Which Vietnamese dishes to try in Vietnam?

Spending time to try Vietnamese cuisine is one of the must-do activities when you travel to Vietnam. Nowadays, Vietnamese food becomes more and more popular around the world. The taste varies from the north to the south of the country but in general, the cuisine relies on a balance of salty, sweet, sour and hot flavors, achieved through the use of nuoc mam, a fermented fish sauce, cane sugar and chili peppers. Some food lovers have rated the Vietnamese cuisine as one of the healthiest cuisines in the world thanks to the balance of rice, noodles, fresh vegetable and herbs used as the main ingredients in every Vietnamese dish. In fact, food is at the very heart of Vietnamese culture. Almost every aspect of social, devotional, and family life revolves around the procurement, preparation, and shared pleasure of nourishment. Thus, exploring the Vietnamese cuisine is an important part of your trip in Vietnam.

Here are some traditional dishes that you should definitely try during your holidays in Vietnam

1/Pho

Steaming bowl of Pho Tai Nam at Pho Gia Truyen in Hanoi, Vietnam.

This is the Vietnam’s national dish, which is sold everywhere from nice restaurants to street corners. Pho is commonly eaten for breakfast, although many people will have it for their lunch or dinner. The basic bowl of pho consists of a light beef or chicken flavored with ginger and coriander, flat rice noodles, spring onions, chicken, pork or beef.

2/ Banh mi

Banh Mi - Vietnamese Sandwich

Along with pho, easily the most exported Vietnamese specialty is banh mi. Walking around Saigon you will see dozens of carts selling "banh mi" so it is never hard to find. The basic sandwich starts with a crusty baguette that is sliced in half and stuffed with layers of pork, shredded cured pork skin, pâté, mayonnaise, Vietnamese radish and carrot pickles, a handful of sliced cucumbers, sprigs of coriander (cilantro), and last but not least, an optional scoop of fresh pounded chilies.

3/ Banh Xeo

Banh Xeo - the best food in the Southern Vietnam

Bánh xèo is a large crepe filled with loads of tasty goodies. The Vietnamese make it with rice flour and coconut milk and cram in meat, shellfish, fresh herbs, and crunchy vegetables. Many foreign tourists compare "Banh Xeo" to "pancake". In reality, this is an unsatisfactory translation, as bánh xèo is far more flavorsome and interesting.

4/ Goi Cuon

"Gỏi cuốn" is a traditional Vietnamese food. we roll the Shrimp, Beef, Carb, Avocado, Tofu in rice paper and served with sauce...

The translucent parcels are first packed with salad greens, a slither of meat or seafood and a layer of coriander, before being neatly rolled and dunked in Vietnam’s favorite condiment -- fish sauce.

5/ Nem Ran or Cha Gio

This dish is called Nem Ran by northerners and Cha Gio by southerners. Although it ranks among Vietnam's specialty dishes, Nem Ran is not difficult to prepare. Consequently, it has long been cooked on special occasions such as Tet and other family festivities.

This dish is called Nem Ran by northerners

Main ingredients of Nem Ran comprise of lean minced pork, crabs or 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 together before being wrapped with transparent rice paper into small rolls. Finally, these rolls are then fried in boiling oil.

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