Vietnam has a special and unique cuisine that uses five taste elements: spicy, sour, bitter, salty and sweet. Between using fresh herbs, meats, and spices, Vietnamese food is considered one of the healthiest cuisines in the world.
Whether you are planning to travel to Vietnam or are just curious about their culture, you will surely be impressed and excited by the amazing flavors. Vietnamese dishes are also admired for having complementary textures, which you will read about. Try making any of these five delicious dishes below to impress your friends and family!
- Vietnamese Pho
Pho is a classic Vietnamese soup that is perfect for a chilly day. The best part of pho is that people can sprinkle on their own cilantro, shallots, basil and onions, as they prefer! The soup is typically eaten with chopsticks for the noodles and soup spoons for the broth. If you were planning a trip to Vietnam, this would be good practice for enjoying the many different meals of the country.
- Bun Bo Xao
This is a fresh salad with a "zing" to it! It consists of a mix of marinated beef and rice noodles, topped with a classic Vietnamese sauce. However, the best part of this main-course salad is the colors of the roasted peanuts and slivers of carrots, cucumbers and radishes. This is a simple, easy lunch to put together that will brighten up your day!
- Vietnamese Steak
If someone in your family enjoys steak, then why not try making them a Vietnamese Steak? It is marinated with nuoc cham, which is made from items that you can easily find in your pantry, such as vinegar, lime juice and sugar. Nuoc cham pairs well with almost anything, so you can even put out a salad of cucumbers, radishes and tomatoes to serve with the steak!
- Summer Rolls
It doesn’t matter what season it is, you can always make some delicious Vietnamese summer rolls. They are fresh wraps filled with shellfish, noodles, vegetables and herbs. You can even prepare a tasty ginger sauce for them to dip them into, which are equal parts tangy and spicy! Your family will be so excited to show their friends this new kind of lunch. If you want to put a surprise in your children's lunch boxes, these are the perfect snacks to make their day.
- Vietnamese Stir-Fry
Sometimes you don't have a lot of time to prepare dinner for your family. A quick meal that you can prepare is stir-fry full of Vietnamese flavors! You don't even need to bother preparing meat, just add some tofu with some green vegetables. However, the soy sauce and cashew nuts are what gives this dish ultimate flavor!
The world is full of amazing cuisine from South America to Asia, and the food from Vietnam is surely something the family will enjoy. Create a Vietnamese experience that your friends and family will never forget by trying one of these recipes. Maybe you can even apply Vietnam’s five fundamental tastes to your own dishes! If you’ve ever made a Vietnamese meal, what’s your favorite kind to make?
