What to eat Vietnam? culinary specialties and gastronomy

Due to the presence of its large Chinese neighbour for several centuries, Vietnamese cuisine takes up many concepts from the Middle Kingdom. The principle of yin and yang(Âm dương in Vietnamese) is applied to the composition of a meal in order to provide a beneficial balance for the body. Although contrasts in texture and flavour are important, the principle is mainly concerned with the "heating" and "cooling" properties of the ingredients. Some dishes are served in their respective seasons to provide temperature and spice contrasts. Duck meat, which is considered "fresh", is served in the summer season with a ginger fish sauce, which is "hot". Conversely, "hot" chicken and pork are eaten in winter. Seafood is a "cold" food and therefore suitable for "hot" ginger. Hot" spices are generally balanced with acidity, which is considered "cold". These concepts are found in Chinese medicine and have made their way to Vietnam.
Another Chinese influence is the use of chopsticks(dua) to eat, which is not the case in the rest of Southeast Asia where eating is more commonly done with spoons or hands. These are generally made of bamboo or, for the most precious, of ivory or black wood(go mun), set in silver. Nowadays, the plastic version tends to impose itself. In restaurants, western cutlery is often presented in addition to chopsticks. Indeed, the European influence was felt in the country as early as the 19th century. Vietnam became one of the constituent states of French Indochina as early as 1887, which has left its mark on Vietnamese gastronomy. One thus finds the bánhmì, based on baguette de pain, still commonly consumed in the country. Other dishes such as phở or bánh patê sô, are only the deformations of the French words "pot-au-feu" and "pâté chaud". Wine-growing was less successful because of the tropical climate, which is unsuitable for the cultivation of vines.
Stretching from north to south over some 1,650 km - with an east-west distance of barely 50 km at its narrowest point - the country has a rich and diverse cuisine. In the north of Vietnam, a colder climate limits the cultivation and availability of certain spices during the year, especially in the mountainous regions. As a result, food here is often less spicy than in other regions. Black pepper often replaces chilli pepper for spiciness, which was more generally the case in Asia before the introduction of chilli pepper from the American continent by Europeans in the 16th century. In general, North Vietnamese cuisine presents light and balanced flavours resulting from subtle combinations of many aromatic ingredients. The use of meats such as pork, beef and chicken was relatively limited in the past. Freshwater fish, crustaceans and shellfish, such as shrimp, squid, clams and mussels, are widely used. Not to mention crab, which is very popular. Fish sauce, soy sauce, shrimp sauce and limes are the main herbs. The cradle of Vietnamese civilization, northern Vietnam produces many dishes that are characteristic of Vietnam, such as bún riêu and bánh cuốn, which were transported to central and southern Vietnam by Vietnamese migration.
The abundance of spices produced in the varied terrain of central Vietnam makes the cuisine of this region remarkable for its more spicy food, which distinguishes it from the other two regions of Vietnam where the cuisine is generally not spicy. Former capital of the last dynasty of Vietnam, the culinary tradition of Huế consists of a very colourful cuisine, where the emphasis is on presentation, reflecting the influence of the ancient royal Vietnamese cuisine. The region's cuisine is distinguished by its sophisticated meals consisting of many complex dishes served in small portions. Chillies and shrimp sauce are among the most frequently used ingredients. Some emblematic dishes prepared in the centre of the country are the bún bò huế and the bánh khoái huế.
The humid tropical climate and fertile soil of the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam create ideal conditions for growing a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and raising livestock. As a result, dishes in southern Vietnam are often varied and rich in taste, characterized by a generous use of garlic, shallots and fresh herbs. Sugar is used more often than in the rest of the country creating many sweet and sour dishes. The preference for sweetness in southern Vietnam can also be seen in the widespread use of coconut milk. The bánh khọt and bún mam are among the most popular seafood dishes in Vietnam.

Vietnamese chefs have become accustomed to decorating dishes with a large number of aromatic herbs and raw vegetables in general. This is one of the great characteristics of the country's cuisine. In addition to the Thai mint, coriander and basil trio, there is the diếp cá, with an iodized taste reminiscent of fish, the ngo gai or long coriander, as well as the rau răm, both called Vietnamese mint and coriander, although it has no relation to these two aromatic herbs. The rau sống refers to a mixture of vegetables - including lettuce, onion, white radish, grated carrot, coriander, mint - that accompanies most dishes. The term dưa muối

If there is one condiment that sums up Vietnam on its own, it is certainly nước mâm. This sauce obtained by fermenting fish in salt gives a clear juice that is very fragrant and rich in taste. The one produced on the island of Phu Quoc has been the subject of a registered designation of origin in Vietnam since 2001. What is commonly found in Europe under the name " sauce for egg rolls" is called nước in Vietnam and consists of nước mâm, water, vinegar and sugar. Mắm tôm is a thick, purplish sauce made from fermented shrimp. It is often added with chilli and lemon juice before serving. Other condiments include soy sauce, tương - a fermented soy paste - or hoisin sauce

As in many Southeast Asian countries, hors d'oeuvres and main courses are usually served at the same time on the table. If there is one starter that is a must in Vietnam, it's spring rolls. However be careful, because the term is vague. To taste what is sometimes called pâté impérial in France, you have to order nem rán (sometimes called chả giò) fried and stuffed usually with pork, black mushrooms and rice vermicelli. Conversely, the nem cuốn are raw and are the equivalent of what we call spring rolls, usually filled with shrimp. Very different, the spring rolls nướng are ground pork skewers flavoured with lemongrass, coriander, chilli pepper, originating from the province of Khánh Hòa in the south of the country. The bò bía look like spring rolls, but filled with vegetables, omelette and Chinese sausage. The French-inspired bánh patê sô are meat puff pastries. The bánh khọt are small fried rice cakes topped with shrimp. Close enough, the bánh khoái huế is a rice flour pancake filled with shrimps and soy sprouts. The bánh bao, which comes from China, looks like a generous steamed bun containing minced pork, Chinese sausage and hard-boiled eggs. There are several steamed bites such as the delicate bánh cuốn, thin rice cakes filled with pork and mushrooms or the bánh bột lọc, rice ravioli that become transparent when cooked, revealing their shrimp filling. The term " bánh " includes all kinds of flour-based preparations that can be very different from each other. The one that the French know best is probably the bánh mì

Noodles and soups often form a complete meal in Vietnam and it is not uncommon for them to be eaten together. The pho (sometimes written phở) is the most illustrious. The cradle of the pho is said to be located in the city of Nam Dinh, south of the Red River Delta. Its deliciously fragrant broth is the key to this recipe. It consists of pork or beef bones, onion, garlic, pepper, star anise, ginger or cinnamon, all of which are roasted to bring out the flavours before being plunged into a large pot of water. The whole thing is served, simmered for a long time, with rice vermicelli, raw vegetables, mint, coriander and a host of other herbs, as well as raw meat often cut into slices so thin that the burning broth will cook them in a few seconds. The pho

Another colloquial term to explore: bo bun. Of course, there are many other recipes that are improperly called bo b un such as the bún bò huế, a noodle soup with spicy pork. In France, what is called bún bòn thịt nướng with its noodle and meat filling, crowned with egg rolls. Simpler, the bún bò nam bộ contains only beef strips, but no spring rolls. You can also try the tasty bún chả with rice vermicelli and pork dumplings seasoned with nuoc nam and chilli pepper. While the bún mắm, a spicy seafood soup, is very popular in the south of the country, in the north one prefers the bún riêu, a fresh water crab soup flavoured with tomato and tamarind, topped with fried tofu and soy sprouts. Finally, canh chuan

The Vietnamese particularly appreciate pork and chicken as well as beef. Among the best known dishes is thịt kho tàu or pork with caramel, usually cooked with hard-boiled eggs. The bò lúc lắc is a French-inspired dish supposed to mimic our entrecote-frites, although here the beef is sautéed with soy sauce and accompanied by vegetable sticks, in addition to fries of course. The bò kho is a beef stew sometimes containing tripe, with carrots and tomato sauce. The chả lụa is a lean pork and potato starch sausage resembling white pudding. Vietnamese black pudding - tiếtdồi (North) or dồi huyết (South) - is also very popular. The gà nướng sả (grilled chicken with lemongrass) can be found on every street corner. Finally if coconut milk is less used than in Thailand, for example, it is used in the composition of the cà ri gà

The local markets are filled with an incredible amount of fruits and vegetables that our temperate climates don't even suspect. Of course we find the classic pineapple(dứa), juicy, mango (xoài) ripened to perfection, the deliciously sweet bananas that come in several varieties such as the royal banana (chuôingu), western banana (chuôi tây), seeded banana (chuôihôt), because yes bananas have big round seeds in nature. Orange, tangerine (cam sanh), clementine (quât in the north, tac in the south) and lemon (chanh) can be enjoyed in juice while grapefruit (bưởi) in Vietnam is a huge citrus fruit as big as a melon, light green with a yellowish pulp that is both tart and sweet. The lychee(lệ chi

But there are also lesser known fruits such as the anone corossol (mang câu xiêm) with a white and creamy pulp, very sweet. Vietnam is the world's leading producer of cashew nuts. If everyone knows the nut, few have ever tasted its fruit - also called cashew apple(đào lộn lộn hột or điều)- juicy, fragrant and slightly acidic. Very appreciated in syrup, liqueur and jams. Cut into slices, the carambola(khế) reveals slices in the shape of golden stars. The durian (durion, sâu riêng, tu rên) is considered in many Asian countries as one of the most refined dishes. This brownish fruit the size of a watermelon is bristling with prickles. You can often feel it before you see it. Durian is known for the strong, heady smell of its creamy yellow pulp, which the Vietnamese love. Opinions on the Western side are more mixed. It's worth testing. The fruit of the jackfruit (mít), green and staked, is so huge that it grows directly on the trunk. Its pulpy, golden flesh is very popular in desserts and curries, where it tends to reproduce the slightly stringy texture of the meat. The longana (nhan) is the size of a large grape. Under its hard, brown skin, it hides a translucent and delicious flesh. The mangosteen(măng cụt) has a thick purple skin that hides a white, melting and sweet pulp. Finally, the rambutan (chom chom

However, even if these tropical fruits are as varied as they are succulent, one should not stop there. Among the most famous desserts is the chè. Between a pudding and a drink, it is usually made from beans and sticky rice. Many varieties of chè are available, each containing different fruits and fillings. Cheese can be served hot or cold and often with coconut milk. The chuối chiên is very common in the markets. This fried banana is often served hot with ice cream, usually vanilla or coconut ice cream. The bánh rán comes in the form of small sesame balls, fried and filled with a cream of mung beans, a relative of soy. The bánh khoai mì is a rich and dense coconut milk cassava cake. Influenced by French cuisine, the bánh flan is served with a caramel or coffee sauce. The bánh bò, a sweet and airy sponge cake, is flavoured with coconut milk, made from rice flour, while the much denser bánh da lợn

According to a study conducted in 1975 by a Soviet scientist, the oldest tea plants in the world are located on Vietnamese territory in the border region with China. But there is still uncertainty about how tea consumption came to be established in the country, probably between the 7th and 10th centuries. Tea is now grown in 30 Vietnamese provinces, mainly in the north and central highlands. Black tea is reserved for export and it is mainly green tea (che xanh

Even if we still associate Asia with tea, we will be surprised to learn that coffee has an important place in the country. Not only because Vietnam is the world's^second largest producer after Brazil, but also because the locals consume a lot of it. About 95% of the production is robusta coffee, which is better suited to the country's climate. There are some decoctions that are worth the detour, such as cà phê sữa đá, a very full-bodied black coffee with sweetened condensed milk, or more surprisingly, but deliciously rich, cà phê trứng

While it is a bit cliché to say that Asia is full of food oddities, it is true that Vietnam has a good number of specialties that appeal to the most adventurous gourmets. No judgment here, in fact many of these dishes are often delicious when you take the plunge and dare to try them, even if some remain more inaccessible to a Western audience. Markets are perfect places to discover the most surprising dishes of Vietnam. We can mention the market of Ben Thanh and Binh Tay in Ho Chi Minh City, as well as the Dong Xuan market in Hanoi or the market of Dong Ba

Fertilized eggs - containing a partially developed foetus - are highly sought-after. The rứng vịt lộn (also known as balut in the Philippines) is prepared with a fertilized duck egg that is boiled and eaten in its shell. It is usually served with fresh herbs, salt and black pepper. The trứng cút lộn - made from quail egg - is a popular snack for many Vietnamese students. As with its neighbours, insects are traditionally a delicacy of choice, especially for their high protein content and low cost. Belostoma or ca cuông is however more used as a condiment. This large cicada-sized insect has bladders containing an aromatic, pungent, fragrant substance that is used to season sauces and accompany certain dishes (grilled fish, rice cakes, etc.). But we can also mention the silkworm(nhộng) or the nereid worm (rươi), which can be eaten as an omelette(chả rươi), fermented sauce (mắmrươi), steamed (rươihấp lá sen), or sautéed with chilli and bamboo shoots(củ niễng xào rươi

North Vietnamese cuisine is also remarkable for the diversity of meats consumed, which are used in the composition of many local specialties, such as rat meat, snake meat, soft-shelled turtle meat, sparrows, and game such as deer and goat. Taboo in many western countries and in southern Vietnam, the consumption of dog and cat meat is common in the north of the country. Although this may seem shocking to us, let's not forget that the foie gras that the French delight in every Christmas is a highly controversial product in the rest of the world and is banned in nearly twenty countries.

Giblets also remain very popular. Chicken testicles and undeveloped eggs are sautéed with vegetables and served as an everyday dish. Many of the traditional dishes in the Tết festival, such as the giò thủ and the canh măng móng giò, involve the use of pig's heads, tongues, throats and feet. The main ingredient of canh bóng, a kind of soup, is pig skin. Steamed pig brains can be found almost everywhere in a Vietnamese street. Still in the north of Vietnam, one of the most destabilizing Vietnamese dishes is certainly the tiết canh