Do you love to explore the food of different cultures? Then you will surely love learning all about the different types of Vietnamese food. These different kinds ofcommon Vietnamese food always have the freshest vegetables and herbs, which is only one of the reasons that you will surely love the authentic Vietnamese food while in Vietnam. When you speak of trying to learn how to make Vietnamese food or going about cooking Vietnamese food, then you definitely need to learn about pho noodle soup, springs rolls made of lettuce leaves, as well as various sauces made of fish.
Vietnamese cuisine and its unique delight
The different types of Vietnamese food can be best described as nouvelle cuisine. That means that freshness in the ingredients, presentation and method of cooking is of utmost importance. Vietnamese cuisine is prepared with very little oil, which makes it one of the healthiest types of cuisine in the world. If you want to explore the most exotic types of cuisine in the world, different types of Vietnamese food should definitely be in your list.
The different types of Vietnamese food have stark differences from the cuisine of the regions surrounding it, although there are some very important similarities. Rice is a big factor in Vietnam cuisine, as well as Vietnamese peoples everyday diets. Despite that, noodles still come out as the most popular viand. Even if noodles were the only thing served for all three meals of the day, Vietnamese people would still be happy. All food establishments from restaurants to hawker food stands on the street will always have noodle dishes in their menus.
Another factor that makes the different types of Vietnamese food stand out from the rest is the presence of fresh vegetables in every meal. Amongst all of these vegetables is mint, bean threads, basic, cucumber, and many different others. These are the kinds of vegetables only found in Southeast Asian markets. Rice is also a popular viand in Vietnam thanks to the fertility of the land that makes it so conducive to growing rice.
The religious beliefs of Vietnam are mostly inherited from China, but this is a homogeny that did not make itself into the different types of Vietnamese food. Their cuisine still maintains its own character. However, the influence of china on the food is most evident in North Vietnam because it is the part that is closest to the border. Soy sauce, something very Chinese, is hardly ever seen in cuisine made and served in Central and South Vietnam. Instead, chefs and cooks in these areas of Vietnam will use different kinds of fish sauce and/or nuoc mam to add a little something extra to their meals.
Enjoying Vietnamese dishes
The method of cooking types of Vietnamese food also stands out because of its low fat nature. Instead of frying, steaming, boiling, and barbecuing are much more common. You can create the popular types of Vietnamese food by combining as many as three different methods of cooking as well.
At the heart of any average Vietnamese persons diet is plain rice. There is plain rice in every meal, in one form or another. Long grained rice is what is usually used in meals. A chef can transform plain rice and make it something else that is important to the meal, such as rice vinegar, rice paper wrappers for spring rolls, and rice noodles.
You should also learn about nuoc mam. It is a type of sauce made from salty fish. It is served everywhere, from stalls to fancy restaurants. It is produced and available in different countries. It is produced by putting salt and anchovies into a wooden barrel and leaving it to ferment for at least half a year. As far as dipping sauces go, it is the most popular one in Vietnam. It is as common there as ketchup is in North America. You will find it being used in every single meal for every single dish.
These are not all of the best Vietnamese dishes that you definitely need to try. Even if you are a health nut or if you are game to eat all the most exotic kinds of food, you will find yourself enjoying Vietnamese food to the max.