Vietnam by MasterChef Travel
With its fresh ingredients full of vibrant flavours, Vietnam is a delight for the culinary traveller.
Throughout its history, Vietnam has been an active trading nation. It has also experienced the upheaval of French colonialism, Japanese occupation and, more recently, the Vietnam war. However, despite so many external interventions, much of Vietnamese life has remained relatively timeless and unspoiled.
Vietnamese cuisine exemplifies this cultural purity, with its distinct and healthy style of cooking, characterised by balanced flavours, the minimal use of oil, and plenty of fresh vegetables and herbs
Say good morning, Vietnam
Start the day with a traditional Vietnamese breakfast – a steaming bowl of fragrant pho. This savoury beef noodle soup is topped with crunchy bean sprouts, chillies, lime, Thai basil and hoisin sauce.
Stop street side for a Banh Mi
The epitome of the French food influence, Banh Mi is a crusty baguette, stuffed with pate, coriander, carrots and chillies. An easily transportable meal, you’ll find vendors on most street corners.
Feast on fresh seafood
A coastal country, seafood is a large part of the Vietnamese diet – especially in the central and southern areas. Enjoy freshly caught fish, prawns, squid and clams cooked in hot pots with rice.
Drink like the locals
The coffee in Vietnam is strong, sweet and delicious. Prepared with a small silver filter which slowly drips coffee, it is then mixed with condensed milk (and sometimes ice) to create a refreshing drink.
Appreciate fragrant, fresh herbs
Added to almost every dish, herbs are used to create an extra layer of flavour. Essentials like lemongrass, Vietnamese mint, basil and coriander add a burst of freshness to every meal.
Five Highlights of Vietnam
Hoi An
This fishing village on the coast of the South China Sea was a port from as early as the 16th century, its traders lured by fine silks and porcelain. The heart of Hoi An retains much of it its old character, with its winding lanes and Chinese-styled shops. It is sometimes known as the ‘Venice of Vietnam’ because of the narrow canals that run through the town.
Halong Bay
Halong Bay, in northern Vietnam, is literally translated as ‘Bay of Descending Dragons’. The stunning bay has thousands of islands, each covered in thick jungle, which form a spectacular scape of limestone pillars. Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves, others support floating villages of fishermen.
The Mekong delta
The Mekong delta in the south of Vietnam is where the Mekong river meets the sea. It is a fertile, lush area, covered with the rice fields that produce about half of the country’s agricultural output. The timeless way of life in the Mekong delta still revolves around the river and many of the villages remain only accessible by boat.
Cu Chi tunnels
The Cu Chi Tunnels are an immense network of connecting underground tunnels just north-west of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). The tunnels were used by the Viet Cong as hiding places during the Vietnam war, and were the base of operations for the Tết Offensive in 1968. Today they are open to visitors who can crawl around parts of the tunnel system.
Ho Chi Minh City (Hanoi)
Vietnam's capital Ho Chi Minh City is a bustling, chaotic city, teeming with weaving motorbikes and screaming street hawkers. However, there is also tranquility and charm to be found here in the Confucian Temple of Literature; the Buddhist One Pillar Pagoda and the Perfume Temple; and the delightful French patisseries that are throwbacks to the colonial era.
Location: The most easterly of the northern Indochina peninsula, Vietnam borders the south-west of China to its north and Laos and Cambodia to its west. The country has a stunning coastline down its entire east-side.
Capital: Hanoi
Religion: Buddhist (55%), Christian & Roman Catholic (7%), other and atheist (38%)
Etiquette:
- Always dress appropriately and remove shoes when entering temples and pagodas
- It is extremely frowned upon to touch Vietnamese people on the head
- Outside of major cities, shorts are very rarely worn by anyone other than small children
Languages: Vietnamese
Population: 90,388,000 (approx.)
Size: 329,560 (sq km)
Time zone: GMT +7
Currency: New Dong (VND)
Visa requirements: Holders of British citizen passports require visas for entry into Vietnam and these must be obtained in advance of travel.
History: For many years Vietnam was part of the French colony of Indochina, along with Cambodia and Laos. The French, however, surrendered to the Viet Minh in 1954, which kick-started Ho Chi Minh’s campaign to unite the whole of the country under communist rule. The US, wary of the spread of Soviet-aided communism, intervened to support South Vietnam and the South Vietnamese Army against the North Vietnam Army, the Soviet Union and the Viet Cong – communist guerrillas based in the south. The war led to country-wide devastation and a catastrophic loss of life. The US withdrew troops in 1973, only for fighting to continue until 1975 and the subsequent fall of the south. Vietnam was reunited under Communist rule in July 1976 and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam was formed. From there, Vietnam went on to occupy Cambodia from 1978 until 1989, bringing an end to the rule of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime. During the last 20 years in particular, Vietnam has experienced a period of economic growth, including the strong emergence of its tourism industry.
What to read
Dispatches
by Michael Herr
Michael Herr went to Vietnam in 1967 as a virtually unknown writer. He used his notes from writing for Esquire magazine to write Dispatches, which is considered by many to be the best account of the Vietnam war to date. He captures amazing front line encounters and the mentality of some of the soldiers.
Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey
by Rick Stein
This book accompanies the BBC television series of the same title in which we follow a voyage in search of the region’s authentic food.
Vietnamese Food
by Bobby Chinn
This is not just a recipe book but an authentic guide to Vietnamese food as it is eaten today, from snacks and street foods, to Bobby Chinn’s own fusion-style restaurant dishes, such as tamarind glazed crab cakes with chive flowers. As well as a comprehensive section on Vietnamese ingredients, the book contains more than 100 recipes.
What to watch
Good Morning Vietnam
Robin Williams stars as Adrian Cronauer, a member of the US armed forces and radio DJ whose show proves hugely popular with the troops fighting the war in Vietnam.