“Tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are”
Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin // French philosopher, politician and lawyer
The Vietnamese cuisine is ancient and a fusion of cultures. You have shortage of senses to see through the Vietnamese kitchen. This has to do with the long and turbulent history of Vietnam, the coming and going of various colonizers, the tension and cooperation with neighboring countries, imperial desires and the separation and contraction between North and South Vietnam. All have influenced the cuisine and culture. The Vietnamese cuisine is strongly, but subtly merged with the turbulent history of the country.
Because of the sultry climate, Vietnam is fueled by plentiful greens, colorful fruits and an abundance of fresh herbs. Each area has its own battle with the elements and this also characterizes the local dishes, but white rice, fish sauce and fresh herbs bind all corners together.
The hooting of scooters and cars, the daily activity in the large crowded cities, the fresh sea air that the long coast offers, the green mountains and the Mekong River, the combination of flavor and atmosphere of each compass forms an overwhelming sensation of the senses. Vietnamese are fond of grilled meat with charcoal smoke. You smell this irresistible fragrance in almost all the dining, shopping and markets. The caramelizing of meat and fish is a popular cooking technique in which sugar is often used.
Vietnamese cuisine is Pho (national dish), fresh herbs and luscious vegetables, nuoc mam (fish sauce), noodle soups, fresh fish, rice paper and white rice. Colorful pallets of food with their own distinctive flavors. The evolution of Vietnamese cuisine continues. It is sticking to tradition, the art of picking up, taking over the best and adapt to the own taste, where Vietnamese cuisine owes its variety but retains its authenticity.