Vietnamese dishes are known by everyone on over the world. There are plenty of Vietnamese dishes that tourists must try once in life. If you are traveling to Vietnam and don’t know what to eat, let’s try 10 Vietnamese suggestions with Go Travel through this article!
10 must-try Vietnamese dishes for travelers
While Pho and Banh Mi are still popular in the West, the complete range of Vietnamese dishes is a symphony of pleasantly textured, vibrant, and spicy tastes.
Vietnamese people like their food, and chefs make the most of each region’s wealth of fresh vegetables and unique flavors. Northern cuisine is famed for its simplicity; center Vietnamese dishes are liberal in spice and quantity; and southerners prefer to add sweetness. You’ll eat well no matter where you go in this nation.
1. Phở – Pho
The term Pho refers to the type of noodle used in the recipe, and it is the archetypal Vietnamese cuisine. In a robust beef stock, flat rice noodles swirl about with medium-rare slivers of beef or cooked chicken. The more well-known of the two kinds is Pho Hanoi. It comes from the north and is defined by a transparent broth and is topped with a squeeze of lemon and slices of bird’s eye chile. Pho Nam, the southern version, has a murkier broth and is served with a bouquet of fresh herbs such as bean sprouts, basil, and mint.
The key to a decent bowl of soup is in the stock. To add a natural sweetness to the combination, the broth is generally flavored with aromatic star anise, clove, and cinnamon. Unbeknownst to outsiders, this delicacy can be served on practically every street corner and is actually eaten in the morning.
2. Bánh Mì – Banh Mi
Baguettes may have been influenced by the French, but Banh Mi is one of the authentically Vietnamese dishes. Paté and margarine are quickly smeared throughout the soft, chewy interior of a baguette, followed by pickled vegetables, fresh cilantro, pork belly, pig floss, and cucumber. Sink your teeth into the crispy crust and watch as the warm roll transforms into a kaleidoscope of sensations.
3. Cơm Tấm – Com Tam
Vietnamese farmers used to consume the broken rice grains that they couldn’t sell. Nowadays, “broken” rice is a common dietary staple among working-class people. The preparations for Com Tam may be rather sumptuous for a supper of humble beginnings.
While it may be cooked in a variety of ways, the most common in Vietnamese dishes is Com Tam Suon Nuong Op La. A fried egg is served beside a caramelized grilled pork chop on a bed of broken rice. The meal is then smeared with nc chm, a chili, fish sauce, and sugar concoction, and drizzled with green onion oil. A garnish of shredded pickled carrots and daikon, cucumber and tomato slices, and crushed fried pork rinds and shallots completes the dish.
4. Bún Bò Huế – Bun Bo Hue
Bun Bo Hue, a powerful showcase of both beauty and flavor, represents the fabled royal cuisine of Hue. The shockingly scarlet soup is the first indication of its distinctive flavor—the product of hours spent boiling beef bones and lemongrass stalks to create a zesty combination. This lively meal is boosted with flash-boiled veggies and succulent beef shanks. Although this is a beef soup (the word Bo is Vietnamese for beef), don’t be shocked if you find sausage in the bowl. Cha Lua is a sausage composed of ham paste with a texture similar to tofu which can be added to different Vietnamese dishes.
5. Cao Lầu – Cao Lau
According to a long-time Chinese in Hoi An, Cao Lau has appeared in the old town since the 17th century, when Hoi An port was just opened and Lord Nguyen allowed foreign merchant ships to come here to exchange goods. Although the Japanese entered Hoi An to trade first, it was the Chinese who remained the longest in this ancient land. Cao Lau is not a noodle dish, nor is it like pho at all.
This seductive bowl of noodles is a combination of Japanese, Chinese, and Vietnamese flavors, paying homage to the history of the coastal trading port from whence it originated. Chinese grilled pig slices are fanned over Cao Lau noodles. These thick noodles, which have the same heaviness as Japanese udon, are then topped with fresh herbs and crumbled pork cracklings before being drenched in a spice-laden broth. Cao Lau is claimed to be manufactured from the water discovered in Hoi An’s thousand-year-old Ba Le well, which is said to have magical characteristics.
6. Cơm Gà – Com Ga
Chicken with rice is a tried-and-true pairing. However, in Hoi An, this delectable combination is heightened by the use of fresh ingredients from the countryside. To complement a dish of turmeric rice, soft chicken strips are shredded and combined with flavored fish sauce and onions. On the side, pickled shallots, radishes, and herbs are offered.
Cooks all throughout the country have their unique ways of making their turmeric rice stand out. To balance off the fiery chicken marinade and tender, young eggs, classic Hoi An chicken rice is topped with a few leaves of Vietnamese coriander and hot mint. A plate of golden chicken rice is absolutely the ideal treat after a day of walking around the Ancient Town.
7. Bún Chả – Bun Cha
Bun Cha gained an instant hit after President Obama was photographed devouring a dish of these grilled pig patties with Anthony Bourdain. However, this Hanoi Old Quarter specialty has always been popular among residents. The aroma of pig grilled over hot charcoal wafts along the pavements at midday, filling the noses of hungry Hanoians.
Cold Bun (rice vermicelli); slices of seasoned pork belly; a mound of fresh herbs and salad greens; and, last but not least, medallions of minced pork floating in a bowl filled with a fish sauce-based broth compose this typical northern Vietnamese dishes. Scoop tiny bundles of Bun into your soup bowl and alternate between eating the noodles, the pork, and the greens.
8. Mì Quảng – Mi Quang
Mi Quang skillfully pulls off an identity dilemma, part soup, part salad. That being said, don’t be fooled by Mi Quang’s grace. This light and springy noodle dish from Central Vietnam’s Quang Nam province is street food. The brilliant yellow noodles get their vibrant hue from a turmeric-infused broth rich in peanut oil. This “soup” is made with only a ladleful of broth and may be topped with anything from shrimp and chicken to pig belly and snakehead fish. Mi Quang is best served with toasted sesame rice crackers topped with sliced banana blossoms, Vietnamese coriander, and basil.
9. Bánh Xèo – Banh Xeo
Banh Xeo, a Mekong Delta invention, is popular throughout southern and central Vietnam. It’s an audio-visual experience watching the crispy crepe being assembled: the batter crackles noisily when it hits the hot pan — xeo means sizzling — and the edges progressively curl and brown as the professional xeo maker skilfully turns the pan to uniformly spread out the thick batter.
The inclusion of turmeric gives the batter its yellowish tint, which is usually produced from rice flour and coconut milk. Another French-inspired treat, the savory pancake is loaded with boiling pork, minced pig, bean sprouts, and prawns before being folded like a crepe. Banh Xeo should not be overly soggy and is best served hot from the pan.
10. Xôi – Xoi
Xoi, Vietnamese sticky rice is a departure from other sticky rice interpretations in the region. The weighted, more dense glutinous staple comes in a savory or sweet option. Xoi Man, savory xoi, is a popular, inexpensive breakfast fix. Hankering for something sweeter? There are over 20 types of Xoi Ngot; but if you’re hoping to be mesmerized, you’re in luck. Xoi Ngu Sac, the five-colored Xoi, is a psychedelic swirl of purple, green, red, yellow, and white, pigmented using natural plant extracts.
Go Travel ensures that you can find out your own Vietnamese dishes while wandering around Vietnam for days. However, if you want to book a tour to discover more about Vietnam, call us through the hotline at [+84] 934 105 788!
You might also be interested in:
Comment (0)