Tofu - "poor man's meat" in Vietnam

An  inexpensive  protein food  invented  by the Chinese. bean curd or tofu is now widely  enjoyed  throughout  the world as an alternative to meat or fish.

Vietnamese Cooking Techniques

The traditional cooking methods of Vietnam require few culinary tools but a great deal of attention to detail. Fresh ingredients are of the utmost importance , followed by the balance of sharp or mild, salty or sweet. bitter or sour. or a combination of all of these flavours . The layering of ingredients is also important, especially in Vietnamese noodle dishes, where flavours  and textures  should complement each other  but remain separate.  Almost every  meal is prepared from scratch, starting with  the  plucking of  chickens and grinding of spices,  followed  by the grilling over charcoal,  gentle simmering and steaming,  or stir-frying. Armed with the correct equipment, the cooking is fairly easy - most of the work is in the preparation.

Vietnamese traditional bread

The people of Vietnam and Cambodia eat a lot more bread (banh mi) than those in the rest of South-east Asia. Having both been influenced by French colonization and wartime occupation, bread has become a daily feature. Somewhere between a long, crispy French baguette and the wider Middle Eastern loaf, the bread of Vietnam is usually made from a combination of wheat and rice flours and is shorter than a baguette with a slit down the middle. Whether used for grilled meat and salad sandwiches, flavoured with fresh herbs and chillies, or smeared with a local pork pate and a splash of chilli sauce, freshly baked loaves are available in the streets of southern Vietnam just as easily as noodles. Torn into chunks to dip into stews and curries, bread is also served as an alternative to noodles or rice.

Vietnamese Noodles

South-east Asian cooking uses noodles in great quantities. If the main dish doesn't contain rice to provide the starch content of the meal, then it will consist of noodles. They are eaten at all hours of the day, in a soup for breakfast, simply stir-fried for a quick and filling snack, or more elaborately incorporated into a main dish with meat, fish and vegetables. It is no wonder that the most common type of food stall in Vietnam is the "rice and noodle" shop, as these two ingredients form the basis of every dish.
In Vietnam and Cambodia, there are a variety of noodles, many of them made from rice. The everyday noodles in Vietnam fall into three main types: bun, which are long and thin, similar to Italian vermicelli and called rice sticks - they are used in soups, side dishes, and as a wrapping for meat and seafood; banh pho, also called rice sticks, but they are flatter , thicker and sturdier, ideal for substantial soups such as pho, and stir-fries; and the fine banh hoi which resemble angel hair pasta and are primarily used in thin broths.

Rice and products from Vietnam

In Vietnam, there are three main groups of rice: long grain, short grain, and sticky "glutinous"  rice. The most widely grown and the most frequently consumed  is the long grain; in the cooler northern regions of Vietnam, the plum per short grain sometimes takes preference. Sticky rice is often used in porridge-style dishes and wrapped in banana leaves to make savoury and sweet "ca kes".

Vietnamese Customs and Festivals

As eating plays such an important role in Vietnamese society, there are certain requirements of dining etiquette, although this can vary from region to region . For example, in northern and central Vietnam, it is custom for the oldest family member to sit nearest the door and everyone else to be arranged in descending age. The eldest will also be the first to help himself to food and a host will often serve the guest. In the south where the traditions of etiquette are more  relaxed, everyone can dive  in and help themselves . If you are the guest, one tradition  that is important to remember  is the  bearing of a small gift. Whether you are invited to eat in a home or  restaurant,  throughout  Asia, from Turkey to China, it is polite to bring your hosts a little box of something sweet or a bunch of fresh flowers - although in Vietnam t he flowers should never be white as this signifies death.

Vietnam Today

Today Vietnam is a thrilling place to be. Resplendent with colour, exotic  smells, and delicious tastes,  it has risen from the  ruins with  its spirit intact.  From the border with China in the north to the rice mills of the Mekong Delta in the south, this land of rivers and  lush, emerald­ green paddy  fields  hums with activity. There are unspoiled beaches,  peaceful lagoons, dense jungles and rugged mountains with roaring waterfalls.
Visitors are graciously accepted and the Vietnamese people, in spite of their history of hardship and suffering, are always smiling and friendly.