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Vietnamese Food
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The common saying in Vietnam is "ăn để sống, chứ không sống để mà ăn" (Eat to live, not live to eat); however, the Vietnameses have recognized that Eating is the most joyful thing in life. While we must eat to survive, why not try to get the most pleasure out of it. I believe that is true any where in the world. The land affects the food that we eat, and both influence our culture and our lives. All of us love to live, and live well. In this spirit, I have composed this section to celebrate the Love to Live and the Enjoyment of Food. The Vietnamese come from both remote agricultural and fast-paced urban areas of southeast Asia. Most Vietnamese practice Buddhism, but some practice Confucianism or Taoism.
Food HabitsThe basic food in Vietnam is dry, flaky rice supplemented with vegetables, eggs, and small amounts of meat and fish. Although similar to Chinese cooking, Vietnamese cooking uses little fat or oil for frying. "NuocMam" fish sauce is a principle ingredient in almost every Vietnamese dish. Vietnamese are fond of fruits - bananas, mangos, papayas, oranges, coconuts, and pineapple. They are accustomed to little milk and cheese, and many cannot produce the enzymes needed to properly digest dairy foods (lactose intolerance). They drink a large amount of hot green tea and coffee without adding sugar, milk, or lemon. The Vietnamese have three meals a day with some snacking on fruits and soups. Breakfast -(light) soup "pho," rice or rice noodles; thin slices of beef, chicken, or pork; bean sprouts; greens; green tea or green coffee; boiled eggs; and crusty bread Lunch and Dinner -(both similar in food content, with smaller portions for dinner)-rice, fish, or meat; vegetable dish with NuocMam or fish sauce; tea or coffee Snacks-fruits, clear soup Eating Practices, Food Preferences and Food Preparation TechniquesIn home country, Vietnamese either grow food or purchase it daily, there are few refrigerators. In US, home and community gardening is a source of native vegetables. Soybeans, mung beans, and peanuts are used extensively. New, inexpensive legumes should be introduced. Chopsticks and small bowls are used for eating. Bowls are brought to the mouth to eat. Vietnamese eat a wide variety of vegetables. Fruit is served as a dessert and snack. Education ImplicationsEducation is extremely important to the Vietnamese. The learning system emphasizes memorization and repetition, not critical study. Vietnamese show great respect to elders, superiors, and strangers. Vietnamese clasp both hands against the chests to welcome. Shaking hands is seldom done; a smile and nod would suffice. Beckoning with a finger is a sign of contempt used toward an animal or inferior. Vietnamese people tend to be excessively polite and delicate. Because frankness and outspokenness are usually considered rude, true feelings are often veiled. Vietnamese people may just smile and nod when they do not understand you. Keep in mind that this means, "Yes, I hear you," or, "Yes, I see what you mean even though I don't truly understand it!" Vietnamese are typically friendly and giving people. Hospitality and food are related. A Vietnamese person might not ask, "How are you?" but "Have you eaten yet?" They love to give gifts, but it is considered rude to open them in front of people. Customs and Family TraditionsThe Vietnamese family structure is paternal spanning three generations and is the chief source of social identity. The three generations live together in a single family house, the father upholding traditions and setting moral standards. Vietnamese names are written in reverse order of American names: family - middle - personal. Nguyen Van Hai would be called Mr. Hai. Some have reversed name order to comply with American customs. The calendar followed is a lunar one with Tet - or the Lunar New Year, which usually occurs in February - being the most important holiday and feast. Tet is considered everyone's birthday, and individual birthdays are not celebrated. Pregnant women do not increase their caloric intake. Milk consumption is low or nonexistent during pregnancy and lactation. Infants are breastfed to about one year. Rice gruel (rice flour and water) is the only food introduced in the first year, sometimes as early as one month. Cultural Diversity: Eating in AmericaEven though Vietnamese immigrants range from farmers to urban dwellers, the move to the United States is one of enormous cultural change. The Vietnamese are a people of tradition yet are open to try new "American" ways. Unfamiliar with most of American grocery items, Vietnamese not only need to learn words and techniques for cooking, but need a total introduction to American food culture. Cultural diversity is a major issue in American eating. To fully understand the impact cultures play in American nutrition, one must study both food and culture. About Vietnamese societyThe PeopleLife in Vietnam centers around the family and the village. Perhaps the best-known saying of the Vietnamese is that "the rule of the emperor stops at the village gates." (Luật Vua thua Lệ Làng) Houses are made from the graceful bamboo groves that surround the village and give shade during the hot siesta time. Thatch and palm leaves for the roof and walls come from the nearby marsh. Food is grown in the fields surrounding the village or caught in the nearby rivers and canals. Only a few necessities like salt and cotton cloth come from outside the village. Year after year, life follows the rhythms of the seasons of planting and harvesting. The ancestors, the source of one's life, had planted and reaped on this land. Their grains stand in the rice fields and their spirits continue to watch over the family. Individual death does not mark an end. Here past and present merge; between the people and the land, the living and their ancestors, exists a natural harmony. Traditionally, few Vietnamese traveled far beyond their own village. And few "outsiders" came into the village. The ones who did were usually tax collectors or traders-to exploit the villagers, as they learned from bitter experience. Life in the village revolves around the growing of rice. Each family member' s role is clearly defined. The young men plow the fields at the beginning of the rainy season and young women plant the young rice shoots that have sprouted in the tiny seedbeds. As they plant, the women sing centuries-old rice-planting songs. (When labor was short during the war in the north, a slightly more efficient method of planting was developed-so new songs with a faster rhythm had to be written.) The children care for the buffalo and make sure they don't eat the rice plants. And often the children are sent to the irrigation ditches to catch a few fish for dinner. The grandparents take care of the babies. In the evening, the family gathers to preserve food and listen to the grandparents tell stories of when they were children. At harvest time, the whole family goes to the field. The yellow stalks of rice are cut with sickles and tied into bundles. Then the bundles are brought to a hard threshing floor and beaten to knock the grain off the stalks and the grain is carefully stored in large earthenware jugs to be eaten after the hulls have been milled off at the rice mill. Each village, enclosed behind its tall bamboo hedge, is a separate entity, with its own population, customs, even its own deity enshrined in the communal house. One's place and duties are exactly defined, even in the language. People do not address strangers with the same words they would use for a close friend, or a grandparent with the same terms as a brother or sister. Views of LifeBecause of the tremendous value put on family and village ties, traditionally few people left their villages. This meant losing touch with one's family, one's past and one's ancestors. The family is the basic unit of society and everything a Vietnamese person does is seen in light of how it affects their family. Harmony in all relationships is highly valued. Education and wisdom are more important than physical prowess or bravery. The following chart gives some examples of how most Vietnamese view life
Veneration of the Ancestors
There is complete respect, indeed veneration, for grandparents. No one would question the wisdom of grandparents or their right to make family decisions. When they die, the grandparents are buried near the family home. Vietnamese believe it is important to be close to the graves of their ancestors so they can tend the graves and offer prayers, food and flowers so their dead relatives can rest in peace. People who die far from home without a family to tend their graves are viewed with great pity. They become unfortunate "wandering souls." Everyone in Vietnam, whether Catholic, Buddhist, Protestant, Cao Dai or Hoa Hao, worships their ancestors. Every home has an altar where incense is burned and offerings of food and flowers are placed beside the photographs or name-stories of deceased grandparents. The majority of Vietnamese have traditionally been Buddhist (in socialist Vietnam, religion is now de-emphasized). About 10 percent of the people are Catholic (during the war, religion became a major issue since the small Catholic minority almost completely controlled the Saigon government). Two other religions which are found only in Vietnam are important off-shoots of Buddhism. These are the Cao Dai who worship not only Buddha, but also Confucius, Jesus and even Victor Hugo (because of his compassion for the unfortunate) and the Hoa Hao, a Buddhist sect which is found in the far south of Vietnam. Worship of ancestors is perhaps the oldest of religions. Closely related is Confucianism, which stresses obedience to parents. Confucius taught that one should be loyal to the king, to one's parents, to one's spouse, and righteous toward all. No one in a Vietnamese family would dare to offend or provoke the ancestors. In traditional Vietnam, the ancestors' tombs are cared for by the descendants who try by all means to remain in their native villages generation after generation. In their homes, the ancestors' altars occupy the place of honor. Weddings and New Year's celebrations are performed in front of the altar. Because the ancestors are ever-present among the descendants, they are consulted on any major matter by prayer and they give advice via dreams.
Vietnam (Vietnamese: Việt Nam) is the easternmost nation on the Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, and Cambodia to the southwest. On the country's east coast lies the South China Sea. With a population of over 85 million, Vietnam is the 13th most populous country in the world. The country is listed among the "Next Eleven" economies; according to government figures GDP, growth was 8.17% in 2006, the second fastest growth rate among countries in East Asia and the fastest in Southeast Asia. Pre-Dynastic eraThe area now known as Vietnam has been inhabited since Paleolithic times, and some archaeological sites in Thanh Hoa Province reportedly date back several thousand years. Archaeologists link the beginnings of Vietnamese civilization to the late Neolithic, early Bronze Age, Phung-nguyen culture, which was centered in Vinh Phu Province of contemporary Vietnam from about 2000 to 1400 BCE. By about 1200 BCE, the development of wet-rice cultivation and bronze casting in the Ma River and Red River plains led to the development of the Dong Son culture, notable for its elaborate bronze drums. The legendary Hồng Bàng Dynasty of the Hùng kings is considered by many Vietnamese as the first Vietnamese state, known as Văn Lang. In 257 BCE, Thục Phán defeated the last Hùng king and consolidated the Lạc Việt tribes with his Âu Việt tribes, forming Âu Lạc and proclaiming himself An Dương Vương. In 207 BCE, a Chinese general named Zhao Tuo defeated An Dương Vương and consolidated Âu Lạc into Nanyue. In 111 BCE, the Chinese Han Dynasty consolidated Nanyue into their empire. Dynastic eraIn 938 CE, a Vietnamese lord named Ngô Quyền defeated Chinese forces at the Bạch Đằng River and gained independence after 10 centuries under Chinese control. Renamed as Đại Việt, the nation went through a golden era during the Lý and Trần Dynasties. During the rule of the Trần Dynasty, Đại Việt repelled three Mongol invasions of Vietnam. Following the brief Hồ Dynasty, Vietnamese independence was briefly interrupted by the Chinese Ming Dynasty, but was restored by Lê Lợi, the founder of the Lê Dynasty. Feudalism in Vietnam reached its zenith in the Lê Dynasty of the 15th century, especially during the reign of Emperor Lê Thánh Tông. Between the 11th and 18th centuries, the Vietnamese expanded southward in a process known as nam tiến (southward expansion). They eventually conquered the kingdom of Champa and part of the Khmer Empire. Towards the end of the Lê Dynasty, civil strife engulfed much of Vietnam. First, the Chinese-supported Mạc Dynasty challenged the Lê Dynasty's power. After the Mạc Dynasty was defeated, the Lê Dynasty was reinstalled, but with no actual power. Power was divided between the Trịnh Lords in the North and the Nguyễn Lords in the South, who engaged in a civil war for more than a hundred years. The civil war ended when the Tây Sơn brothers defeated both and established their new dynasty. However, their rule did not last long and they were defeated by the remnants of the Nguyễn Lords with the help of the French, who established the Nguyễn Dynasty. French Colonial eraVietnam's independence ended in the mid-1800s, when the country was colonized by the French Empire. The French administration imposed significant political and cultural changes on Vietnamese society. A Western-style system of modern education was developed, and Christianity was introduced into Vietnamese society. Developing a plantation economy to promote the exports of tobacco, indigo, tea and coffee, the French largely ignored increasing calls for self-government and civil rights. A nationalist political movement soon emerged, with leaders such as Phan Boi Chau, Phan Chu Trinh, Emperor Ham Nghi and Ho Chi Minh calling for independence. However, the French maintained dominant control of their colonies until World War II, when the Japanese war in the Pacific triggered the invasion of French Indochina in 1941. This event was preceded by the establishment of the Vichy French administration, a puppet state of Nazi Germany then ally of the Japanese Empire. The natural resources of Vietnam were exploited for the purposes of the Japanese Empire's military campaigns into the British Indochinese colonies of Burma, the Malay Peninsula and India. Geography and climateVietnam extends approximately 331,688 km² (128,066 sq mi) in area. The area of the country running along its international boundaries is 4,639 km (2,883 mi). The topography consists of hills and densely forested mountains, with level land covering no more than 20%. Mountains account for 40% of the area, with smaller hills accounting for 40% and tropical forests 42%. The northern part of the country consists mostly of highlands and the Red River Delta. Phan Xi Păng, located in Lào Cai province, is the highest mountain in Vietnam at 3,143 m (10,312 ft). The south is divided into coastal lowlands, Annamite Chain peaks, extensive forests, and poor soil. Comprising five relatively flat plateaus of basalt soil, the highlands account for 16% of the country's arable land and 22% of its total forested land. The delta of the Red River (also known as the Sông Hồng), a flat, triangular region of 3,000 square kilometers, is smaller but more intensely developed and more densely populated than the Mekong River Delta. Once an inlet of the Gulf of Tonkin, it has been filled in by the enormous alluvial deposits of the rivers over a period of millennia, and it advances one hundred meters into the Gulf annually. The Mekong delta, covering about 40,000 square kilometers, is a low-level plain not more than three meters above sea level at any point and criss-crossed by a maze of canals and rivers. So much sediment is carried by the Mekong's various branches and tributaries that the delta advances sixty to eighty meters into the sea every year. Vietnam has a tropical monsoon climate, with humidity averaging 84% throughout the year. However, because of differences in latitude and the marked variety of topographical relief, the climate tends to vary considerably from place to place. During the winter or dry season, extending roughly from November to April, the monsoon winds usually blow from the northeast along the China coast and across the Gulf of Tonkin, picking up considerable moisture; consequently the winter season in most parts of the country is dry only by comparison with the rainy or summer season. The average annual temperature is generally higher in the plains than in the mountains and plateaus. LanguagesAccording to official figures, 86.2% of the population speak Vietnamese as a native language. In its early history, Vietnamese writing used Chinese characters. In the 13th century, the Vietnamese developed their own set of characters called Chữ nôm. The celebrated epic Đoạn trường tân thanh (Truyện Kiều or The Tale of Kieu) by Nguyễn Du was written in Chữ nôm. During the French colonial period, Quốc ngữ, the romanized Vietnamese alphabet used for spoken Vietnamese, which was developed in 17th century by Jesuit Alexandre De Rhodes and several other catholic missionaries, became popular and brought literacy to the masses. CultureOver thousands of years, the culture of Vietnam has been strongly influenced by neighboring China. Due to Vietnam's long association with China, Vietnamese culture remains strongly Confucian with its emphasis on filial duty. Education and self-betterment are highly valued. Historically, passing the imperial Mandarin exams was the only means for Vietnamese people to socially advance themselves. In the socialist era, the cultural life of Vietnam has been deeply influenced by government-controlled media and the cultural influences of socialist programs. For many decades, foreign cultural influences were shunned and emphasis placed on appreciating and sharing the culture of communist nations such as the Soviet Union, China, Cuba and others. Since the 1990s, Vietnam has seen a greater exposure to Southeast Asian, European and American culture and media. One of the most popular Vietnamese traditional garments is the "Áo Dài", worn often for special occasions such as weddings or festivals. White Áo dài is the required uniform for girls in many high schools across Vietnam. Áo Dài was once worn by both genders but today it is worn mainly by females, except for certain important traditional culture-related occasions where some men do wear it. Vietnamese cuisine uses very little oil and many vegetables. The main dishes are often based on rice, soy sauce, and fish sauce. Its characteristic flavors are sweet (sugar), spicy (serrano peppers), sour (lime), umami (fish sauce), and flavored by a variety of mint and basil. Vietnamese music, is slightly different according to three regions: Bắc or North, Trung or Central, and Nam or South. Northern classical music is Vietnam's oldest and is traditionally more formal. Vietnamese classical music can be traced to the Mongol invasions, when the Vietnamese captured a Chinese opera troupe. Central classical music shows the influences of Champa culture with its melancholic melodies. Southern music exudes a lively laissez-faire attitude. See also Vietnamese art, theatre, dance, and literature Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Vietnam. Sports and games such as badminton, tennis, ping pong, and chess are also popular with large segments of the population. Volleyball, especially women volleyball, is watched by a fairly large number of Vietnamese. The (expatriate Vietnamese) community forms a prominent part of Vietnamese cultural life, introducing Western sports, films, music and other cultural activities in the nation. Vietnam is home to a small film industry, but the works from its counterparts in South Korea, Hong Kong, France, the U.S. enjoy greater popularity and circulation. Among countless other traditional Vietnamese occasions, the traditional Vietnamese wedding is one of the most important. Regardless of westernization, many of the age-old customs in a Vietnamese wedding continue to be celebrated by both Vietnamese in Vietnam and overseas, often combining both western and eastern elements. CuisineVietnamese cuisine is extremely diverse, often divided into three main categories, each pertaining to Vietnam's three main regions (north, central and south). It is mainly based on rice, soy sauce, and fish sauce. Its characteristic flavor is sweet (sugar), spicy (Serrano peppers), and flavored by a variety of mints. Vietnam also has a large variety of noodles and noodle soups. Different regions invented different types of noodles, varying in shapes, tastes, colours, etc. One of the nation's most famous type of noodles is phở (pronounced phuh), which consists of rice noodles and beef soup (sometimes chicken soup). This cuisine originated from North Vietnam, and has reached a level of worldwide popularity. Currently, Vietnamese cuisine has been gaining popularity and can be found widely in many other countries such as the United States, Australia, Canada, South Korea, Laos, so on so forth. The three regionsVietnamese cuisine can be basically divided into three categories, each pertaining to a specific region. With North Vietnam being the cradle of Vietnamese civilization, many of Vietnam's most famous dishes (such as phở) have their birthplace in the North. The North's cuisine is more traditional and more strict in choosing spiciness and ingredients. The South's cuisine has been influenced by the cuisines of southern Chinese immigrants, and thus Southerners prefer sweet flavors in many dishes. As a new land the South's cuisine is more exotic and liberal, using many herbs. Central Vietnamese cooking, is quite different from the cuisines of both the Northern and Southern regions, in its use of many small side dishes, and also its distinct spiciness when compared to its counterparts. Món nhậu or cocktail delicaciesMeats such as snake, soft-shell turtle, and goat are enjoyed almost exclusively as "cocktail delicacies" with alcohol, and are not considered typical everyday fare. However, dog meat consumption is more widespread in the North, where it is considered a borderline mainstream meat, although not eaten nearly as often as pork or fish.[1] While it can be found, dog meat is harder to find in the larger cities, and tourists may not always see it. Hột vịt lộn is a fertilized duck egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell. It's typically served with fresh herbs (rau ram or Vietnamese coriander), salt, and pepper; lemon juice is another popular additive, when available. The typical Vietnamese family mealA typical meal for the average Vietnamese family would include:
Each person has a personal bowl and set of chopsticks; typically, the meal is eaten sitting on the floor, usually on a mat that is rolled out to create the dining area. Clothing
In feudal Vietnam, clothing was one of the most important marks of social status and strict dress codes were enforced. Commoners had a limited choice of similarly plain and simple clothes for every day use, as well as being limited in the colors they were allowed to use. For a period, commoners were not allowed to wear clothes with dyes other than black, brown or white (with the exception of special occasions such as festivals), but in actuality these rules could change often based upon the whims of the current ruler. The Áo tứ thân or "4-part dress" is one such example of an ancient dress widely worn by commoner women, along with the Áo yếm bodice which accompanied it. Peasants across the country also gradually came to wear silk pajama-like costumes, known as "Áo cánh" in the north and Áo bà ba in the south. The headgear of peasants often included a plain piece of cloth wrapped around the head (generally called Khăn đống), or the stereotypical Nón lá (conical hat). For footwear peasants would often go barefoot whereas sandals and shoes were reserved for the aristocracy and royalty. Monarchs had the exclusive right to wear the color gold, while nobles wore red or purple. Each member of the royal court had an assortment of different formal gowns they would wear at a particular ceremony, or for a particular occasion. The rules governing the fashion of the royal court could change dynasty by dynasty, thus Costumes of the Vietnamese court were quite diverse. The most popular and widely-recognized Vietnamese national costume is the Áo dài, which is worn nowadays mostly by women, although men do wear Áo dài on special occasions such as weddings and funerals. Áo dài is similar to the Chinese Qipao, consisting of a long gown with a slit on both sides, worn over silk pants. It is elegant in style and comfortable to wear, and likely derived in the 18th century or in the royal court of Huế. Áo dài is made compulsory in many senior high schools in Vietnam, and some colleges. Some female office workers (e.g. receptionists, secretaries, tour guides) are also required to wear Áo dài. In daily life, the traditional Vietnamese styles are now replaced by Western styles. Traditional clothing is worn instead on special occasions, with the exception of the white Áo dài commonly seen with high school girls in Vietnam. Traditional Vietnamese ArtTraditional Vietnamese art is art practiced in Vietnam or by Vietnamese artists, from ancient times (including the elaborate Dong Son drums) to post-Chinese domination art which was strongly influenced by Chinese Buddhist art, among other philosophies such as Taoism and Confucianism. The art of Champa and France also played a smaller role later on. The Chinese influence on Vietnamese art extends into Vietnamese pottery and ceramics, calligraphy, and traditional architecture. Currently, Vietnamese lacquer paintings have proven to be quite popular. Vietnamese calligraphyCalligraphy has had a long history in Vietnam, previously using Chinese characters along with Chu Nom. However, most modern Vietnamese calligraphy instead uses the Roman-character based Quoc Ngu, which has proven to be very popular. In the past, with literacy in the old character-based writing systems of Vietnam being restricted to scholars and elites, calligraphy nevertheless still played an important part in Vietnamese life. On special occasions such as the Lunar New Year, people would go to the village teacher or scholar to make them a calligraphy hanging (often poetry, folk sayings or even single words). People who could not read or write also often commissioned scholars to write prayers which they would burn at temple shrines. See also Vietnamese literature Traditional Performing ArtsMusic
Traditional Vietnamese music and theatre is extremely diverse, consisting of many different styles varying from region to region. Some of the most widely known genres include:
Theatre
DanceVietnam has 54 different ethnics, each with their own traditional dance. Among the ethnic Vietnamese majority, there are several traditional dances performed widely at festivals and other special occasions, such as the lion dance. In the imperial court there also developed throughout the centuries a series of complex court dances which require great skill. Some of the more widely known are the imperial lantern dance, fan dance, and platter dance, among others. Holidays or other Important DaysVietnam celebrates many holidays, including traditional holidays which have been celebrated in Vietnam for thousands of years, along with modern holidays imported predominantly from western countries. Among the traditional holidays, the two most important and widely celebrated are the Lunar new year (Tết), followed by the Mid-autumn lantern festival (Tết Trung Thu), although the latter has been losing ground in recent years.
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