Com (White rice)

To the Vietnamese people, Com is used for the main meals of the day (lunch and dinner). Rice is eaten together with a variety of different dishes and is made from different kinds of rice. Typically fragrant rice is used, such as Tam Thom and Nang Huong. An ordinary meal may consist of boiled rice and the following:

Mon an kho (meal without soup) consists of dishes of pork, fish, shrimp, and vegetable stirred in fat, as well as vegetable pickles, etc.

Mon canh (meal with soup) consists of a soup made with pork or spare-ribs, crab meat, and fish.

In the past several years, people in urban centres have begun to go out for lunch at food stalls on the street. Consequently there has been a proliferation of temporary food stalls along many sidewalks and public spaces in cities. Some stalls are open until late in the morning to cater to regular customers. Around noon, owners can be seen arranging tables and benches along the pavement to form makeshift shop floors. After two or three hours, when there are no more customers, they begin to remove all of their wooden furniture, so that the place resumes its former appearance. A well served lunch for one costs very little money.

Banh Chung (Sticky Rice Cake)

Sticky rice cakes are a Vietnamese traditional dish that must be part of Tet meals. As a matter of fact, every Vietnamese family must have sticky rice cakes among offerings placed on the altar to their ancestors.

Bang chung is made of glutinous rice, pork meat, and green beans paste wrapped in a square of bamboo leaves, giving the rice a green colour after boiling.

According to the legend, under the reign of the Hung Kings, Prince Lang Lieu created sticky rice cakes and presented them to his father. Bang chung won high acclaims from the King who awarded the prince his throne.

Making sticky rice cakes is a very meticulous job. To obtain the best cakes, rice has to soak in water for an entire day. The pork meat must include skin and fat, the green beans must be of the same size, and the bamboo leaves must be fresh. Squaring off and tying cakes with bamboo strings requires skilful hands.

Sticky rice cakes are available at any time of the year, although one can enjoy them with relatives and friends during Tet. During Tet, rice cakes are served with gio lua and hanh muoi– lean meat pie and salted sour onions. 

Gio Lua (Lean Pork Pie)

Lean pork pie is available in Vietnam only and is called differently in the north and south. Foreigners as well as Vietnamese are fond of lean pork pie.

Gio lua consists of pork meat wrapped in fresh banana leaves. The little bundles are then boiled. The most delicious part of lean pork pie is the top layer since it absorbs the banana leaves aroma. 

Pho - Noodles

Pho is the most popular food amongst the population. Pho is commonly eaten for breakfast, although many people will have it for their lunch or dinner. Anyone feeling hungry in the small hours of the morning can also enjoy a bowl of hot and spicy pho to fill their empty stomachs.

Like hot green tea which has its particular fragrance, pho also has its special taste and smell. Preparations may vary, but when the dish is served, its smell and taste is indispensable. The grated rice noodle is made of the best variety of fragrant rice called Gao Te. The soup for Pho Bo (Pho with beef) is made by stewing the bones of cows and pigs for a long time in a large pot. Pieces of fillet mignon together with several slices of ginger are reserved for Pho Bo Tai (rare fillet). Slices of well done meat are offered to those less keen on eating rare fillets.

The soup for Pho Ga (pho with chicken meat) is made by stewing together chicken and pig bones. The white chicken meat that is usually served with Pho Ga is boneless and is cut into thin slices. You could consider Pho Bo and Pho Ga Vietnam's special soups. It also has the added advantage of being convenient to prepare and healthy to eat.

Cha Ca (grilled minced fish)

Grilled minced fish has been served in Vietnam for more than 100 years. The Doan family of Cha Ca Street in Hanoi first invented this dish.

A wide variety of fish can be used in this dish including sturgeon and tuna. Tuna is low in fat, has an exquisite flavour, and few bones. The bones are separated from the meat and put in saffron water to be later used in a sauce. The fish is placed in salt to marinate before being grilled.

What is interesting about this dish is that people can add their favourite condiments: coriander, mint, dill, shallots, and more.

Com (Grilled rice)

Grilled rice is mostly served in the fall. After collecting the rice from the fields, several steps have to be performed to obtain excellent com. After removing the grains from their hulks, the rice is wrapped in lotus leaves to keep it from drying and to allow it to absorb the lotus flavour.

We can find grilled rice everywhere in Vietnam, but the best one is found in Vong village, 5 km from Hanoi. People in this village still use traditional secret recipes. People eat grilled rice with eggs, bananas, or sapodillas.

Banh Cuon (Rice Flour Steamed Rolls)

Having banh cuon for breakfast is a great favourite among many Vietnamese.

Banh cuon is made of rice flour. Thoroughly selected rice is soaked overnight, then ground with a stone mortar. Food preservatives are put into the flour to make the rice sheets softer and smoother. A screen of cloth used to mold the rice sheets is fitted over the opening of a pot of boiling water. Flour is spread on the screen and covered with a lid. After a few minutes, a bamboo stick is used to strip the thin layer of flour off the screen. Then it is rolled up and sprinkled with fried onions.

A small village in a suburb of Hanoi is famous for its banh cuon. People there serve it with a dressing comprising lean meat, shrimps, mushrooms, dried onions, fish sauce, and pepper.

All the ingredients are stirred fried, put into a banh cuon, and rolled up.

Banh cuon is delicious when it is very thin, white, and sticky. It is even tastier when dipped in a sweet, sour, and spicy sauce.

Bun (rice vermicelli)

Vietnamese vermicelli is a luxurious as well as a popular dish. There are different varieties of vermicelli depending on their shape: bun roi or stirred vermicelli, bun mam or twisted vermicelli, bun la or vermicelli paper, and bun dem tram or shred vermicelli.

Different ingredients can be served with vermicelli: grilled pork meat, fried rice cakes, snails, fried eggs, lean meat pie, chicken, and crab soup, only to name a few.

Each region and locality, even each restaurant, has its own vermicelli dishes with their own recipes.

Mien (vermicelli made of cassava)

Mien threads are very long and tough, made from a kind of tuber plant called the cassava. When being served these long tiny flour threads, the threads are cut into smaller pieces. Like rice vermicelli, this kind of cassava vermicelli is used to make several different dishes, the most popular being Mien Ga (chicken cassava vermicelli), Mien Bo (beef cassava vermicelli), and Mien Luon (eel cassava vermicelli).

Cassava vermicelli is also used for different dishes which is stirred in fat, such as Mien Xao Thit (vermicelli and pork stirred in fat), Mien Xao Long Ga (vermicelli and chicken tripe stirred in fat), and Mien Xao Cua Be (vermicelli and sea crab meat stirred in fat).

Banh Tom (crisp shrimp pastry)

This dish is available almost everywhere in the country, but it is best to have it at the Nha Hang Ho Tay (Ho Tay Restaurant) on the banks of Truc Bach Lake, close to Ho Tay (West Lake). While connoisseurs are awaiting the arrival of the hot fried shrimp pastry, they can enjoy the picturesque land and lakescapes offered by the tree-lined Thanh Nien Road, and the vast expanse of water from West Lake.

The dish should be enjoyed as soon as it reaches the table. The fried pastry is topped with red shrimps and is eaten together with dishes of spicy vegetables that are mixed with sweet and sour sauce.

To remind you of the local crimping business, waiters will often tell you that the shrimps you have ordered for your meal have just been netted from nearby Ho Tay. This will surely make you remember your stay in Hanoi and your Banh Tom Ho Tay.

Nom (salad)

This dish is a combination of a variety of fresh vegetables, usually used in salads in Western countries. The make-up of Nom, however, is slightly different.

The main ingredients of Nom include grated pieces of turnip, cabbage, or papaya, and slices of cucumber with grated, boiled, lean pork. Other auxiliary ingredients include grated carrot, slices of hot chilly, and broken roasted groundnuts. These are used to make the dish more colourful. All are mixed thoroughly before being soaked in vinegar, sugar, garlic, hot chilly, and seasoned with salt.

The presentation of the dish is also very meticulous. The mixture of ingredients is put into a dish before being covered with vegetables.

To try a mouthful of Nom is to enjoy a combination of all the tastes life has to offer, including sour, hot, sweet, salty, and fragrant tastes. The dish helps with digestion at meals and parties. It can become an addictive aid to assist the real connoisseur to enjoy more food.

Nem Ran or Cha Gio (fried spring roll)

This dish is called Nem Ran by northerners and Cha Gio by southerners. In Hanoi the introduction of Nem Ran dates back to a time when Cha Ca had not existed. Although it ranks among Vietnam's specialty dishes, Nem Ran is very easy to prepare. Consequently, it has long been a preferred food on special occasions such as Tet and other family festivities.

Ingredients used for Nem Ran comprise of lean minced pork, sea crabs or unshelled shrimps, two kinds of edible mushroom(Nam Huong and Moc Nhi), dried onion, duck eggs, pepper, salt and different kinds of seasoning. All are mixed thoroughly before being wrapped with transparent rice paper into small rolls. These rolls are then fried in boiling oil.

Faifo Dainty (Da Nang)

Faifo dainty is a fairly unknown Vietnamese dish named after an old street in Hoi An.

Dainty fiber is carefully made. Rice is put in water containing ashes from wood found in Cu Lao Cham. Then, the rice is ground and boiled quickly to make a fibrous mixture. Dainty can be preserved only one day, which is why it is boiled and dried. Dainty fibers have a dark-yellow colour.

The filling for dainty consists of lean pork and other condiments that are stirred fried. Then, the dainty is cut into finger-long pieces that are dried and grilled. Finally, the filling is put into the dainty. For a saltier taste, one can add fish sauce. Chicken meat cut in squares combined to small shrimps can also be added to the recipe. Although dainty is not a popular meal in Vietnam, it is still served in certain restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City.

Tom Chua (Hue Sour Shrimps)

When Hue natives living outside the city return to their homeland, they usually have sour shrimps. Tourists also make sure to buy some sour shrimps jars before leaving Hue.

Because of the dish’ national reputation, some cooks and merchants specialize in making sour shrimps. In the past, people were making this dish at home, but it is now easier to buy it at the market.

This dish can be prepared with any kind of shrimps. The recipe includes a number of steps that must be performed in a specific order. Put fresh, clean, and dry shrimps of approximately the same size in wine along with dry bamboo shoot, garlic, and chilli. Keep the ingredients in a closed container at room temperature for 3 days. Then put the container in a cool and dry place. After 5 or 7 days, the shrimps are ready.

Com hen (Hue Mussel Rice)

Hot white rice is part of every meal in Vietnam, but only Hue mussel rice is served cool. Hue people, after deciding that no food should be wasted, have designed this dish using leftover rice.

This dish includes Chinese vermicelli, bamboo shoot, lean pork meat, and an assortment of green vegetables (banana leaves, mint, star fruit, etc.).

The broth obtained after boiling the mussels is used to flavour the rice. Ginger, sesame, and chilli are also added to the broth. This dish is very spicy and it is not rare to see people with watery eyes and sweaty faces while eating it; however, everyone congratulates the cook for such a delicious meal.

Hue Beef Noodle Soup

One must have years of experience to cook excellent Hue beef noodle soup. This recipe mainly consists of shredded meat and rice noodles. Most restaurants and merchants in Hue do not make the rice noodles themselves; they buy them in Van Cu and Bao Vinh, two villages located near Hue.

Learning how to make a clear broth from bone and meat is also a difficult task, but cooks have the satisfaction of seeing customers enjoying a good meal. The secret of this recipe resides in the meat–this is why it must be bought early in the morning directly from the slaughterhouse. The meat is then shredded, boiled, and taken out of the water to obtain a delicious clear broth.

The amount of salt put in the recipe varies depending on the season; during summer, Hue beef noodle soup is served with soy bean, mint, and different kinds of lettuce; in the winter, the recipe is saltier and lemongrass and fish sauce are added.

Cau Mong Beef

Cau Mong beef is a speciality of Cau Mong, located 15 km from Da Nang, Dien Ban district, where nearly 10 restaurants serve that dish. Cau Mong beef has been served for a long time and is found in many places outside Da Nang such as Hoi An, Tam Ky, Vinh Dien, and Ho Chi Minh City.

The meat along with its skin is cut in thin slices, half cooked, and eaten with nem, which consists of fish sauce mixed with soy sauce, sugar, chilli, garlic, lemon, star fruit, vervain, and green banana.  

Hu Tieu (My Tho Noodle Soup)

My Tho seafood noodle soup is different from Chinese noodle soup, nam vang soup, and Hue beef noodle soup, because it contains soy bean, lemon, chilli, and soy sauce instead of herbs and lettuce.

Back in the 1960s, a shop in My Tho, 70 km from Ho Chi Minh City, started serving this dish using a secret recipe for the rice noodles. Ever since then, its reputation has grown to become a very well known meal in Vietnam.

It is said that the most delicious noodle soup is made with Co Cat rice, from the most famous rice growing area of My Phong village, a suburb of My Tho.

The sweet aroma of the broth comes from the meat, dried squid, and special condiments.My Tho noodle soup is a traditional dish specific to the south.

Lau Mam (Mixed Soup)

Lau mam was a popular dish among farming communities hundreds of years ago, especially in southwestern provinces. Nowadays, lau mam is considered as a delicacy and is often served to special guests. Lau designates the broth, and mam, salted fish.

The main ingredient used in the broth is marinated fish to which is added meat and vegetables. Various ingredients such as seafood, fish, and meat are prepared on separate plates. Guests choose and boil their meat in the broth. The meal is accompanied by several fresh vegetables and aromatic herbs.

This dish is particularly enjoyed since so many alternatives are possible, offering a wide array of delicious flavours.

Canh Chua (Fish Sour Soup)

Chao Tom (Grilled Shrimp Paste)

Foreigners often say that grilled shrimp paste is a very unusual dish made from very simple ingredients. The recipe consists of clean shrimps placed in coconut water. The shrimps are later grilled and grounded to obtain shrimp flour. The flour is mixed with fat and sugar to finally obtain shrimp paste. This dish is served with fish sauce.

Banh Cuon Trang Bang (Rice Cakes)

Trang Bang, located 40 km from Ho Chi Minh City, is where one can find the best rice paper and rice cakes.

Both can be found everywhere, but nowhere are they better than in Trang Bang because they are made with local rice. The rice flour is roasted for 4 or 5 hours and made into thick cakes. Once the cakes are dried, they are placed into nylon bags.

These cakes can be eaten with shrimp, meat, salad, and coriander. During Tet, the cakes are served with roasted meat, eggs, and sour mustard.