Regional variations

As a whole, Vietnamese cuisine contains strong influences mainly from Cantonese cooking with a bit of a French twist to it. This is because unlike many other Indochinese nations,

Phở cuốn (spring rolls)

which are strongly influences by the culture of India, Vietnam is the only country in which Chinese-like cultures remained strong, since that it was first ruled by China for at least a thousand years, followed by control from France centuries later for a hundred years. However, depending on the region, it can be divided into three categories, each pertaining to a distinct geographical region. With Northern Vietnam being the cradle of Vietnamese civilization, many of Vietnam's most notable dishes such as phở and bánh cuốn can trace their origin to the North. Northern cuisine is more traditional and less diverse in choosing spices and ingredients.

The cuisine of South Vietnam has historically been influenced by the influx of southern Chinese immigrants, French colonists and other nationalities. Southerners prefer sweet flavors in many dishes. As a region of perhaps greater diversity in terms of external influences, the South's cuisine uses a wider variety of herbs.

The cuisine of Central Vietnam is distinct from the cuisines of both the Northern and Southern regions in its use of many small side dishes. For a while the country was ruled from Huế in Central Vietnam, so that most of the dishes were made small and dedicated to the kings. Compared to its counterparts, its cuisine is more spicy.

One most common French influence is the use of baguettes in Vietnamese meals. Vietnamese sandwiches are traditionally made with baguettes, and sometimes soups such as ca-ri are served with a baguette on the side.

Cooking techniques

• Chiên: fried dishes.
• Xào: Stir fry, sautéing.
• Kho:Stew, braised dishes.

             Kho khô:Literally dried stew (until the sauce thickens). 

• Hầm: boiling with spices or other ingredients over a long period of time.
• Rim: Simmering.
• Luộc: boiling with water, usually applied to fresh vegetables and pork.
• Hấp:steamed dishes.
• Om:Clay pot cooking of Northern style.
• Gỏi:Salad dishes.
• Nướng:Grilled dishes.

              Nướng xiên: Skewered dishes.

• Bằm:Sauteed mixed of chopped ingredients.
• Cháo:congee dishes.
• Rô ti: Roasting meat then bring to a simmer.
• Quay: Roasted dishes.
• Lẩu: hot pot dishes.

Typical Vietnamese family meals

A typical meal for the average Vietnamese family would include:

• Individual bowls of rice
• Meat, fish or seafood (grilled, boiled, steamed, stewed or stir fried with vegetables)
• Stir-fried, raw, pickled or steamed vegetables
• Canh (a clear broth with vegetables and often meat or seafood) or other Vietnamese-style soup
• Prepared fish sauce and/or soy sauce for dipping, to which garlic, chili, ginger or lime juice are sometimes added according to taste.

All dishes apart from the individual bowls of rice are communal and to be shared.

Philosophical influences on Vietnamese cuisine

Yin Yang balance

The principle of yin and yang is applied in selecting the ingredients of a dish and the dishes of a meal, in matching dishes with seasonal or climatic conditions, with the prevalent environment and with the current physical well-being of the diners.

Some examples are:

• Duck meat is considered as "cool" so is served in summer, which is hot, and with ginger fish sauce which is "warm", while chicken which is "warm" and pork which is "hot" are used in cold winters.
• Seafood ranging from "cool" to "cold" are suitable to use with ginger ("warm").
• Spicy, which is extremely yang, must be harmonized by sour, which is extremely yin.
• Balut ("cold") must be combined with Vietnamese mint ("hot").
• Cold and flu patients must drink ginger water ("hot").

Five element correspondence

Vietnamese cuisine is influenced by the Asian principle of five elements and Mahābhūta.

Many Vietnamese dishes include five spices (Vietnamese: ngũ vị): spicy (metal), sour (wood), bitter (fire), salty (water) and sweet (Earth), corresponding to: five organs (Vietnamese: ngũ tạng): gall bladder, small intestine, large intestine, stomach and urinary bladder.

Vietnamese dishes also include five types of nutrients (Vietnamese: ngũ chất): powder, water or liquid, mineral elements, protein and fat.

Vietnamese cooks try to have five colours (Vietnamese: ngũ sắc): white (metal), green (wood), yellow (Earth), red (fire) and black (water) in their dishes.

Dishes in Vietnam appeal to gastronomes via five senses (Vietnamese: năm giác quan): food arrangement attracts eyes, sounds come from crisp ingredients, five spices detected on the tongue, aromatic ingredients coming mainly from herbs stimulate the nose and some meals, especially finger food, can be perceived by touching.

Popular Vietnamese dishes

For a longer list of popular dishes, see List of Vietnamese dishes. For a list of popular dishes organized by province, see List of Vietnamese culinary specialities.

When Vietnamese dishes are referred to in English, it is generally by the Vietnamese name with the diacritics left off. Some dishes have gained descriptive English names as well.

Popular Vietnamese dishes include:

Noodle dishes

-       Bánh hỏi: An extremely thin noodle that is woven into intricate bundles. Often topped with spring onion and a complementary meat dish, such as thịt heo quay (roasted pork, often eaten at weddings).

-       Bún thịt nướng: A thin rice vermicelli served cold with grilled marinated pork chops and nước chấm (fish sauce, served with julienned daikon and carrot). A similar Northern version is bún chả with grilled pork meatballs in place of grilled pork chops.

-       Bún chả: A simple and popular dish, basically a combination vermicelli plate. Grilled pork (often ground) and vermicelli noodles are served over a bed of greens (salad and sliced cucumber), herbs and bean sprouts. Often includes a few chopped-up egg rolls, spring onions, and shrimp. Served with roasted peanuts on top and a small bowl of nước chấm.

-       Bún chả giò: it is similar to the above dish except deep-fried spring rolls are substituted for the meats.

-       Cao lầu: A Hội An dish, made of specially "burnt-flavoured" egg noodles topped with meats.

-       Mì Quảng: A popular and extremely complicated noodle dish, originating from Quang Nam. Mi Quang varies in its preparation but features sharply contrasting flavors and textures in a shallow bowl of broth, noodles, herbs, vegetables, and roasted rice chips (bánh đa).

-       Mì xào dòn: A dish of crispy deep-fried egg noodles, topped with a wide array of seafood, vegetables and shrimp in a gravy sauce. This is a dish of Chinese origin.

-       Bánh tằm cà ri: A Ca Mau specialty, made of special rice noodles and very spicy chicken curry.

Bún Bò Huế

Noolde soups:

-       Bún bò Huế: Spicy beef noodle soup originated from the royal city of Huế in Central Vietnam. Beef bones, fermented shrimp paste, lemongrass, and dried chilies give the broth its distinctive flavors. Often served with mint leaves, bean sprouts, lime wedges, shredded

banana blossoms and shredded rau muống. Blood cakes and pig's feet are also common ingredients at some restaurants in the United States and possibly elsewhere.

-       Bún măng vịt: Bamboo shoots and duck noodle soup.

-       Bún ốc: Vermicelli with snails (sea snails similar to the snails in French cuisine).

-       Bún riêu: A noodle soup made of thin rice noodles and topped with crab and shrimp paste, served in a tomato-based broth and garnished with bean sprouts, prawn paste, herb leaves, water spinach, and chunks of tomato.

-       Mì bò viên: A Chinese-influenced egg noodle soup with beef meatballs and raw steak

-       Phở: A noodle soup with a rich, clear broth made from a long boiling of meat and spices. There are many varieties of phở made with different meats (most commonly beef or chicken) along with beef meatballs. Phở is typically served in bowls with spring onion, (in phở tai) slices of semi-cooked beef (to be cooked by the boiling hot broth), and broth. In the

Hủ tiếu

South, vegetables and various herbs are also added.

-       Hủ Tiếu: A noodle soup with many varied styles including a 'dry' (non-soup but with sauce) version, brought to Vietnam by way of Chinese (Teochew) immigrants. The noodles are usually egg noodles or rice noodles, however, many other types may be used. The soup base is made of pork bones.

Soups and Cháo

-       Súp măng cua: A blended asparagus-crab combination soup. Served typically as a first dish at banquets.

-       Lẩu (hot pot): A spicy variation of the Vietnamese sour soup, with many vegetables, meats and seafood, as well as some spicy herbs.

-       Cháo: A variation of congee. There are also a variety of different broths and meats used, including duck, offal, fish, etc. When chicken is used, it is called Cháo gà.

canh chua

-       Canh Chua: Vietnamese sour soup - typically include fish, pineapples, tomatoes, herbs, beansprouts, tamarind, and various kinds of vegetables; when made in style of a hotpot, it is called Lẩu Canh Chua.

Rice Dishes

-       Cơm chiên Dương Châu: A Chinese fried rice dish, named after a region in China. It is a well-known dish in Vietnam.

-       Cơm gà rau thơm (Vietnamese mint chicken rice): A dish of rice cooked in chicken stock and topped with chicken that has been fried then shredded, and flavoured with mint and other herbs. The rice has a unique texture and taste which the fried mint garnish enhances. Served with a special herb sauce on the side.

-       Cơm hến: Rice with clams - a popular inexpensive dish in the city of Huế and its vicinity.

-       Cơm Tấm: Generally, grilled pork (either ribs or shredded) plus bì (thinly shredded pork mixed with cooked and thinly shredded pork skin plus fried ground rice) over com tam ("broken rice" in Vietnamese) and sweet and sour fish sauce. Other types of meat, prepared in various ways, may be served with the broken rice. One can have barbecued beef, pork, or chicken served with the broken rice. The rice and meat are served with various greens and pickled vegetables, along with a prawn paste cake (chả tôm), steamed egg (trứng hấp) and grilled prawns.

Sticky rice dishes

-       Bánh Chưng (chưng cake): Sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves and stuffed with mung bean paste, lean pork and black pepper, traditionally eaten during the Lunar New

Bánh Chưng (Chung cake)

Year(Tết). Bánh chưng is popular in the North, while its cousin version bánh tét is more popular in the South. Bánh tét has the same content, except cylindrical in shape and lean pork is substituted with fatty pork.

-       Xôi: Sticky rice with coconut milk, cooked the same way as one cooks rice, or steamed for a firmer texture and more flavorful taste. It comes in a great number of varieties.

Dumplings and pancakes

-       Bánh bao: A Steamed bun dumpling that can be stuffed with onion, mushrooms, or vegetables. Bánh bao is an adaptation from the Chinese baozi to fit Vietnamese taste. Vegetarian banh bao are also available. Vegetarian bánh bao are popular food in Buddhist temples. Typical stuffings for bánh bao include slices of marinated xá xíu (BBQ pork from Chinese cooking) meat, tiny boiled quail eggs, and pork.

-       Bánh bèo: A central Vietnamese dish consisting of tiny round rice flour pancakes, each served in a similarly shaped dish. They are topped with minced shrimp and other ingredients such as chives, fried shallots and pork rinds. Eaten with Nước chấm.

-       Bánh bột chiên (fried rice flour cake): A Chinese influenced pastry that exists in many versions all over Asia; the Vietnamese version features a special tangy soy sauce on the side, rice flour cubes with fried eggs and some vegetables. This is a popular after-school snack for young students.

-       Bánh bột lọc:   A Huế food, consisting of tiny rice dumplings made in a clear rice flour batter, often in a small flattish tube shape. Stuffed with shrimp and ground pork. It is wrapped and cooked inside a banana leaf, served often as Vietnamese hors d'œuvres at more casual buffet-type parties.

-       Bánh xèo: A type of crepe made out of rice flour with tumeric, shrimps with shells on, slivers of fatty pork, sliced onions, and sometimes button mushrooms, fried in one or two teaspoons of oil, usually coconut oil, which is the most popular oil used in Vietnam. It is eaten with lettuce and various local herbs and dipped in Nước chấm or sweet fermented peanut butter sauce. Rice papers are sometimes used as wrappers to contain banh xeo and the accompanying vegetables.

Wraps and rolls

-       Bánh cuốn: Rice flour rolls stuffed with ground pork, prawns, and wood ear mushroom. They are eaten in a variety of ways with many side dishes, including one out of many kinds of chả (sausage).

Bì cuốn

-       Bì cuốn: Rice paper rolls with the bi (bì) mixture of thinly shredded pork and thinly shredded pork skin tossed with powdered toasted rice, among other ingredients, along with salad. Similar to summer rolls.

-       Bò bía (Vietnamese style popiah): Stir fried jicama and carrots, Chinese sausage, shredded scrambled eggs, all wrapped with vermicelli noodle in a rice paper roll. Dipped into a spicy peanut sauce (with freshly roasted and ground peanuts). It is of Chinese (Hokkien/Chaozhou) origin, having been brought over by the immigrants. In Saigon (particularly in Cholon), it is common to see an old Teochew man or woman selling bò bía at their roadside stand. The name bò bía phonetically resembles its original name popiah in the Teochew language.

-       Chả giò or Nem rán (Northern): A kind of spring roll (sometimes referred to as egg roll) – deep fried flour rolls filled with pork, yam, crab, shrimp, rice vermicelli, mushrooms ("wood ear" variety) and other ingredients. The spring roll goes by many names - as many people actually use (falsely) the word "spring roll" while referring to the fresh transparent rice paper rolls (discussed below as "Summer Rolls"), where the rice paper is dipped into water to soften and then rolled up with various ingredients. Traditionally these rolls are made with a rice paper wrapper but in recent years Vietnamese chefs outside of Vietnam have changed the recipe to use a wheat-flour-based wrapper.

-       Gỏi cuốn (Salad rolls): Also known as Vietnamese fresh rolls, or summer rolls. They are rice paper rolls that often include shrimp, herbs, pork, rice vermicelli and other ingredients wrapped up and dipped in nước chấm or peanut sauce. Spring rolls almost constitute an entire category of Vietnamese foods, as there are numerous different kinds of spring rolls with different ingredients in them.

Meat dishes

-       Bò kho (meat soup): A beef and vegetable stew, often cooked with warm, spicy herbs and served very hot with French baguettes for dipping. In northern Vietnam, it is known as "bo sot vang"

-       Bò lá lốt: A dish of spiced beef rolled in a pepper leaf (la lot) and grilled.

-       Bò lúc lắc (shaking beef): A dish of beef cut into cubes and marinated, served over greens (usually watercress), and sautéed onions and tomatoes. Eaten with rice.

-       Bò 7 món (Vietnamese seven courses of beef): A less popular version is the Cá 7 Món, seven courses of fish.

-       Chả lụa: A sausage made with ground lean pork and potato starch. Also available fried; known as chả chiên. There are various kinds of chả (sausage), made of ground chicken (chả gà), ground beef (chả bò), fish (chả cá), or tofu (chả chay, or vegetarian sausage).

-       Gà nướng sả: Grilled chicken with lemon grass. Lemon grass grilled beef and other meats are also popular variations.

-       Nem nướng: Grilled meatballs, usually made of seasoned pork. Often colored reddish with food coloring and with a distinct taste, grilled on skewers like kebabs. Ingredients in the marinade include fish sauce.

-       Nem nguội: A Huế dish and a variation of the Nem nuong meatballs, these also come from Central Vietnam. They are chilled, small and rectangular in shape, and stuffed with vermicelli. The reddish meat is covered with peppers and typically a chili. Very spicy, eaten almost exclusively as a cocktail snack.

Seafood dishes

-       Cá cuốn: A roll with fish and spring onions

-       Cá kho tộ: Caramelized fish in clay pot

-       Chạo tôm: Prawn paste/cake on sugarcane

-       Mắm: Salted fish in various styles. The types of fish most commonly used to make mắm are catfish, snakeheads, and mackerels. The fish flesh remains intact (this is how it is different from nước mắm), and can be eaten cooked or uncooked, with or without vegetables and condiments.