CHAPTER VI

VIETNAMESE CUISINE

Objectives:
At the end of the discussion, the students should be able to:
• Describe Vietnamese cuisine;
• Compare regional cuisines and food specialties served during feast;
• Identify historical influences;
• Specify common ingredients, tools and equipment used in the preparation of the
recipe; and
• Prepare recipes using the cooking methods specified in the recipe.

Introduction
Vietnam has been endowed with fertile land and a long coastline abundant with
seafood. The north part of the country is colder and has minimal variety of produce
compared to the south which is warmer. The north and the south are bordered by the sea
as such seafood plays an important role in the Vietnamese cuisine.
Vietnamese cuisine is divided into three sections: the north, where life is difficult
and the food oftentimes used for survival; the central part with a more sophisticated
cuisine; and the south having the most diverse cultural influences and access to food
supplies.

Historical Influences
Here are some of the culinary traditions that greatly influence Vietnamese Cuisine:
1. Wonton, chair siu, kat tieu, wheat noodles, popia, mooncake, etc. are just some of
dishes that were of Chinese origin and were introduced to Vietnam.
2. From the Chinese, the Vietnamese adopted the use of chopsticks, stir fries,
beancurd and the love for noodles.
3. The French culinary traditions introduced the pates, French bread, sauces, and
butter to the Vietnamese cuisine.
4. Curries came from India.
5. Coconut milk and spices including curries were introduced to Vietnam by Laos and
Cambodia.
6. The Vietnamese adopted the mango sticky rice and lau Thai (That hot pot)
of the Thai Cuisine.
7. Han Quoc and mutat wasabi were of Korean and Japanese origin.
8. The application of the two Chinese philosophies, Yin and Yang and the Five
elements in the preparation of Vietnamese dishes to achieve balance and harmony
in the body and spirit.

Regional Cuisines
1. Though being a small country in Southeast Asia, the food from each region in
Vietnam carry their distinctive and unique characteristics that portray the living
condition of the people.
2. The traditional Southern Vietnamese meal is made up of fresh ingredients that only
the fertile Makong Delta could provide like Ca Loc and a wide range of tropical
 fruits like mangosteen, mango, and dragon fruit etc. The southern style diet is very
green with vegetables, fish and tropical fruits as the main ingredients.
3. In Central Vietnam food is prepared with the strongest, boldest flavor. The
coastline around the Central Vietnam area is known for its salt and fish sauce
industries thus these two condiments are central to their daily diet.
4. Northern Vietnamese Cuisine has a strong Chinese influence and its popular dish
is Pho'. The north prefers noodles as their staple while rice is a staple in the
Southern Vietnamese diet. Northern Vietnamese cooking is the least bold in flavor
compared to foods from Central and Southern Vietnam. All dishes with fish are
garnished with dill.

Korean Feasts
1. A basic feast (co-mot-tang) consists of ten (10) dishes: Five dishes in bowls (nam-
bat) cellophane noodles, bamboo shoot, meatball, bird or chicken stew dishes and
five dishes in plates such as Vietnamese sausage, boiled chicken
Northern Vietnam.
or dude, Vietnam salad and stir frying dishes. This kind of feast is original in
2. Four dishes present during the feast of Tet are Vietnamese sausage, spring roll,
stew dishes and meatball.
3. The feast for offering ancestors includes sticky rice, boiled chicken, Vietnamese
rice, wine and other preferred food by ancestors in the past.
4. Gifts are given before guests leave the feast.

Five Element Correspondence

Vietnamese cuisine is influenced by the Asian principle of five elements and Mahabhúta.
Correspondence Elements
Wood Fire Earth Metal Water
Spices (ngu vi) sour Bitter Sweet Spicy Salty
Organs (ngu Gall Small Stomach Large Urinary
tang) bladder Intestine Intestine Bladder

Colors (ngu sac) Green Red Yellow Black White

Senses (nam giac Visual Taste Touch Smell Sound
quan)
Nutrients (ngu Powder Fat Protein Minerals Water
chat)

Many Vietnamese dishes include five spices (ngu vi) that correspond to five organs
(ngü tang). Vietnamese dishes typically include five types of nutrients (ngù chat) in
addition to five colors (ngü sac) when possible. Dishes in Vietnam appeal to gastronomes
via the five senses (nam giác quan) by the use of food arrangement for the visual, crispy
ingredients for the sound, five spices for the taste, aromatic herbs for the smell, and
contrasting texture and consistency for the touch.

Vietnamese Basic Ingredients

1. Bean Sauce. This is made from fermented soy beans, water, and salt. This potent
sauce is similar to the Japanese miso. It is a great way to brighten the flavor of stir-
fries.
2. Chicken Stock. The Vietnamese prefer a light stock, and may even use a stock
made with only chicken and water.
3. Coconut Milk. This is used mostly for desserts and puddings in Vietnam, not to
create heavy curries as in Thai cooking, this is pulverized coconut meat mixed with
water. Vietnamese cooks prefer the unsweetened variety.
4. Fish Sauce. Known as nuoc mam, this is the ubiquitous element that ties
Vietnamese recipes together. It is made by drying anchovies for a few hours in the
sun, then layering them with salt in earthenware vats, where this concoction is
allowed to ferment. The liquid is drained to ceramic urns where the flavor is allowed
to develop for several months.
5. Five-Spice Powder. A Chinese mixture of spices that imparts a licorice/woodsy
fragrance to a dish. Must be used sparingly.
6. Galanga. This is also known as Thai ginger - this earthy, peppery cousin of ginger
has a tough reddish skin and orange or whitish flesh. It is usually added at the last
minute to get maximum flavor.
7. Ginger. This is universally in Vietnam as garlic in Italy, ginger works wonderfully
to brighten a sauce or stir-fry. It can be used sliced in coins and removed before
service or finely grated and left in the dish.
8. Ground Chili Paste. This is made from ground red chilies, garlic, and vinegar.
Sold in small plastic jars.
9. Hoisin Sauce. This is made from soybean, puree, sugar and caramel sauce. This
salty-sweet sauce is used in dipping sauces, marinades and stir fries. Hoisin sauce
is thick reddish brown.
10. Jasmine Rice. The preferred rice of Southeast Asia. It is long stained ay similar
to Basmati in its floral aroma.
11. Kaffir Lime Leaves. These jade green leaves impart a lemony aroma to curries
soups and stir fries. Kafir lime leaves can be bought frozen of dried. Dried leaves
must be soaked in hot water before use.
12. Lemongrass. This is also known as citronella. This is actually a grass variety, with
an intense lemon flavor which Vietnamese use to A) infuse a soup, sauce or curry
or B) marinate meats and fish. The bottom part of the stem is the edible portion.
13. Mung Bean Sprouts. These have subtle flavor and slightly crunchy. Mungbean
starch is pressed into cellophane noodles.
14. Mushrooms. The straw mushrooms, with their very delicate flavor, are the most
commonly used fresh mushroom in Vietnam, while wood or tree ear mushrooms
are the most commonly used dried ones. They have a crunch texture and very little
flavor.
15. Oyster Sauce. This thick brown sauce is made from ground oysters which are
cooked in salted water and soy sauce, water, cornstarch, and caramel coloring
The sweet-salty flavor goes well with beef. Also good for sautéing veggies.
Good for marinades because of its velvety texture.
 16. Rice Noodles. These are made from rice flour and come flat or round. Flat rice
noodles are categorized into 3 widths - thin medium large. Thin and medium
noodles are used for soups, while the widest are reserved for stir fries.
17. Rice Paper. This is made from a batter of rice flour, water and salt. The paperis
steamed, then dried on bamboo racks. Used as wrapper for a variety of spring
rolls.
18. Tamarind. A large brown pod fruit - but usually sold in syrupy liquid form or dried
blocks. Acidy in taste - good for soups or fresh crab dishes.

Condiments
Vietnamese usually use raw vegetables as condiments for their dishes. It named
rau song (literally: raw vegetable) or rau ghém (literally: sliced vegetable) It combines
properly with each main dish in flavor. For some dishes, rau song could come into almost
all the flavors: sour, bitter, spicy. Dishes in which rau song is indispensable are bánh xeo
and hot pot. The vegetables principally are herbs and wild edible vegetables gathered
from forests and family gardens. Leaves and buds are the most common parts of
vegetables used. Most of the vegetables have medicinal value.

Rau song includes:

1. Lettuce (xà lách)
2. Raw bean sprout (giá sông)
3. Herbs (rau thom)
4. Shredded banana flower (bap chuôi bào)
5. Green banana (chuôi xanh)
6. Split water spinach (rau muông ché)
7. Mango bud (dot ход)
8. Guava leaves (lá 01)
Pairing
1. Chicken dishes are combined with lime leaves.
2. Crab and seashell dishes are combined with fishy smell herb and perilla.
3. Dishes reputed as "cold" or "fishy smelled", such as catfish, clams or snails, are
combined with ginger or lemongrass.
Sauces
1. Mâm tôm (shrimp paste)
2. Nwóc mam (fish extract) The fish sauce can be used as it is or mixed with lemon
juice, garlic, vinegar, sugar, and chili. This mixture is called Nuóc mam pha.
3. Twong made from fermented soybeans
4. Soya sauce, mostly used in marinades and sauces.
5. Hoisin sauce, mixed in Pho or as a dipping sauce
6. Hot chili sauce

Food Colourings
The color of Vietnamese food comes from natural ingredients.
1. Red: usually from beetroot or by frying annatto seed to make oil (dâu diêu)
2. Orange: for sticky rice, comes from Gac
3. Yellow: from turmeric
 4. Green: from pandan leaf or katuk
5. Purple: from magenta plant (lá câm)
6. Black: of gai cake is from ramie leaf (lá gai)
7. Dark brown: for stew dishes, using nuoc mäu or nuoc häng, which is made by heating
sugar to the temperature above that of caramel (170 °C).

Colourings can be absorbed by mixing ground colourings or colouring liquid or

wraping before boiling to get the extracts. When colouring dishes, the tastes and smells
of colourings must also be considered.

Herbs and Spices

1. Coriander and green onion leaves can be found in most Vietnamese dishes.
2. A basic technique of stir-frying vegetable is frying garlic or shallot with oil before
put vegetable into the pan.
3. In Northern Vietnam, all dishes with fish must be garnished with dill.
4. In Central Vietnam, the mixture of ground lemon grass and chili pepper are
frequently used in dishes with beef.
5. In Southern Vietnam, coconut water is used in most stew dishes.
6. The pair culantro (ngò gai) and rice paddy herb (ngò om or ngô) is indispensable
in all kinds of sour soups in the Southern Vietnam.
7. Spearmint is often used with strongly fishy dishes.
8. Perilla is usually used with crab dishes.

Basic Tools and Utensils

1. Mortar and Pestle. When recipes call for garlic, chilies, and spices to be pounded
and smashed in a mortar, the resulting flavor is intensely aromatic, because the
essential oils are being released directly into the food. The taste will always be
superior to dishes in which the aromatics are only sliced or chopped. Using the
weight of the pestle, pound hard to smash the ingredients.
2. Rice Cooker. An electric rice cooker adds several conveniences that should be
considered. Always use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon in your rice cooker, to
protect its special coating.
3. Wok. This is used for sauteing, blanching, steaming, poaching, and deep frying,
it's no wonder the wok is in every kitchen in Asia. A teflon-coated wok is probably
more practical, since it requires less energy.
4. Chopsticks. This is used for beating, turning, mixing, dipping, eating- not bad for
slabs of bamboo.
5. Charcoal Stove. All cooking in Vietnam is done on an earthenware charcoal stove
not entirely unlike our western barbecue grills. This imparts a special quality to
food that cannot be duplicated with a gas range and oven.
6. Knives. These are important in any cuisine, but in Vietnam, where knife skills and
delicate garnishes are as important as seasoning and cooking skills, your knife can
be your best friend.
7. Food Processor. The dressings, pureed sauces, paste, and pates are all easier
with a food processor on hand. In fact, many recipes would be time prohibitive in
our hectic lives without one.
Cooking Techniques Common in Vietnam

1. Braising/Simmering. In Vietnam, this is usually done over charcoal. This is the

technique used for making soups and stews.
2. Stir Frying. This is rapid cooking over intense heat. The hot oil used seals and
coats ingredients, and what little liquid escapes serves to steam the food. It is
important that your wok or pan is pre-heated. Putting food in a cold wok takes more
time and causes the food to overcook.
3. Deep-frying. To produce perfectly fried, crispy food, there ar several things to
remember. Your oil (Peanut is very popular in Vietnam) should be about 375
degrees. To help maintain this heat, it is advisable to allow foods to reach room
temperature before adding them to the oil. Safety is also a prime concern when
deep frying. Use a very deep sauce pan or a flat bottomed wok when deep frying.
4. Steaming. This is a common way to cook foods using moist heat, without removing
nutrients and color the way that boiling does. The Chinese prefer bamboo
steamers, but in Vietnam, cooks are partial to aluminum or stainless steel pots with
metal inserts.
5. Grilling/Barbequing. Many Vietnamese recipes depend on the special flavor that
grilling food over an open flame imparts. Vietnamese cooks believe so strongly in
the superiority of this method, that they even simmer and stir-fry over this type of
flame. It is important to note that wood or charcoal is used.