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. This is also because Vietnamese cuisine is very low in oil, making it one of the healthiest dining options 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.
Compared to the different regions surrounding Vietnam, different types of Vietnamese food definitely has some big differences. 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. Be it five star restaurants or street food served in stalls, noodles will still definitely be a big part of the menu.
Another factor that makes the different types of Vietnamese food stand out from the rest is the presence of fresh vegetables in every meal. You will find bean threads, mint, cucumber, basil, and many more in each dish. You will only usually find these vegetables in Southeast Asian markets, along with rice. 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. What is used instead is special fish sauce, which is most commonly nuoc mam to give an extra kick to their dishes.
Relishing Vietnamese cuisine
The method is also important in cooking different types of Vietnamese food, because this is one of the factors that contribute to 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. In every meal, there is a center stage which plain rice stands on top of, more specifically long grained rice. 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.
Nuoc mam is another thing that cannot be missing from a normal Vietnamese meal. This is a type of salty fish sauce that is popular in many different recipes. Even fancy restaurants serve nuoc mam. 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.
There are many other kinds of Vietnamese dishes worth trying. It does not matter if you are just a daredevil or if you are a health nut, you will find that different types of Vietnamese food definitely make you enjoy food all the more.