Pho and Other Delicious Dishes You Should Try during a Vietnam Tour
Traveling in Vietnam is like a journey through time and place through its local cuisine. Vietnamese gastronomy is complex, with roots that spread far and wide.
If you are preparing for a Vietnam tour, you must have heard about Pho. However, there are many other dishes you should try during your trip.
Vietnam Geographical Features
For starters, let's take a look at Vietnam's geographical features. The country shares land borders with China, Laos, and Cambodia. Thus, Vietnamese cuisine has many similarities with the cuisines of its neighbors, especially China.
The South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand edge Vietnam from northeast to southwest.
Vietnam foodWhen we speak about the local gastronomy, however, we can't leave out French influences. These European colonists left their mark on the cuisine of Vietnam. Baguette, coffee, and creme caramel are some of the main imports from France.
What you need to understand about dining here is the balance of different, often opposite, elements. That's why you will find crunchy alongside chewy, or crispy alongside soft, ingredients in many dishes.
Such a practice reflects the Buddhist philosophy that requires balance for keeping harmony in life.
Speaking of ingredients, the cuisine of Vietnam abounds with meat and seafood. Fish sauce, oyster sauce, and shrimp paste are among the most common components.
The ingredients of Vietnam foodVegetables, such as carrots, cabbage, cucumbers, radishes, and cauliflowers, are typical ingredients, too. However, these veggies tend to be sweeter than their counterparts in other parts of the world.
Other common ingredients are rice, rock sugar, and shallots. Green onion, cilantro, Thai basil, cinnamon, cardamom, and lemongrass are among the typical spices local gourmands happily use.
If you prefer a certain cooking method, you are sure to enjoy it during your trip in Vietnam. Fried, steamed, grilled, boiled, and stewed food is ubiquitous.
Traditional Dishes You Must Try during a Vietnam Tour
In Vietnam, you can choose to be whatever you wish - a gourmand, vegetarian, or something else. Depending on your preferences, make sure to try some of the following dishes during your Vietnam tour:
Green Papaya Salad
Green Papaya Salad is a good choice if a Vietnamese host invites you for a meal and you are not very hungry. Besides green papaya, beef jerky and basil are other components of the salad. You can prepare the appetizer on your own since preparation doesn't involve cooking or much effort.
Green Papaya SaladThe dressing of Green Papaya Salad usually consists of several ingredients. These are soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, garlic, and chili paste.
The salad is on the menu at some restaurants. However, you may find it easier to make one yourself than to find a restaurant serving it. In Vietnam, you shouldn't have trouble finding the ingredients in supermarkets.
Pho
Pho is the number one specialty in Vietnam. While wandering around, pay attention to what people eat at the stands. Then, you may understand why Pho is such a daily staple in Vietnam.
Pho is very delicious and quite affordable. And it is always available, day or night. The main ingredients of Pho are rice noodles, beef or chicken meat, and various spices. Most of the time, you will recognize chili, basil, and lime among them.
Vietnam Cha CaExtras that allow you to customize this noodle soup to your liking accompany the dish most of the time.
The origins of Pho might relate to the French. The French soup called "Pot au Feu" might have something to do with the introduction of this popular Vietnamese dish.
Banh Mi
Banh Mi is the name of the dish whose only constant is a baguette. In the north, its main ingredients are margarine and pâté. In the south, the specialty may comprise cheese, pickled veggies, fried egg, chili sauce, and more.
If you are a meat-eater, there will be a variety of meat fillings for you to choose from. Barbecued or roasted pork, poached chicken, and boiled sausage are some common fillings. Fried fish is among the available options, too.
Vietnam Banh MiFinding Banh Mi in Vietnam is a piece of cake, maybe just a bit harder than finding Pho. So, whether you explore Hanoi, Hoi An, or Ho Chi Minh City, you are covered well.
The price of this diverse Vietnamese specialty typically varies between 50 cents and 1.5 USD.
Cha Ca
Do you follow Muslim dietary traditions or are you a vegetarian? If so, look no further than Cha Ca when you visit Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. Just ask the locals about Cha Ca Street, and you are on your way.
The dish, whose main ingredients are fried flaky fish pieces, is unique in northern Vietnam. Other possible extras are garlic, turmeric, dill, and ginger. Peanuts and noodles are other typical additions.
Vietnam Cha CaIf you are far from Cha Ca Street, try your luck at one of the local restaurants. Many of them serve this popular dish, recommended by many reputable magazines and websites as a must-try in Hanoi.
Bun Cha
While you are in the Vietnamese capital, don't miss Bun Cha, a favorite dish for lunch. The specialty is both savory and sweet, combining pieces of pork steeped in fish sauce. Lettuce and rice vermicelli noodles are typical side dishes accompanying Bun Cha.
Carrot and papaya may be additional components. Commonly served at street-side restaurants in Hanoi, this popular crispy dish is a good option for dinner, too.
Vietnam Bun ChaFinding an eatery serving this outstanding specialty can't be easier around lunchtime. All you have to do is notice the meaty smoke produced from grilled pork.
Certain eateries advertise Bun Cha as "Obama noodles," since the former US president had the pleasure of eating the specialty.
Banh Cuon
Banh Cuon is a savory pancake available in a few versions. Banh Cuon Nhan Thit consists of ground pork and wood ear mushrooms. Banh Cuon Tom's main ingredient is shrimp.
Translated as "rolled cake," the dish's main component is a steamed rice noodle roll. If you would like to order the specialty served without the above-mentioned extras, ask for Banh Cuon Thanh Tri.
Vietnam Banh CuonA common side dish accompanying the delicacy is fish sauce dip, in which you dunk the main ingredients.
The specialty is a favorite among locals and travelers alike. Originating in northern Vietnam, Banh Cuon is available countrywide. It is most commonly served for breakfast and lunch.
If you don't eat meat, the vegetarian version of the dish is available in vegetarian restaurants.
Cao Lau
Cao Lau is an "endemic" dish of Hoi An, a city in Central Vietnam. Hoi An is the only place on Earth where you can taste the dish because of a secret ingredient. And that ingredient is water from a specific well.
Besides noodles, Cao Lau comprises pork trotter or loin, lettuce, bean sprouts, and various herbs. Frying pork in a marinade is the first step of preparation. Roasting afterward is the second.
Vietnam Cao LauThe best place for buying Cao Lau is Nguyen Hue Street. There, you will see an elderly woman selling the specialty. You are sure to find her around midafternoon. Just see where hungry customers gather.
Che Ba Mau
Three Colored Dessert is a popular dessert among the Vietnamese and foreigners. You will like it in particular when traversing humid and warm regions. Purchase Che Ba Mau from street vendors in any major city during your Vietnam tour.
Vietnam Che Ba MauThis vegan- and vegetarian-friendly dessert comprises sugar syrup, jelly layers, coconut cream, mung bean paste, and a cup or two of ice. The good thing about Che Ba Mau is that you can customize the delicacy however you wish.
Che Bap
By now, you have concluded that "Che" means "dessert" in Vietnamese. And Che Bap is as delicious as it is simple.
The main component of this extraordinary pudding is corn. Hence, make sure to try the dessert in Hoi An between March and September. That's when the harvesting season of this sweet corn takes place.
Vietnam Che BapGlutinous rice, which tends to be replaced by tapioca starch, is another key ingredient of Che Bap.
Summary
Many people believe that if something is healthy, it surely isn't tasty. Vietnamese cuisine, which is among the healthiest in the world, is proof that it doesn't have to be this way. And there are many more dishes you ought to try while enjoying a Vietnam tour.
Banh Xeo, a mixture of pork, shrimp, and beans, and Goi Cuon, comprising meat or seafood and salad greens, are other top-rated Vietnamese specialties.
Muslim travelers should pay attention to Mi Quang and Nom Hoa Chuoi. Be cautious with the former, which might comprise pork instead of beef. The latter can be Halal-friendly if it is prepared without fish sauce or non-Halal ingredients.
I’m Ivy. Over more than a decade, I’ve planned private trips for more than 500 travelers, and those journeys have received 100% positive feedback
In 2018, I traveled solo across Indochina. Since then, I’ve looked at routes differently. Some need another night. Some transfers take too much time for too little reward. And sometimes, an itinerary simply has too much packed into it.
That is the kind of detail I focus on when I write—how long to stay, which route makes sense, and what is actually worth including.
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