Vietnamese cuisine has a convergence of diverse tastes, from authentic flavors to influences from neighboring countries. With various fresh ingredients, herbs, and cooking methods, food and drink in Vietnam give surprisingly unique tastes and out-of-the-world dishes to indulge in.
Short Fact
Vietnam is the second-largest producer of rice in the world.
There are over 30 different types of sauces in Vietnam such as Ban soybean paste, shrimp sauce, fish sauce, etc.
Vietnam has an immense variety of noodles. For example, there are approximately 30 sorts of Pho (Rice Noodle Soup).
Balut is considered one of the favorite food in Vietnam but is ranked as one of the most horror dishes in the world.
Vietnam Food & Drink Overview
One of the most fascinating topics for all travelers when visiting Vietnam is the cuisine. The nation is divided into 3 regions: the North, Center, and South, and each area have its unique beauty that is different from the others.
This diversity has made many foreign travelers adore Vietnamese food:
In the North: Hanoi is home to a great diversity of local food, street food, and foreign food. The local taste here focuses on the harmonious combination of flavors from various spices such as chili, lemongrass, and pepper,…
In the Center: This region often suffers from harsh weather, which is probably the reason why the taste in the Center area is rich. They usually add lots of chili to their dishes to bear the cold weather.
In the South: The cuisine in the South is influenced by neighboring countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, and China. Like the friendliness of the local people, all dishes in the region are sweet.
Besides, you can find the significance of French influences in many Vietnamese dishes such as bread, salads, pastries, ice cream, and café in daily local life.
The quality and variety of food is generally better in the main towns than off the beaten track, where restaurants of any sort are few and far between. That said, you’ll never go hungry; even in the back of beyond, there’s always some stall selling a noodle soup or rice platter and plenty of fruit to fill up on.
Vietnam’s national drink is green tea, which is the accompaniment to every social gathering or business meeting and is frequently drunk after meals. At the harder end of the spectrum, there’s also rice wine, though some local beer is also excellent, and an increasingly wide range of imported wines and spirits.