The Essence of.....Vietnam An exploration of the world through food and drink

Essence -ial Information UK Tourist Office Embassy - 12/14 Victoria Road London W8 Currency Dong Capital Hanoi Language Vietnamese  Main Airlines No flights direct Flying Time from UK 12 hrs 30 mins Visa Yes

PROFILE Cuisine in this country of 70,000,000 people differs strikingly between the north, south and central regions, but two key features stand out. First, rice plays an essential role in the nation's diet as it does throughout southeast Asia. But this is also a noodle-crazy population A former colony of China, Vietnamese adopted Confucianism, Buddhism, chopsticks and the wok. But in spite of centuries of domination, Vietnamese food retained its own character. Due to its proximity to the border, north Vietnam reflects more Chinese influence than central or south. Northern cuisine exhibits fewer herbs and vegetables than the other regions because its climate is less hospitable than that of the Mekong Delta. For heat, north Vietnamese cooks rely on black pepper rather than chilies. The royal tradition in the central region goes back beyond the more recent Vietnamese monarchy to the ancient kingdom of Champa. The royal taste reveals itself in the preference for many small dishes placed on the table at once. Servings are larger and fewer in the south; and hot chilies replace black pepper for heat. The most common meats used in Vietnamese cuisine are pork, chicken, fish, and various kinds of seafood. The Vietnamese also have a strong vegetarian tradition influenced by Buddhist values Vietnamese cuisine is influenced by the Asian principle of five elements and Mahabhuta. Many Vietnamese dishes include five spices : spicy (metal), sour (wood), bitter (fire), salty (water) and sweet (Earth), corresponding to: five organs : gall bladder, small intestine, large intestine, stomach and urinary bladder. Vietnamese dishes also include five types of nutrients : powder, water or liquid, mineral elements, protein and fat. Vietnamese cooks try to have five colours : white (metal), green (wood), yellow (Earth), red (fire) and black (water) in their dishes. Dishes Banh Hoi - An extremely thin noodle that is woven into intricate bundles. Often topped with spring onion and a complementary meat dish, such as th?t heo quay (roasted pork, often eaten at weddings). Bun thit nuong - A thin rice vermicelli served cold with grilled marinated pork chops and nu?c ch?m (fish sauce, served with julienned daikon and carrot). A similar Northern version is bún ch? with grilled pork meatballs in placed of grilled pork chops. Bun cha - A simple and popular dish, basically a combination vermicelli plate. Grilled pork (often ground) and vermicelli noodles are served over a bed of greens (salad and sliced cucumber), herbs and bean sprouts. Often includes a few chopped-up egg rolls, spring onions, and shrimp. Served with roasted peanuts on top and a small bowl of nu?c ch?m. Bun Cha Gio - it is similar to the above dish except deep-fried spring rolls are substituted for the meats. Cao lau - An dish, made of specially "burnt-flavoured" egg noodles topped with meats. Mì Quang - A popular and extremely complicated noodle dish, originating from Quang Nam. Mi Quang varies in its preparation but features sharply contrasting flavors and textures in a shallow bowl of broth, noodles, herbs, vegetables, and roasted rice chips (Bánh tráng). Mi xao don - A dish of crispy deep-fried egg noodles, topped with a wide array of seafood, vegetables and shrimp in a gravy sauce. This is a dish of Chinese origin.[citation needed] Banh Tam Cari - A Ca Mau specialty, made of special rice noodles and very spicy chicken curry. Bo kho - A beef and vegetable stew, often cooked with warm, spicy herbs and served very hot with French baguettes for dipping. In northern Vietnam, it is known as "bo sot vang" Bo la lot - A dish of spiced beef rolled in a pepper leaf (la lot) and grilled. Bo luc lac - A dish of beef cut into cubes and marinated, served over greens (usually watercress), and sautéed onions and tomatoes. Eaten with rice. Cha lua - A sausage made with ground lean pork and potato starch. Also available fried; known as cha chiên. There are various kinds of cha (sausage), made of ground chicken (cha gà), ground beef , fish, or tofu . Ga nuong sa - Grilled chicken with lemon grass. Lemon grass grilled beef and other meats are also popular variations. Nem Nuong - Grilled meatballs, usually made of seasoned pork. Often colored reddish with food colouring and with a distinct taste, grilled on skewers like kebabs. Ingredients in the marinade include fish sauce. Nem Nguoi - A Hue dish and a variation of the Nem nuong meatballs, these also come from Central Vietnam. They are chilled, small and rectangular in shape, and stuffed with vermicelli. The reddish meat is covered with peppers and typically a chili. Very spicy, eaten almost exclusively as a cocktail snack