee, it’s really good! 

5. Bun Bo Hue

Bun means noodles and bo means beef, but Bun Bo Hue is most often based on a pork-intensive stock, with small amounts of braised or raw beef added as a garnish. It also has a tinge of spice lent by the use of chillies. This is to be expected of food in central Vietnam. It is a part of the distinctive cuisine of Hue, the former capital of Vietnam and still known as the Imperial City. Naturally, it goes without saying that you’ll get the best bun bo hue in Hue itself. 

Best Bun Bo Hue: You can find multiple equally good restaurants next to each other on Ly Thuong Kiet Street close to the river. Just choose the one that has a free table left!

6. Bun Bo Nam Bo

Bun bo nam bo, heroing beef, is a rice vermicelli noodle dish. It is served with stir-fried marinated beef, bean sprouts, roasted peanuts, fried shallots, fresh herbs, pickled papaya and carrot. Bun Bo Nam Bo is different from other types of noodles that have a broth. It needs a special kind of sweet and sour fish sauce that lends a unique flavour to it. 

Best Bun Bo Nam Bo: Without question, you’ll get the best at Bun Bo Nam Bo Bach Phuong in Hanoi. Good luck finding a table, the wait is worth it! 

Originating in capital-city Hanoi, bun cha is a simple yet delicious dish. It consists of a plate of vermicelli (the bun) and a bowl of broth with grilled/barbequed pork. A basket of fresh greens accompanies it. The tantalising sweet and sour broth is a mixture of fish sauce, vinegar, and sugar. Look out for this dish when in Hanoi.

Best Bun Cha: Have it at Bun Cha Dac Kiem – big bowl, tasty sauce, great meat! You know a place is good if both Anthony Bourdain and Barack Obama have endorsed it.

8. Cao Lau 

Chewy noodles served with pork, crisp greens, crunchy croutons and bean sprouts sounds like just another Vietnamese soup. But this Hoi An specialty is a mystery closely guarded by a few families. The noodles and croutons, made from dried cao lau noodles, have a recipe known only to a few. Additionally, legend has it water for the noodles comes from one special well. It is then mixed with a specific type of ash from a certain tree in Hoi An to create a lye solution. Shrouded in mystery, this dish is a Hoi An specialty and one of its kind, a definite highlight to our list of eating street food in Vietnam.

Best Cao Lau: There is only one city to have Cao Lau and that’s Hoi An. Many restaurants or street food stalls offer it. Since the noodles are made from one consistent recipe the flavour doesn’t change much.  We particularly liked Cafe Cao Lầu Không Gian Xanh or Quán Ăn Ty Ty . 

9. Banh Bao

Yet another Chinese influence, Banh bao literally mean “enveloping cake”. It is a dumpling stuffed with pork or chicken meat, onions, eggs, mushrooms and vegetables. Some variations also have Chinese sausage inside. The dumplings are steamed, and accompanied with a topping of shallots and a tangy dipping sauce in restaurants.

Best Banh Bao: This is a difficult one as you get Banh Bao as a fast snack at literally every corner – it’s like the hot dog for Americans or the samosa for Indians. But we definitely recommend having it in South Vietnam, where we found it tasted the best! 

10. Hot Pot

A hot pot is a simmering pot of soup on a portable burner, surrounded with a whole range of ingredients. Rice vermicelli, pig’s heart, liver and kidneys, goat meat, eel, shallots and vegetables, river fish or chicken, clams, mussels, snails, you name it, you’ll find them all here. It is a great communal meal to bond over. People pop things in, scoop them out, share in the meal and generally have a good time. Hot pots can be found in most major metropoles of Vietnam. They’re a fun way of introducing children to the various elements of Vietnamese cuisine. A definite highlight of street food in Vietnam.

Best Hot Pot: Nothing can beat a street-style Hot Pot on a cold winter day in Hanoi. Check out Bum , just north of the Old Quarter for some delicious meat or seafood Hot Pot.

Additional tips

We must warn you, several places with the most delicious food are not high up on the aesthetics scale. However, Vietnamese dishes have hot broths and fresh cuts of meat, killing away any possible germs. So don’t let the makeshift stalls and narrow lanes get in the way. Additionally, the herbs and vegetables used are fresh, and if anything, add a wonderful lightness and crunch to the meal. One of the places you can find rows of stalls selling amazing food is at traditional open-air markets. Here, women run most of the stalls. Grab a seat on a small chair at a table, and prepare for some delicious food! We also recommend eating at stalls that locals can be seen flocking to, irrespective of how the stall may look. A crowd is a sign that the food there is good and many guests mean the food is always fresh.

Vegetarian street food in Vietnam

The only other drawback to Vietnamese food is that it gets a bit cumbersome for vegetarians and vegans. Many Vietnamese meals incorporate beef, pork or chicken. But familiarize yourself with the word “chay”, ‘vegetarian’ in Vietnamese, and you’re good to go. Apart from saying it when you go to a stall, several stalls will have ‘chay’ written on a sign. Say it flat and evenly without intonation while pointing to the dish you would like to have. Similarly for the vegans, “toi khong an” means “I don’t eat”, so follow it up with: sua (milk), bo (butter), trung (eggs), nuoc mam (fish sauce), or pho mai (cheese). Almost all dishes have vegetarian variations, and Vietnam has an array of fruits that everyone should try. This gives you enough to get by so you have nothing to worry about.

A foodie paradise, light on the pocket, and soul-stirring, street food in Vietnam is an experience you must not miss. Major cities have their share of fine-dine restaurants offering western or continental cuisine alongside Vietnamese cuisine , but often, the meals there are twisted to suit more sensitive palettes, and they lose their authenticity. Additionally, the price of street food in Vietnam is the least of your worries, as it is all affordable. We fully recommend embracing the adventure that is street food. Once its done, you’ll never see food the same way again.

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Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Importance of Food — The Role Of Food In Defining Vietnamese Culture

The Role of Food in Defining Vietnamese Culture

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The Delectable Relationship Between Street Food and Culture in Vietnam

Aside from the delicious cuisine, Vietnamese street food plays a crucial role in influencing and providing an outlet for cultural values. The way food is produced, painstakingly prepared and where it’s eaten all play a crucial role in maintaining a cooperative society. Street food in Vietnam provides an important outlet that bridges the often large divide between home life and the wider community. The Vietnamese are much stronger because of this. Read further to find out how it all began, how it benefits society and what locals and foreigners currently think about it.

Table of Contents

What is Culture?

Before we delve too deep we should first define what culture is . The term “culture”, as defined by Nevana Stajcic, a professor from the University of Belgrade, is used to refer to any set of “values, knowledge, language, rituals, habits, lifestyles, attitudes, beliefs, folklore, rules and customs that identify a particular group of people at a specific point in time.” In other words, it encapsulates almost everything we do.

When eating on the street in Vietnam every surrounding aspect contributes to the experience. The late, great Anthony Bourdain’s visit to Vietnam introduced the world to the magnificent influence the culture has on the food.

“This is the way so many great meals in my life have been enjoyed: sitting in the street, eating something out of a bowl that I’m not exactly sure what it is, scooters going by. It’s so delicious, I feel like an animal.” – Anthony Bourdain, Parts Unknown.

There is something instinctively satisfying and somewhat humanizing about the experience of eating street food in Vietnam. Bourdain’s words continue to encourage tourists to observe these anomalies which probably contributed to the popularity of street food tours in Vietnam. His programs and writings have also raised the conscience of many locals to the positive aspects and facts of street food and its role in the culture.

Click here to read another article about street food in Vietnam!

The Emergence of Street Food Stalls in Vietnam

The ubiquity of street vendors in Vietnam may lead one to think it’s been practiced for centuries. Surprisingly, the modern Vietnamese street food history and habits of eating outside are more recent than it may seem.

It all began to develop in the early 20th century when a lone entrepreneurial spirit, near Hanoi, decided that they would sell soup around their neighborhood carried by a yoke. A trend began in which street sellers could effectively access more customers. However, carrying enough soup and noodles was back-breaking work.

It wasn’t long until these mobile vendors realized that if your food was good enough customers would instead come to you. Street stands started popping up outside homes and on the side of busy roads. This saved the vendor’s bodies and it meant diners had a relaxing place to sit down and enjoy their meal. Cooks could also spread out, experiment and introduce more complexity to their dishes. Vietnamese gastronomy began to diversify with unseen momentum.

Carrying food around also enhanced the risk of deadly microbes such as bacillus cereus, a common bacteria found in soil, vegetation and foods. At room temperature bacteria can quickly multiply and by keeping dishes steaming hot, food-borne diseases and illness are minimized. The isolation of bacteria from street food was one of the most valuable effects street food stands had on Vietnamese livelihoods.

In comparison to modern preparation methods is street food safe in Vietnam? For the most part, yes, but there are always exceptions to the rule. An easy way to minimize the risk of food poisoning is to head to a busy stall with a good reputation and high turnover. Additionally, make sure your food is piping hot when it gets to your table.

Image by Hieu Tran from Pixabay

The Influence of Vietnamese Culture on Street Food

Harmony of ingredients.

The concept of a ‘perfect’ Vietnamese dish has an important philosophical framework. All ingredients should be carefully chosen and used in a rational combination to ensure harmony with nature and satisfaction of the five taste senses: spicy, sour, salty, bitter and sweet. All dishes must contain these characteristics and none should be too overpowering as to reduce the value of the others. The nutritional value, colors and the five bodily senses also need to be accounted for and well balanced. Most locals are inherently aware of this yet it’s probably only the most traditional cooks who are able to recite these characteristics of Vietnamese gastronomy.

Maintaining Social Connectivity

When eating at any street stall you usually get to meet and order directly from the chef. They also serve your food and clean up after you. The physical closeness of street food diners to the kitchen and cook initiates a sense of familiarity, closeness and heartfelt appreciation. To meet the person who traded their time to deliver your meal is a humbling experience and immediately removes any social barriers. This simple and important relationship initiation is impossible to replicate in a restaurant setting.

Accepting Individuality

Most iconic Vietnamese street dishes have no set recipe yet the ‘yin and yang’ balance of flavors and traits is important to maintain. This is the cook’s responsibility. However, once the dish is delivered to the table the customer can then take over. When eating noodle soups, for example, a tray of cilantro, mint, Thai basil, fresh lime and chili, and hoisin and chili sauces are set on the table. The diner will then alter this balance to suit their own tastes. Everyone has a slightly different preference in what they add or avoid. This process is very accepting of individuality, even if the customer totally messes up the harmony of the dish. In this regard, eating street food in Vietnam is inherently democratic and reveals an aspect to Vietnamese society where the acceptance of individual preference is paramount.

Is Vietnamese Street Food For the Poor?

As previously mentioned, Vietnam’s street food culture began in small farming villages in the early 1900s. Peasants were poor in an agrarian society and Vietnam was considered one of the world’s poorest countries until economic reforms in the late eighties. Before this time almost everyone experienced the same economic and daily conditions. Therefore, street food was never reserved for Vietnam’s poor. It was for everybody.

Whereas everyone in the past was relatively equal there have now been cultural shifts and amazing growth in the middle and upper classes. Many wealthy Vietnamese have adopted cars as daily transport instead of the ubiquitous scooter or motorbike. It’s not that the rich aren’t welcome to dine at street stands but there are few options for car parking on the busy streets and narrow alleys where they are usually set-up. When the wealthy eat out in Vietnam they usually dine at restaurants and often cite the health hazards of street food as the main reason they avoid it.

Although already relatively safe, making street food even safer is one of the biggest challenges faced by Vietnamese authorities. Dr Nguyen Thanh Phong, Director of the Vietnam Food Administration (VFA), states that access to clean water, as well as the acceptance of low hygiene from ‘poor’ residents, are preventing important changes. There are plans to heighten regulations and authorities are eager to start vetting street food vendors on their cooking practices and facilities. Recent attempts to try and remove the ‘backwards’ practice of street stands and make it more centralized is often met with social resistance. Putting the street cooks in designated market areas takes away the close proximity of cooks, smells and other street life from the diner and disrupts the organic nature of the street-dining experience.

Showcasing Vietnamese Street Food Culture to the World

The street food experience isn’t only popular with Vietnamese. Foreigners traveling or living in Vietnam often state that the experiences of eating on the street have been nothing short of life-changing. People’s growing awareness can be seen by the immense and ever-growing archive of food and culture essays and online articles.

In Vietnam’s cities and tourist-driven towns, some street food vendors have gone slightly more upmarket to cater to the needs of foreigners and tour guides. These opportunities offer authentic experiences and education of street food and provide insight into local lifestyles in Vietnam.

A side-effect of this interest in Vietnamese street food is that it can highlight the inherent cultural values often taken for granted by locals. Raising awareness and interest will hopefully avoid food gentrification and ensure Vietnamese cuisine and culture remain strong in a rapidly changing society. This recognition will mean tourism and society, in general, can continue to flourish while the people can maintain their pride in their culture, values and identity.

The sublime relationship between street food and culture provides a window into the past, present and future of Vietnamese society. Beneath the surface of the obvious eating habits and cooking rituals lie a rich cultural identity shaped through street food. Eating on the street has helped people meet, cooperate and communicate their desires and values for decades of hardship. Hopefully, by identifying and raising the awareness of the strengths and benefits, the food and street culture can continue to flourish and provide a vibrant and meaningful life for millions of Vietnamese.

Main image credit goes to Frankie Shutterbug on Unsplash.

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7 Reasons Why Vietnamese Food is Good for You

While you may have to watch out where you’re buying your produce in Vietnam, the cuisine itself is about as healthy you can get. The Huffington Post recently talked to the Vietnamese owners of Pho, a UK-based, family-run restaurant who provided 7 health benefits of eating Vietnamese food, as if we needed more convincing.

1) It keeps you looking young

Vietnamese soups and salad are packed with antioxidants in addition to vitamins E and A that slow the aging process. Vitamin E aids in fighting free radicals while vitamin A helps heal scars and fend off wrinkles.  

2) It enhances your immune system and keeps you perky

Vietnamese foods are rich in vitamins and minerals including vitamins C, B1, B6, B3, folate, biotin, zinc, copper, magnesium and potassium – all of which have been proven to help boost energy levels.  

3) It will regulate your blood sugar

Usually gluten-free, no need to worry about steep spikes and drops in blood sugar.   

4) It improves digestion

Many Vietnamese dishes are served with generous portions of fresh herbs which aid in relief from indigestion, nausea and headaches.

5) It gives you healthy hair

Iron, protein and vitamin C all increase hair growth and health. 

6) It’s low in sugar

Vietnamese spring rolls and soups are low in sugar (less than 5g per serving), which some experts warn is as harmful as alcohol and tobacco. 

7) It can help you lose weight

Vietnamese food is low is calories and fat since it’s flavored with herbs and spices rather than oil and dairy and is full of fresh fruits and veggies. A bowl of pho has between 300 and 600 calories, and less than 3g of fat per serving. 

[ Huffington Post // Photos via Khanh Hmoong  and Matthew Kenwrick ]

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