Although located on an S-shaped strip of land, but the cuisine of the North – Central – South has a unique taste with their own culinary style but in general, all are extremely attractive to diners.
Northern Cuisine – Simple but subtle
Characteristics of northern cuisine are not paying too much attention to a single flavor; the dishes are mostly tasteful and neutral.
Typical dishes of the North: Pho Hanoi, bun thang – hot rice noodle soup, Bun Cha Hanoi – Hanoi kebab rice noodles , Ho Tay shrimp cakes, Bun Oc- Snail rice noodles, pork aspic, steamed green sticky rice, spring rolls, fried noodles with sea crab,….
Northern cuisine is filled in the identity of a long-standing culture. Coming to the rendezvous that was the capital of many feudatory dynasties, Hanoi is considered as the elite of the North’s cuisine. The food of the North from the processing method to the presentation looks quite simple but shows the subtlety very characteristic.
Especially, the cuisine here is especially focused on the cakes and jams. Having no emphasis on quantity but it simply gives the eaters more choice. In addition, it also carries a lot of the rule “yin-yang” in the dish, which has been calculated carefully by the people of the previous period.
Central Cuisine – Simple but tasty
People in the Central use a lot of spicy chili; it is made up from the land of sunny and windy, the land of the energetic people.
Especially, Hue dishes are considered typical representative, ranging from dishes for the commoners to premium food for kings, which have made a name for themselves with the folk dishes such as eggplant with fish sauce, shrimp paste…
Central Vietnam has many delicious and attractive dishes such as Hue beef noodle, bloating fern-shaped cake, Vietnamese crepe, dap cake, spring roll, fish noodles, boiled pork and rice papers….
Central cuisine is also famous for its cakes, and all kinds of cakes here are processed a lot more sophisticated than the North’s style. That is not to mention the variety from processing to variations of many different types, furthermore the way to enjoy the accompanying dishes easy to change so that they can easily adapt when “step into” the new regions.
The Central land is barren and it is not as favorable as land in other regions of Vietnam. Therefore, people here always appreciate and turn these wonderful produce into dishes with very typical taste, who once enjoyed it will be unforgettable.
Southern Cuisine – the variation of many culinary styles
Southern cuisine, which is intertwined from many culinary styles such as China, Cambodia, Thailand…
For example, clear rice noodle soup is varied from a lot of cooking method styles but they are filled in influence from China.
The influences of Cambodia, Thailand are through using a lot of sugar, using coconut milk (coconut juice and coconut milk).
All Southern style dishes are the style of the river delta area that is wild and generous. Just simple and rustic ingredients can create a typical style for the cuisine of this land. That is not to mention the variety of each region through processing, eating habits…
For example, ordinary fish and meat are still preferred but they can be turned out to dried food, fish sauce…. Even the most ordinary animals can also become delicious dishes such as Field mouse is cooked with coconut milk, flying foxes are cooked with fermented bean curd, cobra is cooked with green bean porridge, duong is cooked with coconut milk…
