Traditional Food In Vietnam: 10 Dishes You Need To Try

Vietnamese cuisine is well recognized for its age-old traditions, which range from hearty noodle soup to bánh mì. Other nations may be noted for their creative new dishes and cutting-edge culinary techniques. So, what is typical Vietnamese Food?

Here are some of the best traditional Vietnamese recipes that show why they have endured through the ages.

• 1. Phở - Vietnamese national spirit dish

Phở - Vietnamese national spirit dish

Referring to famous Vietnamese dishes, it is impossible not to mention Pho. The most popular are Beef Pho and Chicken Pho. Pho broth is made according to a typical, sophisticated and meticulous recipe with many spices of onions, ginger, cardamom, star anise, etc., and an indispensable ingredient is stewed beef bone.

• 2. Bánh mì 

Bánh mì - on-the-go breakfast

With a cheap price and full of nutrients, millions of loaves of bread are sold every day throughout Vietnam. Bánh mì with crispy crust along with grilled meat, pork rolls, pate, cucumber, herbs, butter and egg sauce, etc., have created a dish with bold flavors of the homeland, becoming the soul of the restaurant. Vietnamese cuisine in the eyes of international tourists. 

Bánh Mì Vietnam - Source: Google.com

• 3. Bánh chưng, bánh tét

Bánh Chưng, Bánh Tét - Vietnamese traditional Tet food

Every Lunar New Year, the Vietnamese dish tray cannot be complete without Bánh Chưng or Bánh Tét. In the minds of Vietnamese people, banh chung is a dish imbued with national identity and civilization, remembering the origin and childhood memories of each Vietnamese person. The reunion meals at the beginning of the year and the days of gathering by the fire to look at the pot of banh chung are the things that always exist when it comes to this dish.

This dish is dedicated to the ancestral altar, showing respect and filial piety. With the ingredients pounded under the skillful hands of the people to create square bánh chưng, it takes a long time to boil the cake. Once cooked, Banh Chưng just needs to be peeled off and eaten. It can be eaten directly or with side dishes such as pickles, palanquins, etc.

Bánh Chưng in Tet Holiday - Source: Google.com

Similar to Bánh Chưng, Bánh Tét also carries a meaning of wishing for the prosperity and reunion of the family. Bánh Tét is usually made in the South of Vietnam, the ingredients for making Bánh Tét are also glutinous rice, green beans, and pork like Bánh Chưng. But it's different from Bánh Chưng which is only made with white sticky rice, while Bánh Tét can be replaced with glutinous rice mixed with black beans, mixed glutinous rice, charcoal glutinous rice or naturally colored rice, etc., to make Cakes colorful. If Bánh Chưng is wrapped in Dong leaves, Bánh Tét is wrapped in banana leaves, wrapped in a long circle.

Bánh Tét - Source: Google.com

• 4. Bánh xèo

• 5. Chè

• 6. Gỏi cuốn

Gỏi Cuốn - Vietnamese Spring Rolls

When you have enjoyed traditional Vietnamese dishes, you will find that most of them are fried, grilled and boiled. Sometimes, you can have a yearning for something a little fresher. Considering Goi Cuon first.

Gỏi cuốn - Source: Google.com

• 7. Bún chả

Bún chả - special from form to flavor

Bún Chả is a traditional dish of Vietnam and a famous specialty of Hanoi capital. The Bún Chả dish is highly appreciated by many domestic and foreign magazines and culinary experts.

Bún Chả - Source: Google.com

• 8. Bánh cuốn

Banh cuon is a familiar breakfast dish of Vietnamese people. There are two main types of banh cuon, with filling and without filling. With the type with filling, the filling will be made from pureed shrimp, meat and mushrooms. The crust is usually elaborately thinned. On the plate of rolls, fried onions are often added to look very eye-catching.

Banh cuon is usually served with lettuce, pickles and dipping fish sauce. Sauce plays a very important role, whether the eatery's Bánh Cuốn is delicious or not is determined by the bowl of dipping fish sauce.

Bánh Cuốn - Source: Google.com

In addition to its fantastic flavor, Banh Cuon is appealing due to its fascinating preparation. Frequently, guests may see their host heating the incredibly delicate pancakes just before their meal is delivered.

• 9. Xôi

Xôi - Vietnamese Sticky Rice

Xôi is made from glutinous rice, cooked with steam. In Vietnam, there are two types: xôi mặn (savory) and xôi ngọt (sweet). Xôi (sticky rice) is a snack and takeaway breakfast dish that is popular across the country. Although it is usually served as a breakfast or dessert, it is also served as a main meal at lunch and dinner in many parts of Vietnam.

Xôi - Source: Google.com

Some types of cropping in Vietnam can be for example:

- Xôi bắp - made with corn, fried onions and smashed cooked mung beans.

- Xôi chiên - deep-fried glutinous rice patty.

- Xôi gà - topping is chicken.

- Xôi khúc - with mung bean filling with a coating of pandan leaves paste.

- Xôi thập cẩm - subgum xôi.

- Xôi thịt kho tàu - served with caramelized pork and eggs.

- Xôi xéo - served with smashed cooked mung beans, fried onions, and rousong.

- Xôi gấc - made with the aril and seeds of the Sweet Gourd.

- Xôi lá cẩm - made with the magenta plant.

- Xôi nếp than - made by black glutinous rice

• 10. Bún bò Huế

Bún Bò Huế - Hue ancient capital specialties

If you enjoy soup, you'll be glad to know that Bun Bo Hue is another traditional Vietnamese meal. "Bun" provides distinct and regional meals in each location, whether North, South, or Central. However, in Hue, people prefer "bun" over the other because of the style of "bun Hue." Hue style encompasses not just exquisite, refined, and accurate food, but also the processor's attitude. People visiting Hue in the morning or afternoon may easily reach "bun bo Hue" by going through the little streets. This thick, slick rice noodle may be found all around the country.

Bún bò Huế - Source: Google.com

Related article: All About Food In Vietnam