VIETNAMESE FOOD AND DRINKS
In recent years, Vietnamese food has become more and more popular around the world. Food lovers may have tried the two best known Vietnamese dishes – spring rolls and bread rolls. Rice, noodles, fresh vegetable and herbs all play big roles in Vietnamese food, making it one of the healthiest cuisines in the world.
What to eat in Vietnam
Ingredients
Rice, with noodles a common alternative, appears with most meals, accompanied with meat or fish, usually soup then green tea. Lemon grass, shallots and coriander are common with ginger, saffron, coconut milk and anise certain to be in every kitchen.
Fish sauce is an essential part of Vietnamese cuisine; it is formed by fermentation over many months and offers salty-sweetness that diners soon get used to tasting.
In the North where Chinese influence is stronger monosodium glutamate is widely used though there are places that advertise the fact that they don’t use it in their cooking.
• Soups, noodles and spring rolls are everywhere. Soup is a common dish for breakfast and the variety is amazing. Beef is fairly common everywhere though pork and seafood, especially in coastal areas regularly appear on menus. Sometimes a raw egg is put in and it will cook in the hot soup.
• Fish and meat are part of the main meal. In the south fish stew in a clay pot is certainly worth a try. Snake may not be to everyone’s liking and there is no need to try it if you don’t want to.
• The range of vegetables is truly astonishing. They are tropical and temperate, certainly seasonal..
• Fruits are equally impressive. Perhaps the durian is the one worth mentioning; its odour borders on foul but it is of a buttery consistency that tastes far better than it smells.
Below are top famous traditional food in Vietnam
Banh My |
Pho |
Bun Cha |
Nem Cuon |
What to drink in Vietnam
The French introduced coffee but green tea is still the national drink offered as a courtesy to guests or visitors. It is not advisable to drink tap water nor drinks that are chilled with ice. Bottled water and soft drinks are widely available.
Green Tea |
Beer |
The local beer is fairly good, and inexpensive with most popular ones as Saigon Export and Saigon Lager. Local rice wine should be sampled but in moderation while conventional wines and spirits are increasingly available on a wider geographical basis as tourists visit all parts of the country.
Vietnam produces several varieties of rice wine - known as Ruou. However, bottles of Ruou commonly contain a pickled snake, the inclusion of which is thought to impart health-giving elements. There are also numerous varieties of locally distilled spirits, which do not include the reptilian element - even if they may taste as if they do. Fruit wines, such as apricot, orange or lemon, are also common, and Soft drinks are processed from the many varieties of tropical fruits. Bottled drinking water should be checked to ensure that the cap or seal is original and intact.