Vietnamese cuisine guide
Where it comes from
Vietnamese cooking is characterised by fresh herbs served raw alongside cooked food, a light hand with fat, and the balance of fish sauce, lime and sugar in the dipping sauces that accompany nearly everything. French colonial influence left bread and coffee behind, absorbed rather than imitated — bánh mì is its own thing, not a baguette sandwich.
North, centre and south diverge: northern cooking is more restrained and soy-leaning, central cooking is spicier and more elaborate, southern cooking sweeter with more coconut.
Allergens and dietary needs
Fish sauce is the central allergen consideration, and it is nearly ubiquitous — including in dishes that appear vegetarian, since nước chấm accompanies so much of the menu. Peanut appears in garnishes and sauces, and shrimp paste in some regional preparations.
Because so much arrives assembled by the guest, saying what is in the accompanying sauce is as important as describing the plate.
Naming it on an English-language menu
Describe the accompanying sauce as carefully as the plate. Much of a Vietnamese meal is assembled by the guest, and nước chấm is where the fish sauce and often the peanut live.
Keep the Vietnamese names — phở, bún chả, bánh mì are recognised and searched for, and the diacritics matter to guests who read them.
Staple ingredients
- rice
- fish sauce
- herbs
- rice noodles