Vietnam is a paradise of street food. They are really delicious beyond imagination. Here are 4 dishes recommended by local experts you must try when visiting Vietnam.
Vietnam is a paradise of street food. Besides the luxury dishes in the restaurant, do not forget to try the local street food that you see when you travel to Vietnam. They are really delicious beyond imagination. Here are 4 dishes recommended by local experts you must try when visiting Vietnam.
1. “Banh gio” - Pyramidal Rice Dumpling
Banh gio, also called “Steamed Minced Pork and Rice Dumpling” or “Pyramidal Rice Dumpling” in English. A delicious meal not only for breakfast but also for all those moments that you would like something light, mild and very easy to eat.
“Banh gio” is a very simple dish and not expensive. It is made with rice flour, sautéed minced pork, onions and mushrooms, the popular and cheap ingredients in Vietnam. “Bánh giò” is a snack and is not made on special occasions, you can enjoy it all day.
Some do eat this with fish sauce or soy chutney sauce. If the pork is well seasoned, we enjoy the joy simply by itself. The ideal side drink is soy milk.
The recipe of banh gio also is very simple: The pasta is a combination of rice flour and corn starch. That is first pre-cooked and then wrapped with the filling of a mixture of pork and mushrooms in banana leaf and then finally steamed. You can put it in the fridge to eat gradually. Remember, you should do it hot with a microwave.
“Banh gio” in Hanoi is a bit different from that in Saigon. The “Banh gio” in Saigon or the South is more spicy and flavored than the Hanoi version. Diversity is even an interesting point for this snack.
2. “Bun dau mam tom” - if you dare to try it
First of all, you have to understand: What is “Bun dau mam tom”? “Bun” means rice-vermicelli in English, “dau” is tofu and “mam tom” is simply the ferment of shrimp. A typical mix, good and also very strange in Hanoian cuisine. If you like the fresh tofu with rice-vermicelli and the fishy taste of prawn ferment, try it without a doubt.
A plate full of “Bun dau mam tom”, put on “met” an original product of Vietnam, which consists of rice vermicelli, aromatic herbs, fried tofu, boiled pork, fried pork terrine served with shrimp confection.
Especially, shrimp ferment is one of the worst flavors in the world, according to some comments on the internet. There are some of you who might react to this dish: “Ewww”, but come on, the world where diversity exists. Why don’t you give “Mam Tom” a chance?
“Bun dau mam tom” not just a dish, it is a cultural image of Hanoi. When the sweetness and purity of rice-vermicelli and tofu combine with the wild ferment of shrimp. You may also see many shops on the street, where the taste of it is more lively and the price is surprised.
Summer is in adaptive time to enjoy “Bun dau mam tom”, you can avoid the internal warmth and watch life in boiling Hanoi on the road. Certainly, it is a personal experience that you can never have in other places in the world. If you can’t deal with the aroma of shrimp ferment, you can enjoy fish sauce instead, it’s still very interesting to try. When you finish enjoying “Bun dau mam tom”, don’t forget about chewing gum.
3. “Banh phong tom - dragon clouds” a piece of the sea on the table
They are not too strange, the dragon clouds are also called krupuk udang in Indonesian, prawn crackers in British English, shrimp chips or shrimp crackers in American English. In Vietnam, dragon clouds are a very popular type of appetizer not only in the North but also in our whole country. Put those in your mouth, and then when they explode step by step, of which you are curious?
There are several variations of Dragon Clouds, many of which are prepared with seafood, and occasionally with fruit, nuts or vegetables; these variants are widespread in Southeast Asia. The origin of dragon clouds is China, Indonesia has perhaps the largest variety of Dragon Clouds. But in Vietnam, the dragon clouds are a little different from this starter from China or other countries in Southeast.
The dragon clouds are the fried puffs, a little parched, a little salty with the maritime flavor that you can’t forget. With those, you can enjoy all types of Vietnamese meals, from meals to newspapers to special occasions.
The dragon clouds are fried in hot oil. In just a few seconds the thin pasta increases in volume and becomes from semi-transparent to white and crunchy, very similar to popcorn, with small air bubbles trapped in the expanded dough. If you leave too much time in the air, the dragon clouds start to become soft and rubbery due to the humidity in the air. It would, therefore, be ideal to consume them within a few hours of frying.
Try them now and then your meals are even more interesting!
4. Rice paper mixed with “banh trang tron” - an extraordinary Saigon street food
It is not difficult to understand that Saigon is full of diversity and also specialties, certainly. “Banh trang tron” is a fine example of the Saigon specialty. If you have a chance to go to Saigon, don’t forget to enjoy it, a beautiful blend of Vietnamese street food.
This mixture is the combination of rice paper, quail eggs, dried beef, and spicy green mango. This creates a spectacular taste during chewing. Enjoy this food with lemon tea with ice, it’s the way to reduce the heat.
Most young Vietnamese totally fall in love with this food. If you are a gourmet of street food, you cannot ignore it when you visit my country. It is not only tasty but also very fast to make and can also be done at home.
