Vietnamese food recipes. Main dishes and features of Vietnamese cuisine
Vietnamese cuisine, like any other Asian cuisine, is distinguished by its diversity and abundance of flavors. And, as elsewhere in Asia, the main food here is rice - Сom (Kom). No less popular are noodles, also, as a rule, rice. With it, the most popular soup in Vietnam is prepared - Pho (Pho), which is eaten at any time of the day, including for an early breakfast at 5-6 o'clock in the morning.
We are forced to immediately apologize for the poor quality of the photographs, our old camera was very unwell on that trip, which especially affected focusing.
In addition to noodles and broth, pieces of meat or chicken, sprouts and greens are put in the soup, which are served separately, generously placed on a large plate. 
Hot sauce is also served separately - the soup is not originally spicy. In general, the Vietnamese are "terrible people", they eat everything they see - pigeons and lizards, and cats and dogs are used. It seems that the phrase - "You don't like cats? You just don't know how to cook them!" they take it literally and follow it wholeheartedly.
But don't be afraid - they won't give you a cat without your knowledge. Rice mentioned earlier is served as a side dish to any dish instead of bread. Rice flour is also used to make delicious pies stuffed with meat and vegetables. And here are some very tasty dishes. 
Rice is the main ingredient in sweets. For example, boxes of banana leaves filled with sweet rice pudding. Another common dish is small pancakes made from the thinnest dough with a spicy filling - Spring Rolls. The filling is different everywhere, but the pancakes are always delicious.
All food is cheap. The cost of the dish, of course, depends on the place of its preparation. For example, Pho soup costs about $0.8 in cafes for locals and $4 and up in restaurants for tourists. Vietnam is one of the few countries where you can try all the “delicacies” for a penny. For example, meat of an ostrich, a crocodile, snakes, turtles and others. Snake cooking shows with blood-drinking and heart-and-liver eating are common – not for the faint of heart. 
From the selected product, you can cook 3 dishes at once: soup, hot and something like a salad. So, for example, they cooked a turtle. 
The duck is also well cooked - it melts right into the root! Frogs are brought whole, not just thighs. Seafood is also in vogue - everything that exists: lobsters, crabs, squids, and octopuses with oysters. 
They cook them excellently, the prices are very pleasant, at least they were at that time ... 
Fish is also offered everywhere, but we didn’t try it - we didn’t have time among such an abundance. 
Often they offer swallow nests at a price of about $ 20 - $ 25. But they didn’t try either, although later they regretted it. As it turned out, they regretted it in vain. Nests have already been tasted in China, cooked in papaya. There they are even more expensive and, as it turned out, completely tasteless, probably intended for especially subtle connoisseurs.
Sweets, casually mentioned earlier, are not very common. They are replaced by an abundance of fruits and a variety of juices. 
As in all of Southeast Asia, fresh coconuts are also in high esteem. 
There are restaurants with European food. In Phan Thiet, an Indian restaurant was noticed and repeatedly visited by us - everything there was cooked for the "five" - and spinach with cheese, and lasi, and tortillas - like
Vietnamese cuisine is unique: it is full of exotic, combines the culinary trends of different countries, and today is strengthening its position on the banks of the Neva.
Recently, a new institution has opened in St. Petersburg - Pho'n'Roll, already the second under this brand.
Doan Van Quang, CEO of Pho'n'Roll, told us about the intricacies of Vietnamese cuisine and its "acclimatization" in Russia.
Pho'n'Roll CEO - Doan Van Quang
Kuang, I know that the cuisine is different in different regions of Vietnam. Tell me what's the difference?
Indeed, due to the length of the borders and coastline, Vietnam is divided into three regions: the northern one with the center in the city of Hanoi, the southern one (Ho Chi Minh City) and the central one (Hue). Their cuisine differs due to climatic features and the influence of neighboring countries.
Northern cuisine is the most traditional. It was here that the most famous Vietnamese dish, pho soup, appeared.
In the north, they strictly monitor the balance of the “five tastes”: salty, sour, spicy, sweet and bitter. Thanks to this principle, Vietnamese dishes cannot be called too spicy or too salty: their taste is harmonious.
In the southern region, the influence of neighboring Thailand is felt. In the south, they like to cook sweet and sour dishes.
In general, Vietnamese and Thai cuisines are very similar: both countries love fried rice and noodles, and use a lot of seafood and fresh vegetables.
The city of Hue in central Vietnam used to be the capital where the royal family lived. In this region, the cuisine is the most diverse and unusual.
After all, gourmet dishes were prepared for the monarchs and decorated accordingly. The tradition of aesthetic presentation of dishes came from Japan, although in general this is not so important for Vietnamese cuisine.
You mentioned the balance of "five tastes", but what else is characteristic of Vietnamese cuisine?
We prepare many dishes from fresh vegetables and fruits. When frying, we use less oil than the Chinese, so our dishes are not as fatty.
Due to the proximity to the seas in Vietnam, seafood is eaten more than meat: on average, there are 200-300 grams of meat per kilogram of seafood.
We use spices and herbs, but not as actively as in China. The Chinese add a lot of different spices to their dishes. We use ginger, garlic, chili, black pepper, red onion, dill.
Another feature of Vietnamese cuisine is nuoc mam fish sauce and fish paste. True, now we are trying to use them in smaller quantities due to the specific smell.
Cooking sweet dishes in Vietnam is not popular, because we grow a lot of sweet fruits: papaya, mango, durian. The most famous dessert is a sweet pudding made from beans, glutinous rice and fruit called "te".
Of the drinks, green tea, which grows in Vietnam, is in demand, as well as coffee, herbal drinks.
I heard that Vietnamese cuisine uses the yin and yang principle. What does it mean?
We borrowed some of the basics of culinary philosophy from Chinese cuisine, and one of these principles is maintaining the balance of “yin and yang”. In other words, this is a harmonious combination of seemingly incompatible ingredients.
The energies "yin" and "yang" are expressed in tastes: the cold female "yin" is responsible for sour, sweet, spicy taste, and the hot male "yang" is responsible for salty and bitter.
For example, ginger, a hot product with yang energy, goes well with fish, which has a cold yin energy.
You said that Vietnamese cuisine is influenced by neighboring countries. And what did the cuisines of European countries bring?
Until the middle of the 19th century, Vietnam was a closed country, then it became a French colony. French chefs have greatly influenced our cuisine.
For example, they took the traditional recipe for pho soup and began to cook it with a classic French broth that takes a long time to cook. Beef bones for pho are cooked for eight (!) hours, which is uncharacteristic for Vietnamese cuisine, because we usually cook very quickly.
From France, the Vietnamese adopted the recipe for a sandwich known in Vietnam as "ban mi". For its preparation, a baguette with various fillings is used: ham, chicken, fish sauce, marinated salads.
Before the French, there was no bread in Vietnam in principle, it was replaced by pies and noodles. In addition to the baguette, the French showed us ice cream, coffee with milk.
What dishes are popular in Vietnam today?
The basis of our cuisine is rice. It can be boiled or fried with vegetables, in the form of a warm salad with beef or pork.
Of course, every day we eat fo - beef noodle soup, bun - rice vermicelli with meat, nem - deep-fried rice flour pancakes stuffed with vegetables and glass vermicelli.
In general, the cuisine in the cities and villages of Vietnam is not much different. The only difference is that in the villages they cook from local products, and in the city some products, like the same meat, need to be bought.
What Vietnamese dishes can be called street food?
Street food is an international concept, but it is uncharacteristic for Vietnam. Rather, it is our traditional food, which is simply sold near the house on the street.
In Vietnam, it is customary to cook a lot: each family has its own garden where they grow rice and vegetables. Some of the cooked food can be sold near the house - this is what Vietnamese street food looks like.
Basically, these are ban mi sandwiches, spring rolls, nema pancakes, banana roti (pancakes), pho soup, pies stuffed with peas and sugar, fried shrimp and other dishes.
Are there options for vegetarians?
With the exception of Buddhist monks, there are practically no vegetarians in Vietnam. Therefore, there is no special vegetarian menu in our kitchen either.
But we grow a lot of vegetables and fruits, herbs - dishes from them are also suitable for vegetarians. Warm salads, pies, pancakes, vegetable spring rolls... Tofu is especially popular among vegetarians.
Is it difficult to achieve a real Vietnamese taste when cooking in Russia?
I specifically visited various cafes in St. Petersburg, which have Vietnamese dishes on the menu, and was disappointed. Many of them do not correspond to how we cook at home. In order to preserve the traditional Vietnamese taste, I invited Hi Le Nguyen to the position of brand chef at Pho'n'Roll.
Brand Chef Pho'n'Roll Hi Le Nguyen
He came to Russia from Ho Chi Minh City last November. For the menu, we have chosen dishes popular in our country - pho, dumb, noodles - we cook them without adapting them for Russians.
But in other dishes we add a smaller amount of spices and fish sauce - that's the whole difference.
We also try to use local products as much as possible - vegetables, meat. But sauces, shiitake and noodles, of course, we bring from Vietnam.
Thanks for the interview!
Pho soup recipe for four people
Ingredients:
Beef bones - 1 kg
Beef - 400 grams
Anise - 10 grams
Cardamom - 20 grams
Mustard - 20 grams
Ginger root - 100 grams
Red onion - 50 grams
Rice noodles pho - 400 grams
Green onions - a few stalks
Black pepper - to taste
Lemon or lime - to taste
Fish sauce - to taste
Mint - to taste
Cooking
We put the beef bones in cold salted water for two hours, then cook for fifteen minutes in a deep saucepan. We take the meat out of the pan and look - if there is a smell, the meat needs to be cooked for another 15 minutes.
Fry the grated ginger root, chopped red onion (but you can also use onion), add anise, cardamom and mustard. If the bones are high in fat, add more ginger.
Boil the bones with spices for eight hours. Add salt and fish sauce, cilantro root. Then cook the broth for another hour along with chopped slices of beef.
Boil the noodles in boiling water for five minutes.
In a deep bowl, put the noodles, broth, beef, finely chopped greens: green onions, mint.
Add black pepper, lemon juice or lemon slices. Pour in the broth.
Our pho soup is ready!
Planning to visit Vietnam? Surely you are wondering what you will eat during the rest, and general information will never be superfluous.
This article will focus on the features of the national Vietnamese cuisine, as well as the main dishes of Vietnam.
The total number of Vietnamese dishes reaches 500 items, and this is not all. The variety of dishes will not disappoint anyone, even the most fastidious gourmet. On merit, Vietnam is considered the core of gastronomic tourism.
A feature of Vietnamese cuisine is an extraordinary aroma, which sometimes even repels. At the same time, the taste of any dish leaves a unique impression and aftertaste.
In one article it is impossible to tell about all the features of Vietnamese cuisine, as well as to compile the most complete culinary guide of this country. Every part of Vietnam has different national tastes and dishes. Due to the territorial and historical prerequisites in Vietnamese cuisine, you will find a combination of Thai, Chinese and even French cuisine.
Vietnamese cuisine is characterized by the use of soup Pho or or Fa Bo ( Pho Bo ) (from beef), crab noodles, sticky rice cake, and various types of rice noodles. The most popular sauce in Vietnam is a fish sauce called Pios Cham.
Vietnamese cuisine will amaze you with its diversity, as well as the combination of a variety of products in one dish. For the Russian perception of taste, perhaps not all dishes will seem tasty, but they will definitely be remembered.
For the Vietnamese themselves, Russian cuisine is considered boring, without a variety of combinations of sour, sweet, spicy tastes, as well as spices and smells, which add from 4 to 15 seasonings to each dish. It turns out a unique taste of the pinnacle of culinary art, skill and secrets, which are more than 2 thousand years old.
Rice (Vietnamese "C ơ m ” is read as “com”). On the streets you can often see such signs with the words: C ơ m G à (with chicken), C ơ m B ò (with beef), C ơ m Heo (with pork). is the basis of almost all dishes in Vietnam. It is used as a garnish and is also converted into other foods such as rice paper, wine, noodles and more.
Conventionally, Vietnam should be divided into three parts according to food preferences - northern, central and southern Vietnam.
So, what are the popular dishes in the northern part of the Asian country?
1. Pho soup "- perhaps the most popular dish in this part of the country, which can be tasted in almost any restaurant and cafe, as well as at any time of the day. It is famous for its aroma and aftertaste. The soup is made with broth that is boiled for 3 to 6 hours, meat (usually beef), sprouted soy sprouts or corn sprouts, and noodles are added to it. The soup is served separately with chili sauce and herbs. There are three variations, with the meat completely cooked in this broth, with the meat so thinly sliced that when placed in the broth it is instantly cooked right at the time of serving, and with raw meat.
2. Các món ăn từ ốc (in Russian menus it is funny translated as "Monday ocean") - a dish with a strange name containing snails. The dish is famous for its variety, because snails can be cooked with anything, including herbs, garnish, and so on. Snails can be fried and boiled, can be seasoned with various sauces. There are no limits to the imagination of chefs.
3. Spring roll (Viet. cuộn mùa xuân), made from rice paper and filled with minced fish, meat or sweets. The dish is popular throughout the country.
Due to the climate in the north of the country, the Vietnamese prefer to use the grill for cooking, and from the main dishes, soups and broths are more preferred. In addition, the northern cuisine of Vietnam is considered traditional, but the southern one includes admixtures from Thailand, China, France and other countries.
In the central provinces of Vietnam, mountainous regions and cities such as Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An and the mountainous city of Dalat in the south, dishes such as:
1. Bo Kho (Bo Kho) is a fragrant cinnamon and star anise broth with some tomatoes, coarsely chopped carrots and tender beef. It is completely different from traditional Pho Bo and can rather be attributed to European cuisine. It is usually served with a Banh Mi baguette, which is additionally filled with meat and herbs if desired.
2. Baguettes stuffed with Banh Mi (Viet. - Bánh mì), a direct legacy of the French colonial period in Vietnam. One of the most common fast foods in all cities of Vietnam in this region.
The filling of such a baguette with a crispy crust is varied and depends only on the chef's imagination, this is fried meat and meatballs, seafood, various sauces, herbs with sweet onions, and all this is warmed up in a toaster.
3. Soup Bun Bo Hue (Viet. - Bún bò Huế)
In fact, this is the brother of Pho soup. However, they are united only by meat broth, which is cooked for several hours. Instead of noodles, round-shaped rice vermicelli is used, the meat is placed in large pieces, as in the Uzbek "Lagman". In addition to the broth itself, lemongrass, black blood and shrimp paste are added.
Chips of banana inflorescences and a lot of greens are necessarily served with it. This is the traditional soup of the imperial capital.
4. Banh Bao rice flour pies (Viet. B a nh bao ), are steamed and somewhat similar to our manti.
They combine minced meat with spices, green vegetables. Half a boiled egg is often added to a classic pie. A very tasty and satisfying dish.
Even the residents themselves do not know the number of filling variations. They often serve as both a snack food and a full-fledged dessert if the filling is sweet.
5. Vegetable stew Ca Tim (Viet. Cà Tím Kho Tộ)
A very common street dish served alongside Pho soup in many small Vietnamese cafes. Prepared in a clay pot with eggplant, tomatoes, chili peppers, onions, potato flour, rapeseed oil, coconut milk, spices, sugar, soy and oyster sauce. Green onions, mint and herbs are served separately. The dish is very unusual. By itself, it is very unusual, and is served with a small portion of rice.
Popular in the South are:
1. Pancakes, which are fundamentally different from Russian pancakes. If you think that these are traditional Russian pancakes, then you are mistaken, because Vietnamese pancakes are a whole culinary masterpiece. Their filling consists of eggs, crab meat, pork, greens, carrots, and cabbage. And the shell (pancakes themselves) is made from rice flour. The dish is fried in sunflower oil.
2. Soup with dumplings (Viet. hu tieu mi hoanh thanh)
One of the most satisfying dishes of central Vietnam, with rich broth and dumplings filled with seafood or meat, depending on the desire of the customer.
3. Original dish Laumam can only be found in Vietnam. In simple terms, this is meat with vegetables. You will not find such a quantity of mixed vegetables in any other dish (maximum can reach 24 items). A special fish sauce adds spice to the dish.
Many tourists going to Vietnam, of course, heard that the Vietnamese cannot do without strange delicacies - snake meat, dogs, and various insects. This is more an exception to the rule than everyday food for this people. If you can see how dogs are cooked somewhere, it’s not because they really want to eat it, but because dog meat is cheaper than pork.
As for snake dishes, this is a real tourist attraction, which is mainly popular with Chinese tourists.
You may know about Phu, but you can't be considered a connoisseur of Vietnamese cuisine until you try these dishes!
Banh Quon (Steamed Rice Cake)
Soft, tender steamed rice cake served with fried shallots, chopped cucumbers, chopped romaine lettuce, bean sprouts, pork sausage slices, chopped shrimp, onion feathers, ground beef - and all this splendor is poured over with fish sauce.
Sometimes Banh Quon is served with crispy potato slices and deep-fried bean patties. Just lick your fingers!
Banh Mi (Vietnamese sandwich)
French baguette is nothing compared to it! Once you try it, you won't be able to eat a regular turkey sandwich with the same pleasure.
Goi kun (Chinese pie)
Please don't confuse our egg patties with goi kun. This is completely different. They are not fried in a pan, but they are still incredibly tasty! They are prepared with different fillings. My favorites are with fried pork (nem nyong kun). Dip them in peanut sauce and life will sparkle with new colors!
Ban Tseo (Hot pancake)
Crispy, with a golden crust, the pancake just asks for a mouthful!
Banh Khot (Small fried pancakes)
These little pancakes are a tasty morsel!
Kom tam (crushed rice)
This is not the kind of rice that you eat almost every day. Who is made from crushed rice grains! And it's always served crispy! Om-Nom-nom! Is lunch coming soon?
Bun Bo Hue (Vermicelli Beef Soup)
If you are not afraid of thrills, try this spicy soup. It is a meat broth with vermicelli, lemongrass and pork served in a pot.
Oh my mouth is on fire!
Ban Riyu (Noodles with Tomatoes and Crabs)
If you're still afraid of the thrill, try this one of my favorite homemade soups!
Hu Tju (noodles with rice)
In Cambodia, it is called Kew Tew. There are many recipes for making noodles with rice. For example, you can cook just noodles and rice, without any soup. Mm, how difficult it is to choose what to order in a Vietnamese restaurant…
Banh Canh Bot Lok (Thick Noodle Soup)
Thick soup with noodles. As you've probably noticed by now, there are a lot of cooking recipes when it comes to noodles and soup! Om-Nom-nom!
Can Yua (Vietnamese Tamarind Sour Soup)
Another soup you can make at home. After tasting it, you will certainly remember the trip to! Very tasty soup, especially if you add a little rice to it!
Chao (Rice porridge)
Chao is a Vietnamese version of chicken noodle soup. I think chao is good to serve when you have the flu or a cold!
What to Serve with Chao: Buy Chinese donuts called Yutiao, cut them in half and eat them with your soup. Just a meal!
Bo Luk Lak (beef chop)
The words of my boyfriend, unfamiliar with Asian cuisine, who tried this dish: how could I miss this dish?
Kom chien (fried rice)
Vietnamese fried rice is not the kind of rice you fry for dinner! This is rice, some vegetables, eggs, cilantro and a couple of very tasty sausages (hunyong lap). When I brought my lunch to the elementary school where I work, it went like hot cakes!
Ka someone (fish in caramel, served in a pot)
If you're talking to a Vietnamese, mention this dish and you'll notice that the conversation will get a lot livelier.
Banh Kam (Orange stuffed with sesame seeds)
Don't forget the most important dessert. Here we have sesame heaven!
Banh Tet (glutinous rice cake)
When New Year is celebrated in Vietnam, the Banh Tet dessert is served - glutinous rice cake wrapped in a banana leaf, served with mung bean paste, or, as I like it more, a pie stuffed with bananas and sweet red beans .
Banh Kep La Dua (Coconut waffles with pandan)
If you have never tried these delicious waffles, what can I say. Buy it!
Che (Sweet pudding for dessert)
So much can be said about Che, both about his taste and about his many recipes! My favorite is trout dessert (Che Seong Sa Hat Lu)
Phu (Vietnamese noodle soup)
Phew, you can continue the list of Vietnamese dishes indefinitely, but you can’t forget about phoo! By the way, it's pronounced fu (wow, they even rhyme!)
We will tell you what you should definitely try in Vietnamese cuisine. There are dishes for every taste: from fruit desserts to cobra barbecue. Read.
Vietnamese cuisine is spicy and exotic in Asian style, but it cannot be put on a par with the gastronomic traditions of neighboring countries. She borrowed a lot from the cuisines of India, China and France, under the influence of which she has been for decades. Visiting restaurants or small authentic cafes in Vietnam is a real pleasure for tourists who appreciate the variety of tastes and aromas. What to try first?
Must try in Vietnam
Goy cuon can be found in any institution in Vietnam. These are translucent rolls, for which there are many variations of the filling. You can try goi kuon with coriander, herbs, pork or shrimp, lettuce and rice noodles. The filling is wrapped in rice paper and then goi kuon is served with various sauces or peanut butter.
The local dish bun cha is not just a favorite among tourists - it regularly enters the world rankings of the most famous street food. Bun cha is easy to prepare, but impossible to resist. The dish consists of several ingredients served on different plates: rice noodles, fried pieces of meat, vegetables and sauce. A special sauce with which meat is eaten is made from vinegar, sugar, chili peppers and garlic. The result is an unusual taste - sweet, spicy and sour at the same time.
Vietnamese soups are similar to other Asian counterparts. The main ingredients for them are rice or noodles. The most famous soup to try is pho. Chicken or beef broth with coriander or ginger flavor is poured into a bowl, rice noodles, pieces of meat and green onions are added. There is also a variant of pho with fish balls or fried fish.
The Vietnamese borrowed their love for baguettes from the French. Banh mi is made from them here - they cut the bun, and put any filling inside. Most often, grilled meat, vegetables, ham, cheese and herbs are taken for banmi, combining these ingredients in different ways. If this dish is perceived as fast food, then for a full meal in a restaurant, they prefer something more serious. For example, eggplant sauté. It is cooked in a pot with eggplant, tomatoes, chili, coconut milk, herbs and savory sauces. They order noodles or rice to the honeycomb.
If you want to try something really unusual, Vietnam can surprise you. Grilled frogs, crocodile meat (including soups based on it) or cobra are considered delicacies here.
Vietnam drinks
Perhaps the most unusual Vietnamese drink and dessert at the same time is egg coffee. It is made from yolk, condensed milk and sugar. The Vietnamese themselves say that the egg in this recipe is used to achieve a mild taste and delicate texture. The drink really turns out to be airy, with a light foam.
In hot weather, it is better to give preference to smoothies and juicy fruit shakes - any combination of these refreshing drinks is available in Vietnam. Fans of strong drinks should try local herbal balms. Also in Vietnam they produce good wine - the city of Dalat became the leader. And Vietnamese coffee is not inferior in quality to foreign counterparts. Locals drink it with condensed milk.
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