10 of the Most Popular Foods in Vietnam

Vietnam, located in the east of the Indochina Peninsula, borders China in the north and Laos and Cambodia in the west. Among all the Southeast Asian countries, Vietnam has been most influenced by Chinese and French culture in its history. Under this influence, Vietnamese food has formed a healthy and subtle cuisine that is popular all over the world.

Vietnamese food is more acceptable to people with a lighter palate. Due to the hot and humid conditions in Vietnam, they widely use tropical vegetables and fruits in the selection of raw materials according to local conditions. Meanwhile, they tend to be natural and fresh in the way of cooking, and the taste tends to be slightly sour and slightly sweet. This will attribute to the 5 essential ingredients in Vietnamese cuisine, which are lemon grass, basil, mint, coriander, and lime. It is characterized by light and not greasy, with a high proportion of added vegetables.

In this article, I will recommend the most popular Vietnamese foods to help you enjoy the different flavors during your trip to Vietnam.

Pho: Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup

If Vietnam had to choose one national dish, it would be Pho. Pho mainly refers to noodle soup, traditionally made with chicken or beef broth that needs to be simmered for at least three hours. Common ingredients include rice noodles, sliced meat, bean sprouts, herbs, and spices (Basil, Chilli, lemon, etc.). Basically, there are two types of Pho, which are Beef Noodle soup (phở bò) and Chicken noodle soup (phở gà). In some major cities (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City), the restaurants will provide meat-free noodle soup for vegetarians.

Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup

Gỏi cuốn: Vietnamese Spring Roll

Gỏi cuốn traditionally consists of shrimp, meats, steamed rice vermicelli, mint, coriander, cucumber, and other fresh vegetables. All these ingredients will be rolled in a layer of rice paper. It is served with different dipping sauces, such as peanut sauce, fish sauce, or hoisin sauce. It is served cool, which is perfectly enjoy, especially in the hot and humid climate.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Bánh mì: Vietnamese Sandwich

Influenced by the French colonization, the French brought the baguette to Vietnam. With the innovation by the Vietnamese, they made the baguette to a new flavor, which is Bánh mì, the Vietnamese Sandwich. Bánh mì is combined with the toasted baguette, pate (mixture of pork and chicken liver), butter, roasted meats, pickles, fried eggs, coriander, chili with soy sauce, or sweet chili sauce. You can even taste the vegan Bánh mì (Tofu inside), which is friendly to vegetarians.

Bánh xèo: Vietnamese Crêpes

When you first time hear the name Bánh xèo, you can simply understand it as the crispy pancake. Banh xeo's common ingredients are rice flour, water, turmeric, coconut milk, or coconut cream, which is then fried on an iron plate. The pancakes can be packed with other ingredients, such as green onions, bean sprouts, shrimp, and pork or beef, which need to be fried first. Traditionally, the pancakes are served with vegetables such as lettuce, carrots, and cucumbers, seasoned with fresh coriander, mint, and parsley, as well as fish sauce.

Cơm tấm: Vietnamese Broken Rice with Grilled Pork

As the most important source of main ingredients, rice has also exerted an important influence on Vietnamese cuisine. Cơm tấm is the typical example. It used to be called "the poor man's meal", and it was made from rice that was broken during the harvest and sold cheaply. Cơm tấm is combined with grilled pork/pork chop with shredded pork skin, fried egg, various pickled and green vegetables with a bowl of fish sauce, and the soup. When you come to Vietnam, you will not regret it after tasting it.

Lẩu: Vietnamese Hot Pot

Lẩu is very popular in Vietnam, but unlike the Chinese version, Vietnamese hot pot is light, with less oil and salt and a slightly sour and spicy soup base. Vietnamese hot pot is known for its unique flavor, with an extra layer of round plate on the top edge. The plate can be used to hold the raw meat but also can be used to let the meat cool down on top, which is very convenient. Hot pot dishes are mostly fresh seafood, meat, and vegetables. Vietnamese hot pot is served with dips such as fish sauce and Vietnamese chili sauce. In fact, even without dipping in any condiments, the strong fragrance of the soup base is enough to satisfy the taste buds. When the night falls, watching the burning coals under the hot pot, the hot and sour broth rolling in the pot, will surely give you an appetite. Served with a cold beer, it's a treat that leaves you wanting more.

Cha ca: Fried fish on a Hot Pan

Due to its geographic location, Vietnam has countless miles of waterways inland, which means there are various seafood that can be served to the customers. Here, I will recommend a popular dish, which is Cha Ca. In English, it means Fried fish on a hot pan in a Vietnamese way to cook. The fish will be marinated with ginger, dill, garlic, turmeric, and other ingredients and served with the well-cooked fish, but in a hot pan. This will help fish not too dry and juicy. Normally in the traditional way, you can taste it with chili, herbs, and roasted peanuts, which can give you the extra flavor. If you are a seafood lover, you will love it.

Xoi: Savory Sticky Rice

Xoi is one of Vietnam's most popular foods and can be found anywhere from street vendors to gourmet restaurants. Based on the steamed glutinous rice, it can be salty (xôi mặn) or sweet (xôi ngọt). Some of the most common ingredients in (xôi mặn) include Vietnamese ham, Chinese sausage, shredded chicken, shrimp, and shredded pork or chicken. Then season with garlic, drizzle with soy sauce or scallion oil, and sprinkle with chili flakes. The sweet (xôi ngọt) can be made from almost any fruit -- mango, durian, coconut water, mung beans, cassava, etc.

Cao lầu: Pork Noodle Dish

Cao lầu is Hoian's signature cuisine. This is a kind of rice noodle, which is made from locally grown fresh rice, and joined the local trees made of ash after combustion of lye and local Ba Le well. Apart from rice noodles, it also includes thinly sliced roast pork, green vegetables, bean sprouts, traditional broth, and herbs, which present authentic Vietnamese flavor.

Che: Sweet Pudding

The Che refers to a kind of food that includes any traditional sweet soup, drink, pudding, or any dessert similar to custard that is made with water or coconut cream and can be eaten hot or cold. Other ingredients used to make Che include various jellies and fruits, beans, rice and grains, and even tubers. There are different versions of Che in Vietnam, such as Chè Thái (Lychee, jackfruit, and longan, as well as coconut milk, pandan jelly, and fruit juice, are finished with ice cubes); Chè bưởi (Made from grapefruit, mung beans, and coconut); Chè trôi nước (A kind of Vietnam sweet dumplings, dumplings made of glutinous rice, the inside of the fillings is traditionally made from coconut milk and green beans, add a ginger soup, with full-bodied ginger, with palm sugar sweetener, sometimes with pandan leaf to taste).

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