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Noodle houses, cucumbers, and the power of
the chile pepper...
No matter where you are in Asia, the local people will tell you
that they have the best food on the continent -- perhaps in the
world. The Vietnamese are no different...
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| Lunch in Saigon |
Vietnam has three basic regional cuisines. North Vietnamese
food is not quite as rich or spicy as that of the country's
south. Some would call it "subtle." It may be warm; but it is
the warmth of black pepper, not red chiles. And North Vietnamese
food looks much more like Chinese food than do the cuisines in
other parts of the country.
The hottest food in the country is from Central Vietnam.
Chile peppers are everywhere, in everything. And the cooks and
chefs of the region like to be creative, try new things with
their dishes.
In Vietnam's southern region chefs are preoccupied with
vegetables. And while vegetables are as likely as not to be
pickled in
Hanoi, in
Saigon they will be fresh. The cuisine of
Vietnam's southern region is also more influenced by the French
colonial era. You will awaken in
Saigon to the smell of
baguettes baking. And the people of the south prefer to serve
several small dishes at mealtime instead of two or three large
helpings (as is common in Hanoi).
 Whatever
region you are in, the people consider food to be more than just
a necessity. It is an art...
There are a few staples that you should be ready for
throughout the country. One is pho -- or beef noodle soup. Pho
is the fast food of Saigon, Hanoi, Danang,
Hue', and Haiphong.
Come lunch time, it's the noodle house. Almost anywhere you go
you will also find gio lua (pork sausages), nem ran (spring
rolls), and cha ca (fish balls). And seafood is abundant --
crabs, shrimp, squids, mussels, an untold variety of fish and
even lobster are drawn from the waters off Vietnam's coast or
from the country's rivers. You will also find nouc mam (fish
sauce) on almost any table where the Chinese would place soy
sauce. It may be added to almost anything.
Finally, no meal is complete without a tray of herbs and
fresh vegetables. Almost anywhere in the country you will find
sliced cucumbers, hot peppers, coriander, bean threads, a little
basil or mint, and a few other herbs on the table to complement
the meal.
The cuisine of Vietnam will offer you a huge number of novel
experiences. You will be confronted with some of them if you are
in the country for any length of time. You don't have to be
afraid of them. The Vietnamese have been eating frog legs for
centuries and are no worse off for it. Most of the meats you
will be offered will be familiar: beef, chicken, pork, shrimp,
and fish. But a little snake or dog meat never hurt anyone (or
at least it didn't hurt me). And tasting your host's turtle soup
out of sheer politeness certainly won't kill you!
At the end of the day, most Western visitors leave Vietnam
with a new appreciation for the power of the chile pepper, an
awe at what Vietnamese cooks can do with vegetables, a love for
noodles, and a desire to find out if they can get fruits like
lychees or soursop in their home town.
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