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Rice and vegetables are part of every meal. Rice is Vietnam’s most important crop. Rice, in different forms, is a part of almost every meal.
For each meal, a family gathers around a low table or, in the country, around a straw mat. Rice is served in individual bowls, but vegetables and meat are served in communal dishes. People use their own chopsticks to serve themselves.
Fish sauce is part of most meals. It is made from salted anchovies, which are fermented in a vat for months. Nuoc cham is a diluted form of the sauce. Many foods are dipped in nuoc cham. It is made with equal parts of fish sauce and water. Vinegar, garlic, sugar, and chili are added for extra flavor.
When you eat Vietnamese spring rolls, it is not impolite to use your fingers - in fact, it is necessary. Spring rolls are made of seafood, meat, vegetables, and egg, wrapped in noodle dough and fried to a crispy brown. This tasty treat can be eaten as an appetizer or a snack.
Pho is a noodle soup that is enjoyed at any time of the day, but most people eat it for breakfast. If you want to try this tasty soup, you might want to wait until lunch.
-Ingredients: 100g (4 ounces) of vermicelli or rice noodles
85g (3ounces) of beef (sliced thin)
750g (3 cups) beef broth
2 medium onions (diced)
30 ml (2 tablespoons) fish sauce
8 ml (1/2 tablespoon) vinegar
15 ml (tablespoon) minced ginger
2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) salt
Bring broth to a boil and add onion, ginger, salt, vinegar, and fish sauce. Simmer for ten minutes. Add noodles and boil until they are soft. Add the beef, then simmer for one minute. Remove the soup from heat. Garnish with basil, chili peppers, and fresh mint for extra flavor.
Vietnamese desserts usually consist of beans, fruit, and sweet, sticky rice, wrapped up in leaves. Coconuts and bananas, which grow in the south, are used in many desserts. One popular dessert is fried bananas. Try them with ice cream or pour honey on them.
-Ingredients: 2 large, firm bananas (sliced lengthwise into 3 pieces)
65 ml (1/4 cup) milk
1 egg
15 ml (1 tablespoon) brown sugar
125 ml (1/2 cup) flour
icing sugar
vegetable or peanut oil for frying
Mix together milk, egg, sugar, and flour. Pour the mixture into a shallow bowl and dip the bananas into it. Heat a pan and pour in some oil. When the oil is hot, place the bananas in the pan, using tongs. Remove the bananas when they turn brown. Place them on a paper towel to cool. Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve.
The northern of Vietnam have traditional pho or bún. Rice and pho can be had along the length of the markets and fresh crab makes a tasty snacks.
The food in Hue (central of Vietnam) is some of the best in Vietnam. Possibly surpassing even the majesty of Hue’s monuments is the delectability of its local specialties.
Bánh khoai is made of crispy fried flour-batter folded in half, stuffed with pork, shrimp, bean sprouts, onions, and other fresh, minty greens.
Bánh xèo made of an omelettee-like concoction.
Bánh bèo is cooked by pouring water and rice flour into circular molds, steaming until the consistency becomes gelatinous, and then sprinkling dried shrimp and fried onions or rinds on top.
Bánh loc is made of flour for clear roll cake, shrimp and pork.
Preparing for Filing: 1 bag of flour for clear roll cake
1/2 lb. of shrimp
1/2 lb. of pork loin
Take tail and legs off shrimp, leaving whole. Slice pork into thin medallions approx. 11/2” around. Put into skillet and add one or two garlic cloves (chopped), with a teaspoon salt, a teaspoon sugar, and a pinch of sodium glutamate. Stir and heat over a low flame until shrimp and pork is cooked. Cut one scallion into pieces and mix in thoroughly. Put filling to one side.
Bánh nam is made of rice flour same as bánh bèo. In bánh nam, long rectangular pieces of gelatinized rice flour are sprinkled with dried shrimp and wrapped inside a banana leaf.
Bún bò is the local beef noodle soup dish. A popular breakfast in Hue-definitely not for the squeamish is com hen, a spicy rice chowder mixed with mixed with miniature clams.
The southern of Vietnam have canh chua cá lóc, com bình dân, hu tieu, and cha giò (egg roll).
Canh chua cá lóc (sour fish soup) is cooked with cat fish and some vegetables.
Cha gio is made of pork, carrot, onion, noodle, and spring roll cake. The fried spring roll is rolled up in a leaf of lettuce along with mint, cucumber, and shredded carrot. It is then dipped in nuoc cham.
Hu Tieu is the combination of seafoods and pork with rice noodle soup.
Tom Qua Tien is the special spring rolls with shrimps ("skyrocket rolls").
Mang Tay Xao Dau Hu is made of bean curd sauted with asparagus.
Mi Xao Don Do Bien is made of the combination of seafoods on pan fried noodle.
Cua Rang Muoi is made of pepper-salted fried crab.
Cua Xao Gung Hanh is made of crab sautted with ginger and scallion.
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