Vietnamese Recipes
I started going to Vietnamese restaurants here in the U.S. at about the same time that I starting sampling
Thai food. It was easy to notice the similarities of Vietnamese cooking to Chinese and Thai, yet appreciate the
differences. The use of bowls for serving meals plus ingredients like rice, soy sauce, bean curd, noodles, garlic,
onions, fresh ginger root, chilies and sugar is
common to all three cuisines. Yet Vietnamese food
is noticeably sweeter than Chinese and often not as
spicy as Thai cooking.
Like other Asian styles, traditional Vietnamese cooking is known for the use of fresh and
healthy ingredients. Beef, pork, chicken, fish, and various kinds of seafood are all used, yet
there is a strong vegetarian tradition that comes from Buddhist and Chinese values. Herbs and
other flavorings include lemongrass, mint, cilantro and basil leaves.
From China, Vietnamese recipes borrow steamed and fried dumplings, fried rice and
noodle dishes. French influence is found in baguettes, potatoes and asparagus. Indian curries
are also an influence.
Soy sauce is used almost exclusively in areas very close to China, being mostly replaced
by fish sauce (nuoc mam.) This is perhaps the most important ingredient in Vietnamese
cooking as it is for Thai cooks as well. It is made from salted fish fermented in barrels and is
served so widely, including table-side as a condiment, that I think of it as kind of an Asian
ketchup.
Like with its neighbors, rice is a main ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine. It is served
alongside many main dishes, and rice flour is used instead of egg and wheat in making
noodles. My recipe for the French influenced Vietnamese crepe, stuffed with fresh vegetables,
is made with rice flour.
Grilled meats are featured often in Vietnamese cooking, and my recipe for Vietnamese
marinade is a good introduction to this cuisine. It is amazing to me how just a little bit of this
marinade flavors the small cuts of meat so thoroughly. Great for barbecuing!
I have also included my recipe for Vietnamese dipping sauce (nuoc mam cham.) This
recipe will duplicate the best dipping sauces that I have been served in Vietnamese
restaurants. Use it with everything, from dumplings to spring rolls, crepes and grilled meats
and vegetables.