Wining and Dining in Vietnam

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In Vietnam, rice or com is eaten at the main meals of the day. Com (rice) is eaten together with a variety of different dishes and is made from different kinds of rice. Typically fragrant rice is used are such as Tam Thom and Nang Huong. An ordinary meal may consist of boiled rice with dishes of pork, fish, shrimp, and vegetable cooked in oil, as well as vegetables, pickles, etc.

In recent years, people in urban areas had begun to eating out at the food stalls on the street. Consequently, there has been a proliferation of temporary food stalls along many sidewalks and public spaces in the cities. Some stalls are open until early in the morning to cater to regular customers. A well served lunch for one is very inexpensive.

Some popular Vietnam dishes:

• Sticky rice cakes are a Vietnamese traditional dish that must be part of Tet meals. As a matter of fact, every Vietnamese family must have sticky rice cakes among the offerings placed on the altar to their ancestors. Bang chung is made of glutinous rice, pork meat, and green beans paste wrapped in a square of bamboo leaves, giving the rice a green colour after boiling. Sticky rice cakes are available at any time of the year, although one is sure to enjoy them with relatives and friends during Tet. During Tet, rice cakes are served with gio lua and hanh muoi¡
  
  
• Cau Mong beef is a speciality of Cau Mong, located 15 km from Danang, Dien Ban district, where nearly ten restaurants serve the dish. Cau Mong beef has been served for a long time and is found in many places outside Danang. The meat along with its skin is cut in thin slices, half cooked, and eaten with nem, which consists of fish sauce mixed with soy sauce, sugar, chili, garlic, lemon, star fruit, vervain, and green banana.
  
  
• My Tho seafood noodle soup contains soy bean, lemon, chili, and soy sauce instead of herbs and lettuce. Back in the 1960s, a shop in My Tho, 70 km from Ho Chi Minh City, started serving this dish using a secret recipe for the rice noodles. Ever since then, its reputation has grown to become a very well known meal in Vietnam. It is said that the most delicious noodle soup is made with Co Cat rice, from the most famous rice growing area of My Phong village, a suburb of My Tho. The sweet aroma of the broth comes from the meat, dried squid, and special condiments. My Tho noodle soup is a traditional dish specific to the south.
  
  
• Lau mam was a popular dish among farming communities hundreds of years ago, especially in the southwestern provinces. Nowadays, lau mam is considered a delicacy and is often served to special guests. Lau designates the broth, and mam the salted fish. The main ingredient used in the broth is marinated fish to which meat and vegetables are added. Various ingredients, such as seafood, fish, and meat, are prepared on separate plates. Guests choose and boil their meat in the broth. The meal is accompanied by several fresh vegetables and aromatic herbs. This dish is particularly enjoyed since so many alternatives are possible, offering a wide array of delicious flavors.
  
  
• Canh chua originated from the Mekong Region, more specifically from Dong Thap Muoi. Canh chua is a fish sour soup made with fish from the Mekong River and so dua flower. This dish is mostly served when the so dua flower first blossoms at the end of the rainy season. A feast is organized and the fish sour soup is among the delicious meals prepared for this event. Fish sour soup must be eaten very hot. It must also be eaten all at one time since the taste is altered when the soup is reheated. 
  
  
• Foreigners often say that grilled shrimp paste is a very unusual dish made from very simple ingredients. The recipe consists of clean shrimps placed in coconut water. The shrimps are later grilled and ground to obtain shrimp flour. The flour is mixed with fat and sugar to finally obtain shrimp paste. This dish is served with fish sauce.
  
  
• Trang Bang, located 40 km from Ho Chi Minh City, is where one can find the best rice paper and rice cakes.Both can be found everywhere, but nowhere are they better than in Trang Bang where they are made from local rice. The rice flour is roasted for four or five hours and made into thick cakes. Once the cakes are dried, they are placed into nylon bags. These cakes can be eaten with shrimp, meat, salad, and coriander. During Tet, the cakes are served with roasted meat, eggs, and sour mustard.