Vietnamese Culture

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Foods: Page One   Page Two

Vietnamese pancakes (bánh xèo) Although they are often referred to as pancakes, these are nothing like the pancakes Americans eat for breakfast. Made with rice flour, eggs, bean sprouts, and shrimp, the crispy omelettes are torn into pieces, then wrapped in rice paper with cucumber slivers and vegetables. The rolls are then dipped in peanut sauce. Not the easiest food for toddlers, but older kids seem to enjoy the do-it-yourself nature of the dish.

Hue-style Beef Noodle Soup (bún bò Huế) A spicy noodle soup with hunks of beef and topped with vegetables. This a bit too spicy for most kids, but it's a definite favorite with the men. Be prepared to come across organ meat, bones, and gristle. Best when eaten in Hue. I mean, really, it was named for the city of its origin.

Stir-Fry Noodles (mỹ xao) Basically just ramen noodles, they are stir-fried with some vegetables and a bit of meat: chicken (ga), beef (bo) or pork (heo). A simple favorite with children, this is what to look for if you're having a hard time finding something the kids will eat. Our favorite was the lunch special at Papa Joe's in Hanoi.

Vietnamese Noodle Soup (phở) The most well-known Vietnamese food, pho is the national dish and eaten religiously. The best place for pho, in our opinion, is the market where you'll sit around an old picnic-style table, surrounded by locals. You can usually get pho bo (beef) or pho ga (chicken) with pho ga being preferred by young palettes. Add a little nuoc cham (fish sauce), pepper and eat up. Served at all hours, it's customary for breakfast.

Spring Rolls (quả bưởi chùm) Served with or without the extra rice paper wrapper, spring rolls are especially good from street stands. Eaten plain or like banh xeo (see above) with veggies and peanut sauce. Spring rolls are made with a variety of ingredients including rice noodles, mushrooms, meat (chicken or pork), carrots, onion, and/or garlic.

Dog(thịt chó) The infamous dog meat. Generally eaten at the beginning of the lunar month and at wedding celebrations, dog meat is what (too) many foreigners think of when you mention eating Vietnam. My kids really liked it and enjoyed trying out the stranger things (including fertilized eggs, frog, snails and strange sea creatures). Give it a try, if you get the chance.

Fish(cá) If you and your family are fans of fish and other seafood, you are in for a treat. Vietnam is known for it's variety of seafood and any beach town will get you an incredible array of tuna, catfish, trout, oysters, squid, shrimp, crab, and sardines, among others.

Lasagna Okay, so it isn't Vietnamese, but you'll find it there, along with pizza, chicken cordon bleu, fettucine alfredo and a hundred other American and European dishes. Hanoi and HCMC are full of Western restaurants and cafes to fill that "I want something without rice OR noodles" craving.

Outside resources:

• Viet World Kitchen: Andrea Nguyen's site offers information on traditional Vietnamese cooking, including recipes.
• Tu Vy: Culinary info about Vietnam