Overview
- What is special about Vietnamese Cuisine?
- Street food of Vietnam
- The most popular dishes in Vietnamese Cuisine
- Vietnamese markets
- Popular Vietnamese Beverages
- A Vietnamese Cuisine cooking class
- Bonus Vietnamese Recipe - Make authentic Pho at home
What is special about Vietnamese Cuisine?
The French influence on Vietnamese cuisine is a fascinating aspect of the country's culinary heritage, stemming from the period of French colonisation in Vietnam. Lasting from the late 1800s to 1954, Vietnam was part of a French colony called French Indochina. This culinary fusion has given rise to a unique blend of flavours, techniques, and dishes that distinguish Vietnamese cuisine on the global culinary map.
Banh mi's French origins are obvious, considering that its foundation is the French baguette. Pho, on the other hand, is a fusion of Vietnamese and French, with rice noodles native to Vietnam and meat broth inspired by similar broths in France.
Vietnamese delicacies are based on fresh ingredients, minimal cooking, lots of leafy greens and fish, very limited amounts of animal protein and fat, and moderate use of sugar. Dishes combine all five taste elements of sweet, salty, bitter, sour and spicy to create a balanced, aromatic and subtle dish which, while remaining spicy, isn't usually overly hot which makes it a favoured cuisine worldwide.
Street food of Vietnam
Vietnam is one of the best places in the world to eat street food. It can be such a fun experience but take care with seafood, undercooked meat, ready-peeled fruit and raw salads. Choose stalls that are busy as the turnover of food is generally higher.
Dennis enjoying Pho by Julie Moran
The most popular dishes in Vietnamese Cuisine
An Asian flavour experience you will not want to miss, here are the top Vietnamese dishes to try locally.
Pho: A bowl of comfort
Pho is a delicious and guilt-free dish to indulge in. When ordering this dish it is pronounced closer to ‘fahr’ but ‘fur’ is acceptable too. This simple broth is served with beef (or less traditionally chicken), noodles and herbs. Season to taste with lime juice and chilli, and enjoy!
Banh Mi: The perfect fusion
Banh mi is a Vietnamese sandwich but where a normal sandwich conjures up a paltry cheese and tomato offering in many minds, the Vietnamese variety is a combination of French and Vietnamese traditions. The result is one of the tastiest lunchtime meals. Banh is the Vietnamese word for bread, and here a bread roll more akin to a French baguette is used.
Hoi An street vendors by Dennis Bunnik
The baguette is spread with pâté and Vietnamese mayonnaise before the other fillings are added. Traditionally these fillings would include Vietnamese cold meat, carrot, cucumber and coriander but these days chicken, roast pork and tofu are often used.
Fresh fruit: Tropical paradise
Vendors carry baskets of fresh fruit including bananas, mangoes and rambutan around the city streets.
Cha Ca by Annelieke Huijgens
Cha Ca: A seafood speciality
A specialty in Hanoi is Cha ca. Many of our travellers would argue that no trip to Hanoi is complete without a taste. These bite-sized pieces of turmeric-coated fish are grilled at your table and served with rice noodles and various spices.Cao Lầu: Unique to Vietnam
This dish can only be found in Hoi An in central Vietnam due to the unique noodle-making methods used. The rice in the noodles is ground with ash sourced from firewood in the Cham Islands and water. The noodles are cut and then cooked three times using water from the wells around Hoi An. The result is a delicious noodle dish that comes loaded with pork crackling.
Bún Chả: Grilled goodness
Bún chả is a classic Vietnamese dish featuring grilled pork patties served with vermicelli noodles, herbs, and a sweet and tangy dipping sauce. The smoky aroma of the grilled meat combined with the freshness of herbs creates a harmonious and delightful dining experience.
Vietnamese Markets
The local markets in Vietnam are awash with colour and scents – some good, some not so good. Stalls of fruit, greens and herbs sit alongside stalls with meat and fish. Thai basil, mint, coriander, cassia and cinnamon are all used without restraint in Vietnamese cuisine.
Cai Rang Floating Market, Mekong Delta by Dennis Bunnik
One of the more unique market experiences is a visit to the Mekong Delta’s floating Cai Rang market, a beautiful place to visit in the region.
A morning spent floating on this waterway will see you witnessing the liveliest market on the delta where the traders negotiate from their boats.
Local Markets by Dennis Bunnik
Popular Vietnamese Beverages
Ca Phe: Vietnamese coffee culture
Some of the tastiest coffee (albeit sweetest) can be found in Vietnam. Cà phê sữa đá is an iced coffee where the coffee is brewed in a French drip filter into a cup containing sweetened condensed milk. It is then stirred and poured over ice. It’s strong but sweet and a refreshing caffeine fix in a tropical climate.
Nước mía: Sugarcane juice
Another drink to try is Nước mía, a sugarcane juice. The sugarcane is pressed through a cane juicer, often accompanied with orange or kumquat to balance the sweetness.
Vietnamese Iced Coffee by Victoria Hearn
Rice wine by Dennis Bunnik
Ruou can: rice wine of Vietnam
For those wishing to sample the local tipple, Ruou can is a Vietnamese rice wine. Traditionally drunk from a communal ceramic jar through long bamboo straws, it is sweet and potent at 40% alcohol.
A Vietnamese cuisine cooking class
Cooking class by Dennis Bunnik
For a truly authentic food experience nothing beats learning from the locals. In a small open kitchen, you can immerse yourself in the aromas and expand your knowledge of Vietnamese cuisine.
On our Discover Vietnam & Cambodia tours we visit a colourful local market before taking a short cruise along the Hoi An River to the secluded Red Bridge Cooking School for an aromatic and informative cooking class.
Explore the cooking school's herb garden, before learning about and preparing some of Hoi An's and Vietnam's well-known dishes including rice paper rolls, crispy Hoi An pancakes, seafood salad and Quang Nam-style noodles. Learn how to make the perfect rice paper roll and how to balance the saltiness, sweetness and sourness of your dipping sauces.
Bonus Vietnamese Recipe - Make authentic Pho at home
Making Pho is relatively simple yet yields a delicious result. The best flavour will come if you make your own stock but if time is short you can use beef stock bought from the supermarket.
Ingredients:
4L (6 cups) Beef Stock
4 thick slices ginger
2 onions, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, sliced
5 star anise
4 cinnamon quills, lightly bruised or 8cm piece of cassia bark
2 tablespoons caster sugar or 1 tablespoon palm sugar
1/3 cup (80ml) fish sauce
700g dried or fresh pho (rice stick) noodles
400g beef eye fillet or sirloin, very thinly sliced
Garnishes:
Lime wedges
Sliced chillies
Coriander
Thai basil or Vietnamese mint sprigs
Bean sprouts
Method:
To prepare the stock, sear the onions and ginger over a naked flame or under a grill for about 15 minutes. Remove any charred skin and set aside.
Place the beef stock in a large saucepan with the ginger, onion, garlic, star anise, cinnamon, sugar and fish sauce. Bring to a vigorous boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain, removing the solids, then return soup to the saucepan. Cover and bring back to boiling point.
Thinly slice the beef eye fillet or sirloin. If using dried noodles, soak in hot water for 20 minutes, until soft. If using fresh noodles, briefly heat them in boiling water. Place the noodles in the base of deep serving bowls and add the raw beef on top. Season with pepper and then ladle the hot stock over the top. The stock will cook the thinly sliced meat.
To eat, add lime juice and chilli to taste and then the beansprouts and fresh herbs.
Visit Vietnam with Bunnik Tours
Vietnamese cuisine is a treasure trove of flavours, combining tradition and innovation to create unique dishes. Whether you're savouring a steaming bowl of pho or indulging in the crispy goodness of banh mi, Vietnamese cooking will leave a lasting impression on your palate.
See more highlights from our Discover Vietnam and Discover Vietnam & Cambodia small group tours and experience the authentic flavours of this vibrant region!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most popular Vietnamese food?
Pho is considered the most famous Vietnamese dish, especially to foreigners. Other popular dishes are; Bun cha (Vietnamese grilled pork noodles), Xoi (Sticky rice) - A popular Vietnamese dish for breakfast, Goi cuon (Fresh spring rolls) and bun bo Nam Bo (Southern Vietnamese beef noodle soup).
What is in Vietnamese cuisine?
A typical meal for a Vietnamese family would include Cơm trắng which is white rice. Món mặn or main dishes to eat with rice, such as fish/seafood, meat, and tofu (grilled, boiled, steamed, stewed or stir-fried with vegetables) and rau which is sauteed, boiled or raw fresh green vegetables.
How spicy is Vietnamese food?
Vietnamese food isn't traditionally as spicy as Korean, Thai or Indian food, but chillies - particularly bird's eye chillies - are still a must-have in any Vietnamese kitchen. Chopped fresh chillies are often served on the side as an optional condiment for those who like extra spice. Vietnamese foods that are spicy are usually a hot curry, beef noodles, or a Thai-style sour and sweet hot pot.
However, balance in taste is a high priority in Vietnamese cuisine and therefore, creating a spicy dish somewhat goes against this philosophy.
