Vietnam Food Culture

• Nov 19, 2015
• Admin

Vietnam cuisine is fairly famous around the world as one of the healthiest cuisines in the world by it diversity in tastes and the way of cooking which is characterized by fresh ingredients, minimal use of oil, and a reliance on herbs and vegetables

Like China, Vietnam cuisine is a harmony combination of five fundamental tastes in the overall meal which includes spicy (metal), sour (wood), bitter (fire), salty (water) and sweet (Earth) that provides a balance that is beneficial for the body. The common ingredients include fish sauce, shrimp paste, soy sauce, rice, fresh herbs, and fruits and vegetables

Main characteristic of Vietnam food

Rice country

In Vietnam, rice is used in many main dishes and snacks such as boiled rice in daily meal rice porridge, steamed rice, glutinous rice cake, well-known Banh Chung, and many made- from rice dishes in Vietnam regions.

It is an object for worshipping in many temples of Vietnam or in big Vietnam ceremonies It is said to originate from the Mother GodDess Worshipping, the most long- standing belief in Vietnam

Using fish sauce

Like rice, fish sauce is also used in every meal of Vietnamese which contributes a great culture feature in Vietnamese food. Vietnamese has a hundred kind of sauce, applied for different dishes and different regions and four different seasons

Spices

Vietnamese cuisine is quite unique and irreplaceable by using of spices when cooking. Besides the use of some common spices like salt, pepper, sugar, vinegar, chili, lemon, onion, Vietnam also has its unique spices which vary from region to region

Typical Vietnamese family meal

Vietnamese family meal typically has large bowl or cooker of steamed long-grain white rice, individual bowls of rice, seafood, meat, tofu, raw, pickled, steamed, or fresh vegetables, a bowl of soup and fish sauce for dipping, to which garlic, pepper, chili, ginger.

And all dishes are put in the middle of the table and shared by individual bowls.

Characteristic of three main Vietnam regions

Vietnam cuisine is famous by diversity not only by dishes but also by different characteristics in each region.

Northern Cuisine

Northern Cuisine is not bold and spicy, fatty, sweet with other regions like Southern or Central Part which mainly use diluted fish sauce, shrimp sauce. Use more vegetables and other fresh seafood readily available such as shrimp, crab, fish, clams, mussels

Central Cuisine

This region is unique characteristics expressed by distinct flavors, spicy and salty food.

Southern Cuisine

By the influence of Chinese food, Cambodia, Thailand, Sothern dishes are characterized in more often or use sugar and coconut milk (the juice of the coconut water and creep)

If you are food lovers, don't miss Vietnam. Let's start going to Vietnam, remember that don't forget to check your visa  before you want to go Vietnam