2. Capital - Hanoi
Currency - Dong
Size - Almost like Italy
Major cities - Ho Chi Minh City, Haip-Hong, Hue
Language - Vietnamese, French , English, Chinese
Religion - Buddhism, Hoa hao, Chiristians, Muslims
Literacy - 94 %
Per capita income - $3,788
Population - 9,34,21,835
Date of Independency -2nd Sep. 1945
Government type - Communist State
Neighbors - China to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the west
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If you are looking for a quick lunch of soup, salad or a
sandwich, or an exquisite vegetarian meal, or is tonight time
for multiple dishes, contrasting flavors, varied textures and
exotic ingredients, or perhaps something healthy and lite
means you are about to have something Vietnamese.
Vietnamese cuisine sometimes refers to “the nouvelle cuisine
of Asia.” and indeed, with the heavy reliance on rice, wheat
and legumes, abundance of fresh herbs and vegetables,
minimal use of oil, and treatment of meat as a condiment
rather than a main course, Vietnamese food has to be among
the healthiest on the planet.
4. Cuisine in this country of 9,34,21,835 people differs strikingly
between the north, south and central regions, but two key
features stand out. First, rice plays an essential role in the
nation’s diet . But this is also a noodle-crazy population,
regularly downing them for breakfast, lunch and dinner, in
homes, restaurants and at roadside stands. Noodles are eaten
wet and dry, in soup or beside soup, and are made in different
shapes and thicknesses of wheat, rice and haricot beans.
Secondly, no meal is complete without fresh vegetables and
herbs.
A key portion of every meal, north, south and central, is a
platter containing cucumbers, bean threads, slices of hot pepper,
and sprigs of basil, coriander, mint and a number of related
herbs found principally in southeast Asian markets. In spite of
centuries of domination, Vietnamese food retained its own
character.
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5. Soup is customarily served for breakfast in Vietnam–big bowls of
steaming noodle soup, with meat and any number of ingredients
added at the last minute, like bean sprouts, cilantro, basil, chili
peppers, lime slices, and green onions. Phó, as it’s known, is
now hugely popular in Vietnam.
“Small” soups, by contrast, are served as first courses–they
generally don’t have noodles; they’re served in small portions;
and they’re called sup.
Finally, the class of soups known as Canh are generally
served family style, out of one big bowl–often spooned into
smaller bowls at table with rice.
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Vietnamese Cuisine has been highly influenced by its
neighbors, economical conditions, climatic condition, its
history being a French colony, cultural exchange and
religious faith.
Vietnamese people taken things such Fish sauce and soy
sauce, the habit of eating with chopsticks , its stir fries and
noodle based soup from China.
Vietnamese dish, banh mi was influenced by the French, the
type of bread used to make this is a baguette. Pho is also
partly influenced by the French, it uses Vietnamese rice
noodles and French-minded meat broth.
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Influence of Poverty
Vietnamese cuisine reflects the lifestyle of Vietnamese , from the
preparation to how the food is served. Involved in a series of war,
internal conflict and being exploited by French, majority of the
Vietnamese people spent their life in very miserable conditions. .
Therefore, the ingredients for Vietnamese food are often very
inexpensive and mainly consists of natural occurring herbs and
vegetables.
Due to economic conditions, maximizing the use of ingredients to
save money has become a tradition in Vietnamese cooking.
Apart from this, Vietnamese also depends heavily depended on
the rice that is grown on rice paddies all over the country, this
rice is used to make simple and cheap everyday dishes that
shape Vietnamese cuisine
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A typical Vietnamese meal consists of steamed rice, a soup dish,
some sort of meat such as chicken pork or beef, fish, a
vegetable dish, dipping sauces such as fish sauce and soy sauce.
Apart from this the food has to be colorful and have a variety of
foods. This means that the food must have vibrant color,
texture, appearance, taste and crispiness .
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Correspondenc
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Elements
Wood Fire Earth Metal Water
Spices Sour Bitter Sweet Spicy Salty
Organs Gall bladder Small intestine Stomach Large intestine
Urinary
bladder
Colors Green Red Yellow White Black
Senses Visual Taste Touch Smell Sound
Nutrients Carbohydrates Fat Protein Minerals Water
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Due to the colder climate of northern Vietnam the productivity
of spices is limited. Therefore, the foods there are often lacks
spicy than those in other regions.
Northern Vietnamese cuisine is not shows any type of
extremity in taste. Freshwater fish, crustaceans, and mollusks,
such as prawns, squids, shrimps, crabs, clams, and mussels, are
widely used.
Vast shorelines because of South China sea make seafood a
natural staple for people in this region.
Northern Vietnam’s Cuisine
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The abundance of spices produced by central Vietnam’s
mountainous terrain makes this region’s cuisine notable for its
spicy food, which sets it apart from the two other regions of
Vietnam where foods are mostly not spicy. Once the capital of
the last dynasty of Vietnam, Huế’s culinary tradition features
highly decorative and colorful food, reflecting the influence of
ancient Vietnamese royal cuisine.
Central Vietnam’s Cuisine
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The warm weather and fertile soil of southern Vietnam
creates an ideal condition for growing a wide variety of
fruits, vegetables, and livestock results in often vibrant and
flavorful, with liberal uses of garlic, shallots, and fresh
herbs. Sugar is added to food more than in the other
regions. The preference for sweetness in southern Vietnam
can also be seen through the widespread use of coconut
milk in southern Vietnamese cuisine.
Southern Vietnam’s Cuisine
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Mint: Several varieties grow in Vietnam. Some are fuzzy, some taste
lemony, some spearminty, others are spicy...
Basil: More popular in Thailand but still makes an appearance in pho and
on herb plates.
Lemongrass: Tastes and smells, not surprisingly, like lemon. Used in both
sweet and savory dishes.
Garlic Chives: Flat leaves with a delicate onion and garlic flavor.
Dill: Hardly associated with Southeast Asian cuisine but used in
a famous Vietnamese fish dish called Cha Ca, where it's treated more like a
veggie than an herb.
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Turmeric: Sometimes called poor man's saffron, it adds a
vivid goldenness to fried foods and some peppery flavor.
Ginger and Galangal: Both knobby rhizomes, both pervasive in
Vietnamese cooking.
Saigon Cinnamon: There are different species of cinnamon in the
world, and this one is indigenous to Vietnam. Woody, earthy
flavor and aroma. Important in pho.
Tamarind Pulp: Maybe this doesn't belong on this list, but it
needed to go somewhere. The sweet-sour pulp is used in noodle
soups and curries.
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The nem ran ( spring roll or cha gio in the south)
The Gio lua (Silky lean meat paste)
The Pho (rice noodle soup).
The Bun thang (ladder soft noodle soup)
The Mon oc (snail dish)
The Com (grilled green rice)
The Cha ca La Vong (La Vong grilled fish pies)
The Banh cuon (rolled rice pancake).
The Banh tom Ho Tay (Ho Tay fried shirmp cake)
The Lon quay Lang Son (Lang Son roasted pork)
THE SPECIAL FOODS IN VIETNAM
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Instead of fresh milk, one can find cans upon cans
of sweetened condensed milk, famously used in
"white coffee.
Unripe fruits are considered more like vegetables.
Crispy and crunchy, a green papaya and mango or
banana flower becomes the base for salads
instead of leafy greens.
Ripe fruit, are sweet and wondrous. Instead of cakes
or cookies for dessert, usually a meal ends with a hot
teapot and big platter of indigenous tropical fruits.
Slices of banana, mango, pineapple, watermelon,
dragon fruit, papaya, etc.
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Do’s Don’ts
Invite the elderly first play with your food
Wish a good meal Plight/argue on the dinner table
Sit properly Feet should not point towards the food
Proper way to place Chopsticks Don’t take the last piece
Finish your food Do not plant chopsticks vertically
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After going through the deep analysis of the Vietnamese
cuisine, it can be observed that , even having limited
resources they have continued their sustainable
development and keep their cuisine alive and because of
their dependability on herbs and vegetable rather than
oils , it is termed as the one of the world’s healthiest
cuisine.
Because of its exotic taste, Vietnamese Cuisine is
quite popular in many parts of the worlds mainly in
Australia, the United States, Canada, and France.
Vietnamese cuisine is also popular in Japan, Korea, the
Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Poland, and Russia,
and in areas with dense Asian populations.
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Blue Ginger is a chain
restaurant
in Vietnam. With true blue
origins in Ho Chi Minh city, its
owners the Tans have nine
Vietnamese restaurants around
the world and President Bill
Clinton not only ate at the one
in Ho Chi Minh city but asked
for double helpings.
Nha Hang Blue Ginger, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Blue Ginger, The Taj West End, Bangalore
Initially, Taj Group is having a
Thai restaurant at Taj West End
Bangalore and a Chinese
Restaurant at Taj Hotel
Chanakyapuri, New Delhi which
are later converted into
Vietnamese Restaurant with
the name Blue Ginger
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A must visit restaurant, it is a romantics dream come true, coddled
by fragrant flowering frangipani trees, banana trees and lush
greenery. The candles shimmer, and the skillful mood lighting
bathes the partially open air restaurant with a warm glow.
A great setting for a great cuisine with it’s French, Chinese and
Indian influences and a uniqueness of it’s own. The spark of lime,
the bite of chilli, the freshness of green herbs, and the crisp crunch
of uncooked veggies add layers of textures and sharp flavors to
items.
Under the careful supervision of Chef Rishi Manucha and
his team along with Chef Doung from Vietnam, gives the dishes its
natural taste and identity.
Operational hrs. : 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. & 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Blue Ginger, The Taj West End, Bangalore
22. The ginger rhizome is aromatic and thick lobed and ranges
from white to yellow in color: One of the prized varieties and
most unusual exception to this color range is a variety that
possesses a characteristic blue ring which circles the fleshy
part.
It is significant to note that the only specific variety actually
singled out from a therapeutic standpoint is the blue ring,
which is reported to contain the highest protein-digesting
enzyme content.
Moreover, Eliza Secrist in her article: "Ginger, the Universal
Medicine, analyzes the valuable properties of "blue ring"
ginger as follows:
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Blue Ginger
