The history of Vietnamese Cuisine

Having been a part of Indochina back in the 1800‘s, many Vietnamese dishes are
influenced by Asian and European cuisine. France, especially, left a big influence because
Vietnam was colonized from 1862 to 1945, when Vietnam finally won its independence and
declared itself a republic.

An influence from France can be seen in the very popular food, Banh Mi, a
Vietnamese baguette. It is very much like French bread and there are many variations but over
many years it has become distinct from a normal French baguette.
Vietnamese people started to add in their own little ingredients and it eventually become the
banh mi it is today. Banh mi is very fluffy on the inside, is not that sweet and is usually filled
with a variety of meat and vegetables. It is sold in carts along the side of the streets and
because it is filled with a lot of meat and vegetables, it can be eaten as a meal or just a snack.
Banh mi is found everywhere in Vietnam because it can be eaten on the go and it is very filling.
Although France has left many influences on Vietnamese cuisine, there are still many other
dishes that are originally from Vietnam.1

Although France has left many influences on Vietnamese cuisine, there are still
many other dishes that are originally from Vietnam. One of the most important part of
Vietnamese cuisine, not influenced by France, would be fish sauce. Fish sauce is usually made
from anchovies soaked in salt. After a week or so, liquid from mixture is drained out and put
back into the pot and it is left to sit until it reaches the right amount of concentration.

Vietnamese people use fish sauce in almost everything they eat, it is equivalent
to salt and pepper in America. The concentrated version, which is just plain fish sauce, has a
very strong salty meaty taste, so people usually mix it into their food to add a bit of flavor but
there are also some people who like using it as a dipping sauce. Most people use the plain fish
sauce to make nuoc mam, a sweet and sour fish sauce, and this is eaten with almost
everything.
 Vietnamese Cuisine

Vietnamese Cuisine encompasses the foods and beverages of Vietnam, and features a
combination of five fundamental tastes (Vietnamese: ngũ vị) in the overall meal. Each
Vietnamese dish has a distinctive flavor which reflects one or more of these elements.
Common ingredients include fish sauce, shrimp paste, soy sauce, bean sauce, rice, fresh herbs,
fruit and vegetables. Vietnamese recipes use lemongrass, ginger, mint, Vietnamese mint, long
coriander, Saigon cinnamon, bird's eye chili, lime, and Thai basil leaves. Traditional Vietnamese
cooking is greatly admired for its fresh ingredients, minimal use of dairy and oil,
complementary textures, and reliance on herbs and vegetables. With the balance between
fresh herbs and meats and a selective use of spices to reach a fine taste, Vietnamese food is
considered one of the healthiest cuisines worldwide. Due to the Chinese domination of
Vietnam, Vietnamese cuisine is heavily influenced by traditional Chinese medicine.

Soup and cháo (congees)

 Súp măng cua − Asparagus and crab soup typically served as the first dish at banquets

 Cháo − A variation of congee, it uses a variety of different broths and meats, including
duck, offal, fish, etc. When chicken is used, it is called cháo gà.

 Cháo lòng − Rice porridge with pork intestine, liver, gizzard, heart, and kidney

 Bò kho − Beef stew with carrots, usually served with toasted bread or rice noodles.

 Nhúng dấm − Fire pot with a combination of sliced rare beef and seafood cooked in sour
broth, served with thin rice vermicelli noodles, fresh vegetables, rice spring roll
wrapper, and dipping sauce.

Rice dishes

 Cơm hến − Rice with clams – a popular, inexpensive dish in the city of Huế and its
vicinity

 Cơm chiên cá mặn − Fried rice with salty fermented fish and chopped snow pea and
chicken.
  Cá/thịt kho − A traditional family dish of fish or pork cooked in clay pot and served with
sweet and sour soup (canh chua)

 Gà xào gừng − Chicken sauteed with ginger and fish sauce

 Bò lúc lắc − Cubed beef sauteed with cucumber, tomatoes, onion, pepper, and soy sauce

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 chả (sausage).

 Bì cuốn − Rice paper rolls with the bì mixture of thinly shredded pork and thinly
shredded pork skin tossed with powdered toasted rice, among other ingredients, along
with salad; it is similar to summer rolls.

Sandwiches and Pastries

 Bánh Pâté chaud − A French-inspired meat-filled pastry, it is characterized by flaky crust

and either pork or chicken as the filling.

 Bánh mì ốp la − Vietnamese-style fried egg sandwich. "Ốp la" means "sunny-side up".

Meat dishes

 Bò lá lốt − A dish of spiced beef rolled in a pepper leaf (lá lốt) and grilled

 ò lúc lắc −(shaking beef)French-influenced dish of beef cut into cubes and marinated,
served over greens (usually watercress), and sautéed onions and tomatoes, eaten with
rice

 Bò 7 món − (seven courses of beef)Multi-course meal consisting of seven beef dishes.

Developed during the French colonial era when beef became more widely consumed.

Seafood dishes

 Cá cuốn ho − A roll with fish and spring onions

 Cá kho tộ − Caramelized fish in clay pot

  Chạo tôm − Prawn paste/cake on sugarcane

 Bánh Tôm − Prawn and sweet potato fritte.

Salads

 Gỏi ngó senLotus stem salad, with shrimp and pork or chicken

 Gỏi đậu hủTofu salad with shredded cabbage, mint, and soy dressing

 Gỏi nhệchRice paddy eel salad with shredded vegetables

 Gỏi sứaJellyfish salad with carrot, cucumber, and sesame dressing

 Gỏi chân vįtDuck feet salad with shredded cabbage and sweet and sour fish sauce

Desserts

 Chuối chiênBanana deep-fried in a batter, often served hot with cold ice cream,
usually vanilla or coconut

 Bánh flanInfluenced by French cuisine and served with caramel or coffee sauce

 Bánh bòA sweet and airy sponge cake flavored with coconut milk, made from rice flour,
water, sugar, and yeast.

 Bánh da lợnA sweet, soft, steamed layer cake made with rice flour, mung bean, coconut
milk, water, and sugar with alternating layers of starch and flavored filling. Taro or
durian are typically used for the layers of filling.

Beverages

 Jasmine tea − A local tea beverage of Vietnam

 Bia hơi − A Vietnamese specialty draft beer produced locally in small batches

 Sữa đậu nành − A soybean drink served either hot or cold, sweetened or unsweetened

 ượu đế − A distilled liquor made of rice

 Trà đá − A kind of iced tea popular for its cheap price, it has a faint lime-yellow color and
usually does not have much taste.
 Trà đá chanh − Lemon iced tea

 Chanh muối − Sweet and sour salty lime drink

 Soda hột gà − Egg soda

ASIAN CUISINE
Reig Ryan J. Abdon
Marhan M. Matlih
BSHRM - lll