VIETNAM

Report by:
GEOGRAPHY
Vietnam is a long, narrow nation shaped
like the letter “S”. It is in Southeast Asia
on the eastern edge of the peninsula
known as Indochina. Its neighbors
include China to the north and Laos and
Cambodia to the west. The South China
Sea lies to the east and south. The
mountains of the Annam Cordillera rise
over most of the western side of
Vietnam, while a thousand-mile (1,600-
kilometer) coastline dominates the east.
At its narrowest point, Vietnam is
only 30 miles (48 kilometers) wide.
Two of Vietnam's largest rivers, the
Mekong in the south and the Red in
the north, end at the South China Sea
in huge swampy plains called deltas.
These regions are home to most of
the country's people and provide
fertile ground to grow rice and many
other crops.
FLAG
The flag of the Socialist Republic of
Vietnam, (red flag with a gold star), also
called the flag of Fatherland, was
designed in 1940 and used during an
uprising against the French in southern
Vietnam that year. The red background
symbolizes bloodshed, revolution and
struggle. The yellow star represents the
five main classes in Vietnamese society
workers, peasants, soldiers,
intellectuals, and businessmen.
BRIEF HISTORY
Viet Nam is located in a region considered a cradle of mankind, one of the
earliest agricultural centers practicing wet rice farming, where the stone and
metallurgical revolutions took place. On the basis of socio-economic
development in the Dong Son Era and given the struggle against natural
disasters and foreign invasion, the Van Lang State, the first State in Viet Nam
was established in the 7th century B.C. With their hard work and creativeness,
the Van Lang (and then Au Lac) inhabitants created a civilization that
influenced the entire Southeast Asian region. Together with the formation of
the first State in Viet Nam’s history was the evolution of a diverse economy
and an advanced civilization known as the Red River Civilization (or Dong Son
Civilization), symbolized by Dong Son bronze drum, a heritage reflecting the
quintessence of the lifestyle, traditions and culture of the ancient Vietnamese
people.
In the cause of national building, the Vietnamese people had to cope with
various foreign aggressions. During 12 centuries from the resistance war
against the Qin Dynasty in the 3rd century B.C until late 20th century, the
Vietnamese had to launch hundreds of struggles and uprisings against foreign
aggressions. The principle of placing the small and weak forces before much
larger and stronger ones has become the rule of thumb in the national
defense wars of the Vietnamese people. Since the 2nd century B.C, Viet Nam
had been dominated by different Chinese feudal dynasties for more than a
thousand years. During this period, the existence of the nation had been
challenged, giving rise to the spirit of undauntedness and unyieldingness of
the Vietnamese people in the struggle to maintain the nation’s vitality, to
preserve the quintessence of its culture and to gain national independence.
TRIVIA
VIETNAM IS AN S-
SHAPED COUNTRY
The very first fact about Vietnam is
most people come from all over the
world usually address Vietnam as an
S-shape nation due to its figure and
location on the map. Vietnamese
borders are winding from the north
to the south like the letter S in the
alphabet.
VIETNAMESE CUISINE
IS CONSIDERED
AMONGST THE
HEALTHIEST IN THE
WORLD
Featuring fresh herbs, a lot of
vegetables and seafood combined
with traditional cooking techniques
that avoids frying and oils in their
food, this cuisine is considered
amongst some of the healthiest in
the world.
SOME GIFTS ARE
CONSIDERED BAD
LUCK
Giving handkerchiefs, anything black,
yellow flowers, or chrysanthemum is
considered unlucky.
THEY DRINK SNAKE
WINE FOR VITALITY
Ruou ran, also known as snake wine
is a pickled snake in rice wine that is
commonly drunk for health, vitality
and restorative purposes.
MOTORBIKES ARE THE
MOST COMMON FORM
OF TRANSPORT IN
VIETNAM
There are supposedly 45 million
registered motorbikes in Vietnam.
VIETNAM IS THE QUEEN
OF THE CASHEW
Vietnam is the world's largest exporter of cashew
nuts, producing 37% of the global number. Cashew
is big business here, hence why we added it to our
list of interesting facts about Vietnam. In 2018, the
country produced 339,700 tons of cashew nuts
worth $3.09 billion, exporting mainly to the US,
China and the Netherlands. Interestingly, the
cashew nut itself is, in fact, the seed that grows at
the bottom of the cashew fruit unlike other nuts
which grow inside of the fruit. The cashew's fruit
is called a “cashew apple” and is super healthy,
containing five times the amount of Vitamin C
found in oranges.
WHITE SKIN IS
CONSIDERED
PERFECTION
In Vietnam (and across much of Asia), white
is considered the ideal skin colour. Having
tanned skin is frowned upon as a sign of
being a labourer working hard in the sun. As
a result, whitening products are big business
across the country and many even have
expensive surgery to make their skin paler!
This is perhaps most striking at the beaches.
We visited A Bang beach near Hoi An
(another must-do tip from us!) and this was
a common sight women completely covering
up to avoid the strong sun rays from tanning
their skin.
SOCCER/FOOTBALL IS
THE MOST POPULAR
SPORT IN VIETNAM
Soccer is one of the most loved sports
in the world, and Vietnam is no
exception, Vietnamese love this sport;
whenever there are big national or
international games, all of the coffee
shops and restaurant are flooded by
patrons coming to enjoy the fantastic
soccer matches and cheer for their
favorite team.
THEY EAT WHAT MOST
WESTERNS CONSIDER
PETS – DOG MEAT
Vietnam is the second largest
consumer of dog meat with nearly
five million dogs being killed. Dog
meat is believed to bring good
fortune in Vietnamese culture.
THE WORLD’S SECOND
LARGEST CAVES, THE
SON DOONG CAVES
ARE SITUATED IN
VIETNAM
The cave is so big that a Boeing 747
could fly through its largest cavern.
RELIGION & CULTURE
RELIGION
Confucianism, Daoism, and Mahayana
Buddhism entered Vietnam over many
centuries. Gradually they became intertwined,
simplified, and Vietnamized to constitute, along
with vestiges of earlier local beliefs, an
indigenous religion that came to be shared to
some considerable extent by all Vietnamese,
regardless of region or social class. It is largely
this religious amalgam that is practiced by the
roughly half of the population that identifies
itself as being Buddhist. The religion of Cao Dai,
a synthesis of Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism,
and Roman Catholicism, appeared during the
1920s, and in the 1930s the Hoa Hao neo-
Buddhist sect spread through parts of the
Mekong delta. Cao Dai has about half as many
adherents as Hoa Hao, but both congregations
are growing. Together, the two new-religionist
movements have embraced a significant
minority of the population. Local religions
involving numerous spirits predominate in
many upland communities, and most Cham are
adherents of Islam.
CULTURE
The Vietnamese culture is one of the oldest
in Southeast Asia and is heavily influenced
by the Chinese culture. After Vietnam
attained independence from China in the
10th century, the country began to expand
southwards which led to the incorporation
of elements of the Champa and Khmer
cultures into the Vietnamese culture. Later,
French colonial rule in Vietnam introduced
the Western culture to the country and led
to the spread of Catholicism and the
adoption of the Latin alphabet. Once the
communist regime started in Vietnam,
several restrictions were placed over
cultural exchanges with the Western
civilization and instead exposure to the
cultures of other communist nations like
Cuba, Soviet Union, and others was
encouraged. Despite the changes over the
years, some elements of the Vietnamese
culture like the veneration of the ancestors,
respect for family values, devotion to study,
etc., remained intact.
LANGUAGE
Vietnamese (Vietnamese: Tiếng Việt) is an
Austroasiatic language that originated in
Vietnam, where it is the national and
official language . It is by far the most
spoken Austroasiatic language with over
70 million native speakers, at least seven
times more than Khmer, the next most
spoken Austroasiatic language. Its
vocabulary has had significant influence
from Chinese and French. It is the native
language of the Vietnamese people, as
well as a second language or first
language for other ethnic groups in
Vietnam. As a result of emigration,
Vietnamese speakers are also found in
other parts of Southeast Asia, East Asia,
North America, Europe, and Australia.
Vietnamese has also been officially
recognized as a minority language in the
Czech Republic.
LANDMARKS
Ho Chi Minh
Mausoleum,
Hanoi
The Ho Chi Minh mausoleum is a remarkable
Hanoi attraction. It displays all the materials,
souvenirs relating to Nguyen Ai Quoc, the
country`s revolution leader – also
Vietnamese president during the Vietnam
wars. 
The Mausoleum was built in contrary to his
desires; following the tradition of Lenin, Mao
and Stalin.  It is one of the must see places in
Vietnam and a famous landmark in Vietnam.
To visit the Mausoleum, you are requested to
dress modestly: knee and shoulder covered
clothes, no flip-flop, no sleeves t-shirts. 
For Vietnamese, especially the older
generation, it is a very essential stop
whenever they visit Hanoi. The young people
are very interested in watching the “flag
ceremonies” which occurs early in the
morning or late evening. 
The Old Quarter,
Hanoi
The story of Hanoi started here. The Old
Quarter is the most celebrated district that
everyone should tackle. Historically, the
Old Quarter was the main commercial hub
of Hanoi which exhibited a wide range of
woods from grass, bamboo to silk,
blacksmith products. 
Nowadays, although you may not witness
the full collection of these items, there are
still interesting works to see remaining in
the town covering tinsmith, bamboo,
mattress, silk, papers. 
To kick off a trip to Hanoi, embark on a
guided walk through Bach Ma, Hang Bac
pagodas with stops by Dong Xuan market
and the ancient house of Ma May street. 
The old quarter is also a destination for
foodie. There is no other place can beat
the famed noodle in Bat Dat street, Bun
Cha in Hang Manh street, etc. 
Halong Bay,
Quang Ninh 
Boasting 2000 peaks and instagrammable
islands jutting out of the Tonkin Gulf,
Halong is the premier destination for any
holiday to Vietnam. 
There are ways to appreciate the
spectacular of Halong Bay, taking a cruise
is probably the best option. Depending on
which cruise liners you choose, you`ll able
to marvel some of those breathtaking
sites: Dau Go cave, Sung Sot cave, Bai Tho
mountain, Monkey island. 
If you do not have much time, a day tour to
Halong Bay could feast your eyes with 4
hours cruising and 1 hour kayaking. 
Embarking on a 2 – 3 days journey reveals
more about the less-visited territory of
Halong including Lan Ha Bay, Bai Tu Long
Bay. For those who fancy national park,
add 1 more day to climb Ngu Lam peak
where the best panorama of Halong is
exposed.  
Muong Hoa
Valley, Sapa
While Halong lures holiday-makers for its
picture-perfect seascape, the hill station of
Sapa attracts a different kind of traveler.
Here striking mountains, cascading
waterfalls and rice terraces take the place
of the waves and sand. All these beautiful
characters are defined in Muong Hoa
valley which stretches over 15km from
Silver waterfall till Ban Ho stilt village. 

In winter, this is the place to take a photo

for anyone who wants to capture the sea
cloud during summer and witness the
color sliding on the rice paddies.

Here are some suggestions to make your

Vietnam Tour in Sapa special : trek with a
Hmong tour guide, photograph the entire
Muong Hoa valley from Hau Thau peak,
treat yourself to a drink at Topas Ecolodge
and swim in Ban Ho valley.
Mai Chau Valley,
Hoa Binh
Go wild and go right is what we said
about Mai Chau when seeking a place
of Vietnam`s authenticity. This 27 mile
long valley has nothing but the
tranquility of nature and sumptuous
hospitality of Thai people who
immigrated to Hoa Binh province since
the 6th century.
Just about 3 hours drive from Hanoi,
Mai Chau seduces its visitors with a
photogenic setting: lush rice fields,
peaceful river, nostalgic mountains. For
all of these, Mai Chau becomes a very
popular biking site.
It does not mean there is a lack of
things to do. From grateful cultural
dance to traditional weaving work,
from unique fishing scenes to mouth-
watering foods, Mai Chai can host even
the most sophisticated traveler.
Ban Gioc
Waterfall, Cao
Bang
Tucked away in the secluded province of
Cao Bang, Ban Gioc was named the most
beautiful waterfalls in Vietnam. When it
falls from 60 meters’ height, Ban Gioc
thunders itself through 3 different layers
with magnificent natural pools. 
The falls mark the border between China
and Vietnam.  To fully discover Ban Gioc,
you`ll need to board a bamboo raft
which allows you to navigate to the
middle of Quay Son river. Do not be
surprised if you see some Chinese
tourists there as it is so close.
Some other draw near Ban Gioc
Waterfalls are: Nguom Ngao cave and
Pac Bo relics. You can also have a
homestay in Quyen Uyen is something
really unforgettable. 
Mu Cang Chai
Rice Terraces, Yen
Bai
Hidden away under the foot of Hoang
Lien Son range, Mu Cang Chai is
rewarded as the national pride thanks
to its captivating rice terraces. It takes
about 8 hours to finish the 300 km
road trip from Hanoi but your effort
will be compensated with photogenic
landscapes of the mountains dotted
by enchanting Thai stilt villages. 
Trekkers can tackle the trails of Mu
Cang Chai all the year round but Sept
to early November has something
different: the gliding season. During
this time, all the massive rice paddies
turn from green to yellow – a
wonderful time to challenge your
camera lens. 
Trang An
Landscape
Complex, Ninh
Binh
This dramatic area was named as a Unesco
World Heritage site in 2014, boasting
amazing values to your trip in northern
Vietnam. 
The whole complex covers three different
areas: Hoa Lu, Gia Vien and Nho Quan. Each
of them has its own identity. 
While Hoa Lu is the ancient capital under
the reign of King Le and Dinh; Gia Vien and
Nho Quan have stunning waterways
studded with sublime karst mountains and
amazing archaeological treasures.
To spend your time in Trang An, these are
the highlighted activities : having a boat trip
in Ngo Dong river, seeing Hoa Lu ancient
capital, cycling the backroad of Tam Coc. 
Hoi An Ancient
Town, Quang
Nam
Known as the Venice of Vietnam, Hoi
An probably has more lanterns than
any other ancient towns in Asia. 
Established as a fishing village, Hoi An
became the crossroad of the trade
between Chinese, Japanese and
Portugese. Consequently, the
signature of each mentioned influence
is still very visible in the town. 
In 1999, Hoi An was officially
recognized as the Unesco Heritage
site.Rather than just scanning the
sparkling streets, Hoi An can be seen
from a boat snaking through Thu Bon,
a very scenic waterways. 
Sandy beaches are within the reach of
a 20-minute bike ride too. 
My Son
Sanctuary, Quang
Nam
My Son Unesco Heritage may not
be able to compete with the giant
Angkor temples or mesmerizing
Bagan but it is a true delight for a
trip back to the past. 
Remains of Hindu tower-temples at
My Son Sanctuary, a UNESCO
World Heritage site in Vietnam
Constructed between the 4th and
14th century, My Son Sanctuary
depicts the heyday of Cham
civilization. 
Scattering along the green valley,
there appears the ruins and
remainders of over 70 structures
devoted to Hinduism.
Crazy house,
Dalat
Dalat beckons visitors with its
romantic setting. Dalat has a very
odd Vietnam landmark: the Crazy
House. 
The architect Hang Nga, owner of
this house said “ I wanted to create
something original, pioneering” 
and it is.
Crazy house is a weird but artistic
property. It tells the story of nature
reflecting through its rooms. Each
room has something different. The
corridor connecting rooms looks
more like a tree branch than just a
walkway. 
To fully experience the Crazy
House, you can book a room with a
city view. 
Cai Rang floating
markets, Can Tho
With hundreds of fruits, rice,
farm products, boats and
floating food restaurants, it`s
best to hit Cai Rang market
before lunch. Cai Rang market is
the biggest fair on the water in
Mekong Delta. It is located
about 6km from Can Tho city.
The neighbourhood of Cai Rang
is abundant with sights that are
worth a day trip such as Binh
Thuy ancient house, Ong
temple. 
HISTORY OF VIETNAM
Vietnam has a history of tribes uniting
to form strong dynasties. The first
dynasty that many consider to be the
start of the Vietnamese state was the
Hong Bang Dynasty which was ruled by
the legendary Hung kings. In 111 BC, the
Han Dynasty from China absorbed
Vietnam into their empire. Vietnam
would remain a part of the Chinese
empire for over 1000 years. It was in
938 AD that Ngo Quyen defeated the
Chinese and gained independence for
Vietnam. Vietnam was then ruled by a
succession of dynasties including the
Ly, Tran, and the Le dynasty. Under the
Le dynasty the kingdom of Vietnam
reached its peak, expanding to the
south and conquering a portion of the
Khmer Empire.
In 1858 the French came to Vietnam.
In 1893 the French incorporated
Vietnam into French Indochina.
France continued to rule until it was
defeated by communist forces led by
Ho Chi Minh in 1954. The country
became divided into Communist
North Vietnam and the anti-
Communist South. The Vietnam War
raged for years between the two
countries with the US supporting the
South and communist countries
supporting the north. The North
eventually won uniting the country
under communist rule in 1975.
ORIGINS OF CUISINE
Bún bò Huế
The food of Huế is unlike any other
regional food in Vietnam, and it cannot be
reduced to one dish, but if reduce it you
must, bún bò Huế is the dish. Huế food a
style that evokes a royal past. Feudal lords
of the Nguyễn family made Huế the capital
of Vietnam in 1802—a status the city held
until 1945. Huế is still referred to as the
Imperial City, and Huế’s best-known dish is
the noodle soup called bún bò Huế. It’s a
spicy, sour number crammed with
fermented shrimp paste, lemongrass,
ginger, pork knuckle, banana blossoms,
and noodles. But bún bò Huế is just the
beginning; there’s far more to ancient
royal Huế food than this noodle soup.
Imperial Huế food is predominantly made
up of delicate, gloppy rice-cake-based
dishes that arrive doused in nước mắm
(Vietnamese fish sauce). Today, you can
find Huế-style restaurants all over Vietnam,
but to learn about the full depth and
variety of its more than 1,000 dishes and
hundreds of years of history, you have to
eat in Huế.
Mì hoành thánh
It would be fair to say that China and Chinese
people are not well liked in Vietnam. The much
larger northern neighbor has a history of
interference in Vietnam. Most recently, at the
end of the American War in 1975, the new
Vietnamese government did not trust the
ethnic Chinese living in Vietnam, and it kicked
many out, while others fled. In 1979, Deng
Xiaoping had another go to, in his words,
“teach Vietnam a lesson.” The result was a 27-
day war and at least 10,000 people dead.
Throughout that troubled history, the
Vietnamese made sure to nab a useful recipe
when they found one. One result of that is mì
hoành thánh, a very Vietnamese version of a
Chinese wonton noodle soup, which is now a
staple throughout Vietnam, particularly in the
south of the country, where most Chinese
settled. The mì in the dish are flash-fried
yellow cylindrical noodles, slung into a slightly
sweet soup with a few wontons (hoành thánh
—get it?), some chives, a single lettuce leaf,
sliced pork, minced pork, and a greasy rice
cracker. Like so many great, seemingly simple
Vietnamese dishes, mì hoành thánh is a bowl
born of conflict.
Bánh mì
In the mid-19th century, French colonialists
arrived in Vietnam. They brought coffee,
potatoes, onions, and baguettes. The
Vietnamese discovered uses for all these
things, but they found the French butter- and
pâté-filled baguettes a little dull, so they got to
work.
Nowadays, bánh mì sandwiches are just as
famous as French baguettes in much of the
world. These small, airy, extremely light
baguettes are found on just about every street
corner from the Mekong Delta to the border
with China. While the bread is different from
French bread—it is lighter, airier, and more
crumbly—it’s what’s inside that makes them
so very Vietnamese.
A classic bánh mì might come with a simple
pork pâté or slices of chả lụa (Vietnamese pork
luncheon meat), some cucumber, pickled
carrots, spring onion sprigs, coriander, a splash
of hot sauce, and a dusting of chà bông pork
floss. A more exotic bánh mì might include
pigskin, offal, meatballs—the list goes on. And
that’s the point: A few hundred years ago, the
Vietnamese hadn’t heard of baguettes, let
alone sandwiches, but they took that simple,
foreign food item and made it Vietnamese
forever.
Phở bò
Vietnam’s most famous culinary export,
phở bò (beef noodle soup), is thought
to have originated just outside Hanoi in
the early 20th century. Some say it was
influenced by the French colonialists’
pot-au-feu, or beef stew. Some say the
main inspiration was the Chinese dish
guòqiáo mĭ xiàn (crossing the bridge
noodles). Some say it was a mixture of
the two.
But now there’s broad consensus that
phở bò is a distinctively Vietnamese
dish, one that comes tricked out with all
the country’s flavor bells and umami
whistles. It’s a star-anise-stuffed, beef-
bone-rich, aromatic wonder, a
breakfast or any-time-of-the-day dish
for millions of people. A dish that
comes accompanied by a basket of
herbs in the south or a vat of garlic
vinegar in the north. War is over, but
the Vietnamese will still battle over
whose phở bò is the best.
Chả cá Lã Vọng
Chả cá is a famous Hanoi dish made of
fried fish, dill, and spring onion and
served with cold bún (vermicelli) and
peanuts. In the late 19th century,
revolutionary soldiers, who were bent
on evicting the French colonialists,
would hold clandestine meetings at 14
Hàng Sơn in Hanoi. The family that
hosted them set up a restaurant, Lã
Vọng, to disguise their activities, and
served only chả cá. Ironically, the
restaurant soon became popular with
the French aristocrats they wanted to
oust. It was the perfect cover.
After the French got the boot, the
street was renamed Chả Cá, and the
restaurant became a symbol of
revolution. Lã Vọng still exists in its
original location and serves its
signature dish. Locals say you can find
better chả cá elsewhere in Hanoi
nowadays, but the historic spot still
draws crowds.
Bún đậu mắm
tôm
“Food for the poor.” That’s what
Hanoians called bún đậu mắm tôm during
the years following the American War. A
nearly 20-year U.S. trade embargo,
imposed in 1975, meant food was scarce,
and meat was a treasured commodity.
Enter bún đậu mắm tôm, a cheap and
simple dish of cold rice noodles, tofu, and
fermented shrimp paste.
The tofu comes fried. It can be ordered as
you like, from fried a lot to fried a little.
However, it is the combination of textures
—the softness of the noodles, the
crispiness of the tofu, and the pungent,
electric jolt of the mắm tôm (fermented
shrimp paste)—that sends this dish and
anyone who eats it into the stratosphere.
Emblematic of poverty it may well be, but
bún đậu mắm tôm lives on as one of the
most sensational street food staples in
the capital.
Hủ tiếu Nam Vang
This slightly sweet rice noodle,
prawn, and offal soup is an
immigrant. It entered southern
Vietnam along with an influx of
Cambodians during the 1960s.
Nam Vang is Vietnamese for the
Cambodian capital, Phnom
Penh, and hủ tiếu Nam Vang
quickly became a popular dish
on the streets of Saigon.
Variations were developed over
the years—some dry, some wet,
with subtle differences in
ingredients, noodles, and stock.
But it is the original hủ tiếu Nam
Vang that remains the most
popular.
Bún chả
If bún đậu mắm tôm symbolized the strained
relations between the United States and
Vietnam, a simple bún chả meal in 2016
symbolized rapprochement. Bún chả is a Hanoi
original and a lunchtime-only dish. Grilled pork
belly and minced pork patties are served in a
bowl of fish sauce with sliced chayote and
carrot. It comes with a plate of lettuce, perilla
leaves, bean sprouts, herbs, and fresh cold
white vermicelli.

Street-level barbecues fire up daily from 11

a.m., when the scent of pork begins to fill the
air and hungry diners gather. In many ways,
when President Barack Obama sat down with
Anthony Bourdain to eat bún chả in Hanoi, it
was a defining moment. For a sitting U.S.
president to eat regular Vietnamese food in a
regular Vietnamese restaurant and enjoy it in
the same way millions of regular Vietnamese
do every day spoke volumes about a man and
a country to the Vietnamese. While that meal
in Hanoi came toward the end of a political era
in the United States, it was symbolic of
Vietnam’s arrival. After all those years of
invasion and conflict, the Vietnamese and their
food had arrived on the global stage.
VIETNAMESE CUISINE
Vietnamese cuisine is appreciated
across the world. It exhibits great
diversity but can be classified into three
primary categories pertaining to the
north, south, and central regions of the
country. Many types of noodles and
noodle soups are popular here. Less
use of oil and greater use of vegetables
is preferred. Soy sauce, fish sauce, mint,
and basil are popular ingredients. Rice
is a staple of the region. The flavors of
Vietnamese food range from spicy and
sour to sweet. The phở, a noodle soup
originating in North Vietnam is a noted
Vietnamese dish and features rice
noodles with beef or chicken soup and
scallions or bean sprouts as
accompaniments.
INGREDIENTS
FISH SAUCE
Known as nuoc mam in Vietnam,
fish sauce is made by pressing,
salting, and fermenting anchovies,
a process that results in a dark,
amber-hued liquid. Like olive oil to
Italian cooking, fish sauce is the
cardinal ingredient in the cuisines
of Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, and
Cambodia. An extremely versatile
condiment, it can be diluted with
water and sugar for dipping
sauces, splashed into broth, or
mixed with palm sugar to glaze
and caramelize meaty clay-pot
“casserole” dishes. When
choosing a fish sauce, consider the
nitrogen grading—20°N is the
average; 40 is optimal.
OYSTER SAUCE
This viscous sauce is made from
essence or reduction of boiled
oysters that’s mixed with sugar
and water and thickened with
cornstarch. The result is a savory
but also sweet and caramel
sauce that works best in sautées
as it’s able to spread evenly
through foods. A staple of
Cantonese and Southeast Asian
cooking, it’s used mostly
commonly in the Vietnamese
culinary world to tone down the
bitterness of leafy greens and
add a sweetness to a beef cubes
dish called bo luc lac, or “shaking
beef.”
FERMENTED
SHRIMP PASTE
Rarely used in large amounts,
this sauce is still necessary to
have in the house. Pungent in
smell and rich with bold, umami
flavor, the gray-ish colored paste
is made simply with fermented
silver shrimps and salt. Though
it’s often used for marinating or
sautéeing, it’s most famous in
bun rieu, a beloved Southern
noodle soup made with tomato
broth, freshwater crab, and
sometimes escargot.
JASMINE RICE
Rice is served with almost every
meal in Vietnam, and making
rice is often the first thing we
learn to do in the kitchen as
children. Fragrant and floral,
jasmine rice adds another
element of flavor as an
complement to umami-rich
sauces and sour-salty broths. It’s
important to note that unlike
sushi rice or regular white rice,
jasmine rice is drier and not
glutinous, but can still hold
together when cooked properly.
PICKLED
VEGETABLES
Called do chua, or literally “sour
things” in Vietnamese, these
veggies can be found jarred in
nearly every Vietnamese household.
There’s no specific regulation on
the types of vegetable use but they
most commonly include: cabbage,
carrots, cauliflower, and mustard
greens. Given the saltiness and
pepperiness of many dishes, the
tangy, slightly sweet pickled
veggies are often presented as side
dishes to add a pop of brightness.
ROCK SUGAR
In many Vietnamese kitchens,
cooks use rock sugar as
opposed to granulated sugar,
especially when intricately
flavored broths for dishes like
pho and bun bo Hue. The
unrefined nature of the rock
candies allow for a more nutty
sweetness, one more
reminiscent of the original
sugarcane.
SAMBAL OELEK
Sriracha may be the condiment du jour,
but when it comes to cooking, sambal
oelek cannot be beat. Though less
pronounced than sriracha in terms of
sugar and vinegar, sambal oelek
delivers a stronger, more balanced heat
that pairs well with other key
ingredients like fish sauce, rice, and
pickled vegetables. Named after the
Indonesian words for hot sauce
(sambal) and mortar and pestle
(oelek), the sauce is chunkier and less
finely ground than its famous squirt-
bottle cousin.
RICE VERMICELLI
While pho employs banh pho—
the same rice stick noodle used
in pad Thai—a modern
Vietnamese pantry is just as
likely, if not more likely, to have
a pack of thin, vermicelli
noodles, called bun. A lot of
Vietnamese dishes are very
similar—some just swap rice for
rice noodles, but they are
basically the name.
FRESH HERBS
Most Vietnamese noodle soups, and a
handful of appetizers, employ the
same exact combination of fresh
herbs—cilantro, green onion, Thai
basil, and mint—as garnish. Whether
it’s northern pho, central bun bo Hue,
or southern hu tieu, it’s safe to assume
that before serving, you’ll throw on a
pile of roughly chopped herbs whose
fragrant juices seep into the steaming
broths, and whose stalks and stems
provide a slight crunch to offset the
chewiness of noodle and meat.
Vietnamese eggrolls receive the
addition of lettuce leaves, which are
used to roll them up with mint,
cilantro, and basil.
BIRDSEYE CHILI
 Vietnamese food is generally not
as spice-forward as Korean, Thai,
and Indian food. When serving
Vietnamese food, chiles are
sliced and served plain in a small
ramekin, or mixed into nuoc
cham dipping sauce or shrimp
paste. Most Vietnamese families
grow these Thai birdseye chiles
at home, picking them when
ready for use. While not a
necessity, chiles are always
presented as an optional
condiment for those who love
spice.
FRIED SHALLOTS
AND SHALLOTS
OIL
Sprinkled on top of many dishes to
add a nutty, onion taste, these fried
shallots are easy to make. Simply
steep chopped shallots in oil, on low
heat, until caramelized, straining the
mix and keeping the shallots as a
garnish, and the oil for cooking. 
VIETNAMESE
CINNAMON
Cinnamon from Vietnam has a bigger
bark and higher level of spice than the
Indonesian varieties commonly sold
here. It’s also sweeter in smell. Used in
many stocks and soups, including the
broth for pho, goes in pho, it lends an
undertone of warming sweetness.
Generally, one stick of cinnamon is
enough to flavor an entire pot.
VIETNAMESE
PEPPERCORNS
Like cinnamon, black pepper in
Vietnam is also different than the
pepper we commonly find here.
When served fresh, peppercorns
appear green at first, turning
black within an hour.
CARDAMOM
Along with star anise, clove, and
cinnamon, cardamom helps form
the spice base for soups,
including pho. While black
cardamom is commonly used in
Vietnamese cooking, green
cardamom is preferred for a
more delicate, restrained flavor
in savory dishes.
LEMONGRASS
Every Vietnamese household that
I’ve gone to has either stalks of
lemongrass or lemongrass in a jar.
There’s always a form of
lemongrass. The grassy herb is
used most commonly for braising
meats, often alongside fish sauce,
sugar, and chilies. It adds lemony,
bright, and citrusy notes that get
people salivating.
LIME
In addition to fresh herbs,
Vietnamese dishes are often, if not
always, finished with a lime wedge.
There’s something magical about
the combination of lime, onions, and
cilantro. It brightens everything up
and makes any dish more rounded.
If you’re eating a Vietnamese soup,
whether it’s mi quang or bun bo hue,
you almost always start with a
squeeze of lime before you dig in.
TOOLS & EQUIPMENTS
Kitchen scissors
Vietnamese home cooks and chefs
use heavy-duty kitchen scissors the
way Western chefs use knieves.
Helpful for everything from jointing
chickens to thinly slicing herbs
without bruising them.
Vietnamese Wok
A versatile round-bottomed pan
that is primarily identified with
cooking stir fries, but can also be
used to deep fry, braise, stew,
smoke or make soup.
Cleaver
Although a little daunting at first a
cleaver is extremely useful. It will easily
chop through bones when cutting a
chicken or duck into portions, and is
good for chopping vegetables. The flat
side easily squashes garlic cloves ready
for mincing.
Bamboo Steamer
Essential for steaming dim sum,
vegetables, fish etc. Food to be
cooked is placed on a plate in the
steamer and then sat inside a wok
over simmering water. Available in
many sizes that can stack on top of
one another.
Mortar and pestle
Essential for grinding and
pounding herbs, seeds and
spices and making pastes. Food
processors can generally be
used as a quicker, easier
alternative, if less authentic. 
Claypots
Many braised Vietnamese dishes are cooked
in claypots. These can usually be found
cheaply in Asian grocery stores. A clay pot is
a primitive but efficient piece of equipment.
When used for cooking, a clay pot distributes
heat evenly. When presented at the table it
maintains heat much longer than a regular
serving bowl. The clay pot is often used for
caramelising and braising as it gives the
ingredients an earthy dimension, imparting
smoky aromas. Before using a clay pot, be
sure to submerge it in cold water for 24
hours. This will ensure that the clay pot does
not crack when put on direct heat.
Mandoline
(plastic food
slicer)
Very handy for making
Vietnamese salads and pickles as
it can be used to finely grate or
thinly slice large quantities of
ingredients consistently.
FAMOUS DISHES
Banh Mi Thit
The Vietnamese equivalent of a
“submarine” – a Vietnamese
baguette stuffed with any of a
wide variety of fillings including
ham, cheese, canned sardines,
Vietnamese bologna and pickled
carrot. 
Bo Kho
Beef-and-vegetable stew,
usually accompanied by
baguettes. 
Che
For dessert, try Che, a pudding
made from sticky rice and
beans. 
Buncha
Vietnamese Pork Meatball and
Noodle Salad.
Nem Nuong Xa
Grilled meat on lemongrass
skewers.
Goi Cuon
The famous Vietnamese
“summer rolls”: shrimp or pork
(sometimes both) with herbs,
rolled up in rice paper and
served cold with a peanut
dipping sauce. 
Pho
Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup,
usually served with beef (phở bò)
or chicken (phở gà).The soup
includes noodles made from rice
and is often served with Vietnamese
basil, mint leaves, lime, and bean
sprouts that are added to the soup
by the person who is dining.