Probably, you have already heard such a concept as gastronomic tourism. This is when people come to another country not only and not so much to explore its sights, but to plunge into the local culture of culinary values. So, in this article, you will learn what to try in Vietnam first. Moreover, there is a lot to choose from: there are more than half a thousand dishes in the national cuisine of this country!
Dedicated to soup lovers
Oddly enough, Vietnam is a country where soups are even more popular than in our country.
Pho Soup
One of the most popular first courses in Vietnam. It is respected not only by locals, but also by tourists, because it resembles ordinary noodle soup. This is rice noodles boiled in meat (chicken, seafood) broth, where some vegetables and herbs are also cut. Pieces of beef, pork or poultry in the ” Pho ” soup are cut into thin slices. Decorate this flavorful dish with very healthy sprouted soy sprouts. You should definitely try Pho, because it is the No. 1 dish in Vietnam.
By the way, this national dish can be offered not only for lunch, but also for breakfast or dinner. Here, this dish is enjoyed at any time of the day or night. In general, Pho soup is a high-calorie, nutritious and delicious dish of national Vietnamese cuisine. In the cafe, soup is inexpensive, the price depends on the institution and on the type of dish, on average the price is 35-50 thousand VND (about one and a half or two dollars). Local eat soup with several cutlery: both chopsticks and a spoon.
Boon Bo Hue
Also a very popular soup, one of those that you need to try in Vietnam. It is just like” Fo ” cooked in a broth of meat. Only here the noodles are thrown a little different, and thin pieces of meat are replaced with good-quality huge pieces of beef on the bone. Hence the richer consistency of the dish. A bonus in “Bun Bo Hue” put shrimp paste and lemongrass, so the taste becomes more savory. Bun Bo Hue and Pho are worth a try for comparison.
Boon Cha Ga
This dish is a curious variation of fish soup, which is served with small pies and as a dressing-fish sauce, aromatic spices: garlic and pepper. Soup is unthinkable without rice noodles. This first dish of Vietnamese cuisine is extremely flavorful and original.
Hot pot
A separate song is the so-called “Hot Pot”. This is a space for the client’s imagination, because you can make your own soup from what you like. The minimum price for such a restaurant service starts from 150 thousand VND (from $ 8). By the way, this pot is large, it is quite possible to satisfy the hunger of two tourists.
So, you order a Hot pot, and a real gas burner is brought to your table, and a pot of broth is already installed on it. There are a dozen or more plates of different ingredients around you. They are already washed and sliced, as expected, it remains only to throw them in the amount and in the sequence in which you see fit. The products are still the same as in the above-mentioned Vietnamese soups, but the moment of your own participation in the dish is priceless. Moreover, you can make sure that all the ingredients are fresh or try them separately, for example, raw vegetables.
Spices are also given in sufficient quantities. If you have any questions or doubts, you can contact the waiter, usually he walks nearby and watches.
Exotic snacks
Fried frogs
One of the dishes that the exotic cuisine of Vietnam is proud of. In our culture, croakers are inedible animals, but if you have already gone over the hill, then you can reluctantly try this snack.
In general, if you put aside prejudices, then frogs ‘ legs taste like chicken. In principle, nothing special, but if you feel all the tenderness of frog meat, then do not stop at the paws!
Order and try the whole carcasses, grilled (they will cost $ 4-7 per serving).
Crocodile meat
What else to try in Vietnam from food? If we are talking about the exotic, then order a crocodile. In Vietnam, they love to cook it, and they cook it in different ways: both on the grill, and in broth, and even roast it on a spit on the street – they cut off pieces from the top fried layer and sell them to those who want.
Crocodile costs about 4-6 dollars per dish, the meat looks like it consists of scales (a little like fish in consistency). If you compare it with the already familiar types of meat, it looks more like white chicken. The taste is unusual, delicate, but this is only provided that the cook was decent.
If you are not lucky with the cook, then you can not remember the tenderness, it is better to try the dish again in another place. Poorly cooked crocodile chews with difficulty. Perhaps the most advantageous version of crocodile meat is a stew with curry.
Ostrich meat
It looks like beef, very amateur. Usually served in the form of steaks of varying degrees of hardness. Still, chewing an ostrich is difficult. From the exotic, it is better to order turtle soup. Of course, conservationists will throw slippers at you, but such a delicious soup is definitely worth a try!
Turtle soup
In order to have lunch together, it is enough to order half a turtle, which will cost about ten dollars (240 thousand VND). For this price, you will be offered a whole pot of the first one, and the dish will be prepared with you. As usual, the base is broth, which is added a lot of chopped greens. In the saucepan, the turtle meat is already indulging in aromas.
In bowls put separately boiled rice noodles and then top up the soup. And then — only what you want: soy or fish sauce, lime juice, spices… Turtle tastes similar to turkey, only even softer and more tender. By the way, Vietnamese cuisine is characterized by a sour taste, so the locals boldly add lime even to soups and meat. And, of course, what seafood without lime juice!
Delicious snack
National dishes of Vietnam are not only complex compositions that can be ordered in restaurants. Many interesting things can be ordered in a simple cafe or directly on the street, from shopkeepers.
Ban Mi
Stuffed baguettes, a relic of Vietnam’s colonial past. The French, who once settled in Vietnam, left such a mark. Locals are very fond of these European buns, so baguettes have become the most popular type of fast food in Vietnam. These baguettes are stuffed with a wide variety of fillings, several types of vegetables, along with sauces, meat, ham or seafood. In general, these Vietnamese dishes are always in hot demand, even among those who reject any exoticism.
It is known that in any cuisine of Vietnam you will certainly find rice. Even those who have not been to Asia know that in this region it is used instead of bread, there is no way without it. This is the main side dish, which is not only boiled, but also fried. The peculiarity of the Vietnamese version of rice is a specific fish sauce, which is a little similar to soy, but tastes sweeter and has a specific smell.
Ban Bao
Rice is also used to make rice cakes in Vietnam. Or rather, from rice flour. This dish is called Vietnamese Ban Bao and is steamed. In shape and taste, they can resemble the usual manta rays. They are also worth a try to appreciate the variety of tastes of Vietnamese national cuisine. There can be a great variety of fillings. The most traditional one is minced meat with vegetables, boiled egg, herbs and seasonings.
Spring rolls
These are small rolls that differ from the usual ones in that they are fried until crisp. But also not always. This is a cold appetizer: rolls are wrapped in a pancake or thin rice paper. The filling can be meat or fish, seafood (most often shrimp), minced meat with vegetables, and fruit with berries.
Spring rolls (also called Cha Gio) can be eaten “raw” or fried in a pan or grill.
Often these rice pancakes are served with herbs and sauces: fish, soy or even peanut. Without a doubt, the dish needs to be tasted. This is also a great option for beer snacks!
And what to drink?
Vietnam’s national cuisine boasts drinks too. Perhaps the main one among them is coffee.
Coffee, in its pure form and with additives
Remember that Vietnam is a former French colony, and the aromatic drink, like baguettes, is an echo of the colonial past. By the way, Vietnam has already overtaken Brazil in coffee exports, and came out on 1 place in the world! Varieties-for every taste: arabica, mocha, robusta, luvac… In the cafe you will be offered a drink created from a mixture of several varieties.
Vietnamese coffee has an unforgettable aroma. The aftertaste is absolutely amazing: no sourness, just freshness and chill. Coffee is prepared directly in the cup, through a special metal filter (again, remember his brother, the French press). So, the filter is placed on a mug, a few spoons of freshly ground coffee are poured there and pressed. Hot water is poured on top. Coffee seeps into the glass, five minutes — and voila, you can drink! Coffee in Vietnam is drunk with ice, condensed milk, and even egg.
Coffee with egg is surprisingly tender. More often it is sold in the north of the country, for example, in Hanoi. The consistency is perfect, and melts in your mouth! The bottom of the cup is strong bitter coffee, and at the top — whipped egg yolks with sugar. This drink can be cold or hot. By the way, gourmets are advised to eat egg coffee with a spoon.
Sugar cane juice
One of the most popular Vietnamese national drinks. Tangerine, lime, and kumquat juice are also added to it.… The juice takes on a green hue. A lot of ice is poured into the glass, which makes the taste watery when it melts. You need to drink quickly. Juice without additives is also great! Incredibly sweet, with a grassy aftertaste, very refreshing. It costs an average of seven thousand VND, and they make it on every street. With you, the juice is crushed from a stick of cane on a special machine.
Rice vodka
Rich cuisine of Vietnam: what to try, everyone decides for himself, but knowing the preferences of our fellow, we recommend to try rice vodka. The most popular Vietnamese vodka is named after the capital – Hanoi. It is made of different strengths – from 30 to 40 degrees.
By the way, in the villages of Vietnam, residents are not lazy to make their own rice moonshine. When the French ruled the ball, the colonialists declared a monopoly on alcohol. The natives were humorous and named their moonshine Kwok Lui, which means ” the state is retreating.” However, you should not try moonshine, there is a risk of poisoning.
Bananas, coconuts…
When listing dishes of Vietnamese cuisine, you should not forget about fruits. Thanks to the hot climate, they grow here in such abundance that the eyes run away. Let’s mention the most unusual and delicious of them. Just make a reservation-contrary to the laws of the market, a lot in Vietnam does not mean cheap. Smart sellers like to push up prices, especially in the off-season.
Mango
This is not exactly a “rarity” for our people, but the Vietnamese is absolutely not like its counterparts that are sold in our stores. As soon as you try it, you will feel a huge difference. In Vietnam, these ripe, fragrant fruits from the branches go straight to the markets. Their season starts in March and ends in July. There are many varieties of mango here, those that grow in the north are usually orange or with an admixture of yellow. All of them, regardless of the color, are very tasty. But the best ones are still seedless varieties. However, they are much more expensive.
Durian
An insidious, foul-smelling fruit. Some countries even prohibit eating durian in public places, so as not to alienate tourists. But if you dare to step over the smell, you will be rewarded with a creamy filling of prickly durian. However, the taste may be different, depending on the variety and maturity of the fruit. Those who have tasted the delights of durian say that it is similar to a fruit salad, where the tastes of strawberries, pineapple and strawberries are combined.
Jackfruit
Breadfruit is hardly inferior in odour to durian. It is very difficult to cut it, it is large and sticky, it is better to buy already cut fruit. The taste is specific, it is suitable as an additive to hot dishes of meat or vegetables. You can guess from the name that the fruit is rich and high in calories, you eat them quickly.
Sapodilla
Sold all year round throughout the country. It resembles a small brown kiwi. The taste is sweet, similar to persimmon, the flesh is also like persimmon, but with a hard stone inside. Overripe sapodilla is cloying, with a honey aftertaste. Of course, it is better to try it yourself, and not just read the description.
Now you know what to try in Vietnam. But, in order not to be left alone with a faience friend and not to spoil your vacation, remember about prudence. No matter how much you want everything and more, do not immediately eat up the exotic. Eat no more than three or four foreign fruits a day. And, of course, wash them thoroughly under running water.
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