Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [404]
Floating market on the Mekong
Delacour’s langur at the Cuc Phuong centre for endangered primates
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Vietnam’s natural wonders | Rivers |
National parks
Many of Vietnam’s more pristine corners have been protected as national parks. Some of the most notable are:
Ba Be(See "Ba Be National Park"), centred around the country’s largest natural lake.
Cuc Phuong(See "Cuc Phuong National Park"), containing a centre for endangered primates.
Bach Ma(See "Bach Ma National Park"), a haven for ornithologists and botanists.
Cat Tien(See "Cat Tien National Park"), where you’ll find elephants, rhinos and crocodiles.
Cat Ba(See "Cat Ba National Park"), the largest of Ha Long Bay’s enchanting islands.
Yok Don(See "Yok Don National Park"), home to more than a dozen ethnic groups.
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Vietnamese street food
From hawkers with cauldrons of soup hanging from shoulder poles, to push carts, market stalls and makeshift “street kitchens”, Vietnam’s street food is unsurpassed. Often better quality than what’s found in restaurants, it’s much cheaper and a lot more fun. Though the choice is enormous, most vendors are highly specialized, serving one type of food or even just a single dish, but they cook it to perfection. All you need is a bit of judicious selection – look for places with a fast turnover, where the ingredients are obviously fresh – and a smattering of basic vocabulary.
Vietnamese street food |
A wealth of flavours
Throughout Vietnam street vendors sell rice-flower crackers, corn cobs (steamed, fried or grilled), fish balls, whole dried squid barbecued over coals, a myriad of freshly cooked fritters, glutinous rice and Chinese-style dumplings filled with tasty morsels and intriguing parcels steamed in banana leaves.
Street vendor
Thanks to Vietnam’s varied topography and climate, its cooks have an unusually broad range of ingredients to call on, from temperate fruits and vegetables grown in the cool uplands to the tropical bounty of the Mekong Delta, so you’ll find a great deal of regional variation in the food on offer: typical northern dishes include hotpots, rice gruels and sweet and sour soups, while southern flavours include curries and spicy dipping sauces, often married with a touch of sugar and coconut milk to balance the heat. Throughout Vietnam you’ll find a strong vegetarian tradition, a legacy of Buddhism, while the French introduced dairy products, wheat-flour bread and pastries – baguette-sellers are a common sight in Vietnam’s markets.
Vietnamese street food |
Northern foods
The quintessential street food is pho bo, a beef noodle soup, originating in Hanoi but now found throughout Vietnam. It’s primarily a breakfast dish, and on cold northern mornings you can’t miss the great, steaming cauldrons. Perch on one of the low stools and, after helping yourself to crunchy bean sprouts and salad greens heaped on the table, add a sprinkling of red chillies and a squeeze of lime to taste and tuck into a hearty bowlful of broth garnished with slivers of beef.
Pho bo
Another not-to-be-missed northern delicacy is bun cha: small pieces of pork are barbecued on an open brazier, giving off an unmistakable aromatic smoke, then served on a bed of cold rice noodles with a bowl of herbs and salad greens and a sour-sweet dipping sauce. Bun cha is often accompanied by a plate of nem (spring rolls), deep-fried and filled with minced pork, rice vermicelli, finely chopped mushrooms and herbs. Or ring the changes with deep-fried crabmeat rolls, nem cua be.
Nem
Look out, too, for banh cuon – steamed, almost transparent, rice-flour pancakes folded over a dollop of minced pork and black mushrooms, garnished with deep-fried shallots and served with a light, sweetish dipping sauce.
Banh khoai
Banh xeo
Vietnamese street food |
Central and southern foods
While Hué is best known for its Imperial cuisine, it also has its own distinct street food.