A gastronomic adventure completes traveling in a foreign country. Food tells the stories of a specific culture. You can tell a lot about a place’s geographic location, economic situation, and history by having a taste of their cuisine. This is why food is a cultural experience and is an essential part of travel.
If you decide to journey to the eastern side of the Earth to find good food, make sure you add Vietnam to one of your stops. This tropical country has a location ideal for the production and harvesting of fresh goods. Plus, the food is varied and affordable. These are some of the reasons Vietnamese cuisine is a global name:
Coffee
The locals of Vietnam have an undeniably good relationship with coffee. This is evident in how many coffee shops they have, not just in the city. A walk in their streets will show you a sprawl of mobile coffee stalls on motorcycles and pop-up umbrella booths. That is how big the demand for coffee is.
Plus, they are the second-largest producer of coffee next to Brazil. That is all the more reason you should give Vietnamese coffee a try. Since this is a tropical country, you can start with their classic Vietnamese iced coffee. To prove that the Vietnamese take their coffee seriously, you should try the unique ingredients they mix with their favorite drink.
First up, there is egg coffee. Some say this unique coffee blend traces its origin to when milk was scarce, so the Vietnamese ended up using egg as a substitute.
Then there’s the coconut coffee, popular with tourists. It is a mix of strong robusta coffee and coconut ice cream or coconut milk. There’s civet coffee for those who like their coffee with a bit of adventure. Civets eat coffee beans, and when they take it out of their system, it is what coffee brewers get to make the world-famous drink.
You can also buy some coffee beans in Vietnam. If you don’t have the proper tools for brewing coffee back home, you can buy a Hario cold brew 600ml pot as your first brewing equipment. Cold-brew is best for people who like coffee but get stomach issues because of caffeine. Finding brewing equipment of the right size and function will help you relive your Vietnamese coffee adventure when you get back home.
Street Barbecue
In the wee hours of the night, when people are just coming out of bars and pubs after a few drinks, street food stalls provide the biggest comfort. Also, there is a lot to choose from. You can have chicken, pork, prawns, squids, intestines and innards, and even frog legs.
You pick whatever you want, sit in one of those makeshift tables under a big umbrella, and wait for your order. A plus factor is that it is incredibly cheap. You can get as much food as you want without worrying about going past your budget for the day.
Banh Mi
Banh Mi is Vietnam’s popular sandwich meal. It is a baguette filled with a range of meats, vegetables, and savory sauces. You can easily buy this famous food from strolling food carts or full-on shops. Bahn Mi is the Vietnamese word for baguette, which the French introduced to this tropical country in the colonial period.
What makes this sandwich fun is that you have the liberty to choose what goes in your sandwich, be it grilled chicken, pork floss, or grilled patties. But the real deal is the bread itself. Its crunchy crust and pillowy interior are to die for.
Bot Chien
Bot Chien is a dish made of rice flour cakes fried in lots of oil. It is topped with egg and served with sweet and sour sauce. You can have this as a light snack when you are not yet ready for a full meal. It has that perfect crisp from being fried but is also chewy because it’s made of rice flour. You can also enjoy a side dish of some pickled radish with this meal.
Ban Xheo
The word he means “sizzle,” which comes from when the cook puts the batter in the pan. The batter is made of rice flour, turmeric powder, and water. The variety of flavors depends on which filling you put together with spices. Choose from scallions, pork, mung beans, green onions, and bean sprouts. It is served with greens like lettuce with which you can wrap around the pancake together with fresh herbs.
Street food and coffee in Vietnam make it stand out. Other than that, the country boasts breathtaking landscapes and warm people. You should definitely add this Southeast Asian gem to your travel list.
