Vietnam has a culinary culture that combines countless ingredients and spices to satisfy the tendency of Vietnamese people to eat many vegetables and soups and pork.
Thinking about Vietnamese food, international travelers think about pho (noodle soup). Pho first appeared in Vietnam at the end of the 19th century in Nam Dinh Province. Pho is so attractive because of its nutritious and delicious soup and its special soft and leathery noodles. Delicious pho requires a meticulous process. The noodles are ground, purified, stirred, dried and then cut in strands, then dried again to be final products. The soup is steamed from cow bones over many hours and then purified and augmented with special spices. Pho is a Vietnamese traditional, elite food which is rich in vitamin but low fat. After eating a bow of pho, many people are found that they are totally sound in mind and body. A part from pho, Vietnam has been well-known by many other specialties such as cha gio (spring rolls), canh chua (sour mullet fish soup), banh xeo (Vietnamese pancake), cha ca (fried fish paste) and many other specialties.
Cha gio (spring roll) has been a favorite of international tourists in many hotels and restaurants since it is made from mince, vegetables, vermicelli, cassava, job’s ear, field mushrooms, onions, eggs and spices. All of these ingredients are rolled into a griddle cake and then fried in oil over a low flame. The special tip for perfect spring rolls is to turn them often to make them crispy. Not only the Japanese but other foreigners fall in love with cha gio because of its amber, its crispiness melted in mouth. Many people, especially Japanese girls found cha gio a diet food thanks to some vegetables like salad containing vitamin attached to the food.
Canh chua (sour mullet fish soup) was born since the day people from the North and the Central came to the South to set up their businesses. It is a very popular dish in the South. A good sour mullet fish soup will be steamed from pig bones then be purified, then steamed again. Next, tamarind to make the soup sour and fish are put into the soup. When the fish is done, people add pineapple, mint, okra, fish sauce, sugar, tomatoes, coriander, bean sprouts and chili. Canh chua will be perfect if we eat it together with fish sauce. Fish is taken out of the soup to put into a dish of fish sauce to eat together with hot rice or noodle. Fish in canh chua has low cholesterol so it is easy to digest while the omega-3 in fish is good for getting old prevention. Vegetables like tomatoes, pineapple, bean sprouts, mint etc is good for antipyretic process, detoxication. International and local tourists who have tasted Vietnamese food may share experiences and vote for your favorite food in the program called ‘Exciting HCMC’ organized by the city’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism at www.hcmc100e.info.
Joining in this program, apart from food, you will be asked to vote for hotels, restaurants, roadside hawker stalls, cafes, shops and markets, points of interest (sightseeing) and your overall impression of HCMC.
VietNamNet/SGT |
