What is it that makes Vietnamese food so special, and most importantly, so delicious?
Why do so strange flavour combinations work so well? And which dishes can you attempt to cook at home, with readily available ingredients?
If you’ve never tried Vietnamese food before, maybe this article will give you a good reason to look for the best Vietnamese food near you. If you already know one but never ventured, this will certainly lure you in their direction.
A bit of history on Vietnamese Food Influences
To understand Vietnamese food, you need to look at the geography first, as the flavours are heavily influenced by the countries bordering Vietnam. In the North, there is a heavy Chinese influence resulting in a range of delicious stir fries and noodle-based soups.
On the other hand, in the south, you will find more variety in the blend of flavours and heavy influence by Cambodia and Thailand, where the food is often sweeter and influenced by the warmer climate.
Adding to the mix is of course the French influence as a result of the colonization of the country by France.
As you can see just from the geography, Vietnam really is a wonderful blend of flavours that are begging to be tasted.
Popular Vietnamese Dishes
Which Vietnamese dishes are most popular, especially for us who don’t have the privilege of living in Vietnam?
Here is our ultimate list, as a culinary introduction to Vietnamese food – the 7 most popular Vietnamese dishes:
- 1 – Phở – Vietnamese Rice Noodles Soup
- 2 – Bún Thịt Nướng – Vietnamese Grilled Pork & Rice Noodles.
- 3 – Bánh Mì – Vietnamese Baguette.
- 4 – Bánh Xèo – Vietnamese Crepe.
- 5 – Cá Kho Tộ – Caramelized and Braised Catfish.
- 6 – Bánh Khọt – Mini Vietnamese Crispy Pancakes.
- 7 – Gỏi Sứa – Jellyfish Salad.
The Taste of Vietnam
Another unique aspect of Vietnamese cuisine is that it encompasses five different distinct tastes, and each dish has one main feature taste that dominates all the other flavours.
Some of the most popular and commonly used ingredients in Vietnamese cuisine are fresh ingredients like lemongrass, ginger, mint, coriander, chilli, thai basil leaves and others. One fact that might surprise you is that soy sauce is not dominate the households of Vietnam, it’s actually fish sauce which compliments most of the Vietnamese dishes beautifully.
Vietnamese cooking also uses very unique and distinct utensils and serving plates you won’t see in other corners of the world. For example, Vietnamese dishes might be served on a basket, in a bowl, on an oversized spoon or a serving tray.
Are you getting hungry yet? If this delicious description of the Vietnamese cuisine made you want to venture to the nearest restaurant near you, you’re not alone.
Be adventurous next weekend and book yourself an experience of Vietnamese cuisine in your local restaurant – your taste buds will thank you!
