Food Culture: Vietnamese Cuisine

Vietnam is a long, narrow country in Southeast Asia, and it's cuisine is inspired by the country's geography. It has Chinese influences in the North, and Cambodian and French influences in the South. The climate also pays a role in which foods have become popular in certain regions of the country. That's why you will see a variety of dishes and ingredients in their menu. Some of the most popular cooking techniques in Vietnamese cuisine came from bordering countries, and they have embraced it fully, like the stir fry. Their dishes are flavorful, colorful, and full of life that reflects many different elements.

Words to Know:

• pho - soup
• bo - beef
• ga - chicken
• gao - uncooked rice
• com - cooked rice
• muoc mam - fish sauce
• bun - noodles
• cuon - salad or lettuce

Main Components:

• Rice
• Noodles
• Fish Sauce
• Broth
• Herbs and Vegetables
• Meats
• Seafood

Most Popular Dishes

• Pho Bo - Hanoi beef and rice noodle soup
  

• Vietnamese Summer rolls
  
• Beef Noodle Bowl
  
• Lemongrass Shrimp over Rice Vermicelli and Vegetables
  
• Cold Soba Noodles with Vietnamese Pork

What You Should Know:

• During a typical Vietnamese meal, all dishes, except individual rice bowls, are communal and shared in the middle of the table.
• The cuisine is influenced by the Asian principle of five elements: spicy, sour, bitter, salty, and sweet.
• Vietnamese cuisine is considered one of the healthiest in the world.
• They use minimum oil and use very fresh ingredients at every meal.
• The mint leaf is used in almost every dish to cleanse your palate.
• Vietnam rice production ranks second in the world behind Thailand.
• Vietnam has nearly 100 kinds of sweet soups, and 200 kinds of cake, called Banh, except they are made from rice and wheat flour.