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Vietnam Cuisine Healthy Vietnamese Cuisine Cooking Techniques Typical Vietnamese Family Meals Vietnamese Feast Phylosophical Influences on Vietnamese Cuisines Vietnamese cuisine is a style of cooking derived from Vietnam with fish sauce, soy sauce, rice, fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables all commonly used. Vietnamese recipes utilize a diverse range of herbs, including lemongrass, mint, Vietnamese mint, long coriander and Thai basil leaves. Traditional Vietnamese cooking is greatly admired for freshness of the ingredients and for the healthy eating style.
Hu tieu kho, braised rice noodle dish
Vietnamese Cuisine with Regional variationsCommon fundamental featuresThe mainstream culinary traditions in all three regions of Vietnam share some fundamental features:
Regional variationsWhile sharing some key features, Vietnamese culinary tradition differs from region to region. Northern Vietnam: In Northern Vietnam, colder climate limits the production and availability of spices. As a result, the foods here are often less spicy than those in other regions. Black pepper is used in place of chiles as the most popular ingredient to produce spice flavor. In general, Northern Vietnamese cuisine is not bold in any particular flavor - sweet, salty, spicy, bitter, or sour. Most Northern Vietnamese foods feature light and balanced flavors that result from subtle combinations of many different flavoring ingredients. The use of meats such as pork, beef, and chicken were relatively limited in the past. Freshwater fish, crustaceans, and mollusks - such as prawns, shrimps, crabs, oysters, mussels - are widely used. Many notable dishes of Northern Vietnam are crab-centered (E.g. bún riêu). Fish sauce, soy sauce, prawn sauce, and lime are among the main flavoring ingredients. Being the cradle of Vietnamese civilization, Northern Vietnam produces many signature dishes of Vietnam, such as phở, bún riêu, bánh cuốn, which were carried to Central and Southern Vietnam through the road of Vietnamese migration. Central Vietnam: The abundance of spices produced by Central Vietnam's mountainous terrain makes this region's cuisine notable for its spicy food, which sets it apart from the two other regions of Vietnam where foods are mostly non-spicy. Once the capital of the last dynasty of Vietnam, Hue's culinary tradition features highly decorative and colorful food, reflecting the influence of ancient Vietnamese royal cuisine. The region's cuisine is also notable for its sophisticated meals constituted by many complex dishes served at small portions. Chilli peppers and shrimp sauces are among the frequently used ingredients. Some Vietnamese signature dishes produced at this region are bún bò Huế and bánh xèo. Southern Vietnam: The warm weather and fertile soil of Southern Vietnam create an ideal condition for growing a wide variety of fruits, veggies, and livestocks. As a result, foods in Southern Vietnam are often vibrant and flavorful with liberal uses of garlic, shallots, and fresh herbs. Sugar are added more to the foods here compared to other regions. The preference for sweetness in Southern Vietnam can also be seen through the widespread use of coconut milk in Southern Vietnamese cuisine. Vast shorelines make seafood a natural staple for people in this region. Southern Vietnam has also been the region where influences from foreign cuisines (Chinese, Indian, French, Thai etc.) are most prominent. External influencesAs distinct as Vietnamese cuisine is, it has been influenced by several sources. Once a province of China for over a thousand years, Vietnam shares many of its characteristics with China. In culinary traditions, Chinese introduced to Vietnam many dishes like hoành thánh (wonton), há cảo (dumpling), hủ tiếu (ka tieu), mì (wheat noodles), bò bía (Popiah), bánh quẩy (youtiao), bánh bao (baozi), cơm chiên Dương Châu (Yangzhou fried rice), mì xào (chow mein)...Vietnamese adopted these foods and added their own styles and flavors to the foods. Ethnic minorities in the mountainous region near China-Vietnam border also adopted some foods from China. Ethnic Tày and Nùng in Lạng Sơn province adopted "thịt lợn quay" (roasted pork) and "khau nhục" (braised pork belly) from Chizna. The French introduced to Vietnam baguettes, which were then combined with Vietnamese stuffing to become a popular fast food in Vietnam called bánh mì and known overseas as "Vietnamese sandwich". The French also brought to Southern Vietnam shallots, potatoes, tarragon, and asparagus. Shallots are called "hẹ tây" (literally "Western chives") and potatoes are called "khoai tây" (literally "Western taro") in Vietnamese, which reflect their origin before arriving to Vietnam. From India, Vietnamese adopted cà ri (curry). Though not common in the North, cà ri is a quite popular dish in Southern Vietnam, occasionally served by Southern Vietnamese families in some celebrations. In Vietnam, cà ri is commonly eaten with baguettes instead of with rice. Nowadays, cà ri is also used as a soup base for rice noodles. From the Khmer, Vietnamese adopted mắm bồ hóc (prahok). Mắm bồ hóc is used as a central ingredient of a Vietnamese rice noodle soup called "bún nước lèo" - a Vietnamese dish influenced by Khmer. From Thailand, Vietnamese adopted xôi xoài (mango sticky rice) and lẩu Thái (Thai hotpot) - a very popular party food in Vietnam, especially in Saigon. Some kinds of fruits also came from Thailand, for example: soursop (mãng cầu Xiêm, lit.Siam sweetsop) or sapodilla (hồng Xiêm, lit. Siam persimon). PopularityOutside of Vietnam, Vietnamese cuisine is widely available in countries with strong Vietnamese immigrant communities, such as Australia, the United States, Canada, and France. Vietnamese cuisine is also popular in Japan, Korea, Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, and Russia, and in areas with dense Asian populations. In recent years, Vietnamese cuisine has become popular in other Southeast Asian countries such as Laos, and Thailand. Dishes that have become trademarks of Vietnamese cuisine are phở,
gỏi cuốn (spring/summer rolls), bún, and bánh mì
(Vietnamese baguette). Television shows featuring Vietnamese food have increased its publicity. On The Great Food Truck Race, a vietnamese sandwich truck called Nom Nom Truck received the most money in the first five episodes. Anthony Bourdain wrote for the Financial Times in 2005, “A year from now, I plan to live here. I will move to a small fishing village in a coastal area of Vietnam near Hoi An. I have no idea what I'm going to do there, other than write about the experience. I plan only on being a visual curiosity, the lone westerner in a Vietnamese community; to rent a house, move in with few, if any, expectations and let the experience wash over me. Whatever happens, happens.” |
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