As a Vietnamese, I can cook quite a few and this list is just what I can write down here as time allows and as I crave for most. I hope it give a better view of Vietnamese food that, not just Pho and spring rolls. (Some pictures are mine, some are from internet. And names in English are just my own translation)
Chicken. I grew up with chickens because my mom has been selling them for >20 years.
Gà luộc (Boiled chicken). This is so important dish that we even said that “A good feast must have boiled chicken”. And whenever you have boiled chicken, slides of lime leaf is important as well. We have a children’s song which roughly said “chicken with lime leaf, pork with green orion and dog with Alpinia officinarum” (what a pitty translation).
(Boiled chicken: Cách luộc Gà ngon nhất không bị đen và nứt)
Gà rang sả ớt (Spicy lemon grass sauté chicken). This is one of my favorite. But you’d better have it along with some rice.
(Gà rang sả ớt: Cách làm gà rang sả ớt chuẩn vị, ngon tuyệt)
Gà rang mật ong (Honey grilled chicken). Basically after you finished frying or grilling, put some honey in. Tasty.
(Honey grilled chicken: Cách Làm Cánh Gà Nướng Mật Ong Ngon Giòn, Vàng Óng)
There is more, but let’s move on to something else.
Beef.
Bò xào (Beef sauté): it seems to me like you can do Beef sauté with anything: celery + leek, yu choy, bok choy, water spinach,… or even just onion.
(Bò xào cần tỏi tây: Bò xào cần tỏi - VnExpress)
Phở (Pho): yeah, I know. But we cannot talk about Vietnamese food without talking about Pho because it is just famous. Cook pho is not difficult but it is difficult to get it right (and it takes time as well). However, I am from the North so I prefer the northern Pho. No need for picture I guess.
Pork.
Thịt luộc (Boiled pork). Yeah, we boil a lot of thing.
(Ba chỉ luộc: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gpl0yTwASW0)
Ba chỉ rang cháy cạnh (Grilled pork belly). Like below.
Thịt kho tàu. I do not know how to call “kho”. Long cook with brine?
(Thịt kho tàu: 'Thịt kho tàu má nấu là món tết vô địch của tôi')
Enough for pork. Let’s move on.
Fish.
Cá rán. Yeah, you just fry it. Simple. But did you try it with fish sauce? :D
(Cá rô phi rán giòn : Cách Pha Nước Chấm Cá Rán Ngon Đúng Điệu)
Cá kho. Another “kho” here. I often “kho” it with pickled veggies or bamboo shoot.
(Cá kho măng: 7 món thuần Việt chế biến từ măng)
Canh cá (Fish soup). One of my favorite. I prefer the fish head for this dish.
(Canh cá nấu thì là: 6 món canh cá thơm ngon, nóng hổi vừa thổi vừa ăn)
Let’s move on to:
Something interesting.
Nem (Northen spring roll). I do not like spring rolls I found in US because it is not Nem. I make it once in awhile because it takes quite a lot of time.
(Nem I made)
Canh riêu cua (Field crab meat soup). OMG. I miss this one soooo much. You cannot find it in the US, or I have not found it anywhere in the US.
Canh sườn nấu măng (Pork short-rib soup with bamboo shoot): this a traditional dish for our Tet holiday (i.e., our Lunar new year)
And there is all sort of veggies (boiled, sautéed, …). We even say “A meal without veggies is like a sick person without medicine”.
There is more if you want to know more but I assume you are not looking for recipes in this question :).😀
Image Courtesy Sonika Negi
Thanks for Reading
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