Coming to Canada, the food culture here is very different from what’s eaten in Vietnam. Ingredients that Canadians might find utterly unappealing are devoured in homegrown Vietnamese cuisine, as an example.

This article is a tribute to the strangest, most exotic foods in Vietnamese cooking. As a Toronto Vietnamese restaurant, let’s be clear. We don’t offer any of these dishes here. That said, our families grew up around foods like these. A lot of modern Vietnamese eats are also either adaptations or related in some way to a few of these. So buckle up and check out some of Vietnam’s most bizarre eats!

Balut

Balut is a fertilized duck egg with a nearly developed embryo. It is boiled and eaten in the shell, similar to an oyster. Herbs like Vietnamese coriander, salt, black pepper, and lime are often added. Balut is common in the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations as well.

Read more: What Are Some of Vietnamese Cuisine’s Strangest, Most Exotic Foods According to Canadians?

Fresh Vietnamese cuisine anyone can make at home. Not every dish has to be as complex as pho.

Vietnamese cuisine is known for simplicity in presentation. Behind that simplicity though, there’s often a great deal of effort that goes into creating the best balance of ingredients.

Sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty are the five fundamental tastes. Most dishes work from a combination of these.

Fortunately, some Vietnamese food is a lot easier to prepare. Here are some of the simplest delicious Vietnamese cooking easy enough to do at home.

Read more: Tasty, Easy Vietnamese Cuisine That’s Simple Enough to Make At Home

What to drink in Vietnamese cuisine. So much attention is paid to meals and methods of preparation. To quench your thirst, often you don’t know what’s available.

The often hot and humid climate of Vietnam is made for cold beverages. Browsing a menu of Vietnamese beverages, you will find drinks hot and cold. From local, trendy, and artisan beverages to traditional options. Here is the ultimate list of Vietnamese drinks.

Bia hoi

Bia hoi is a Vietnamese specialty draft beer. It is produced locally in Vietnam and often sold in small batches. It is produced in northern Vietnam, sold almost exclusively in this territory. Bia hoi gets brewed daily and is sold in fresh batches. It is light, with only 3% alcohol or under.

Read more: See Thirst-Quenching Vietnamese Beverages You Will Absolutely Want to Try After Reading This!

The distinct flavors of Vietnamese foods are often in the herbs used. Shrimp, fish paste, bean sauces, fresh herbs, and vegetables are routine ingredients.

Fruits in Vietnamese eating aren’t popular, at least when it comes to the dishes you expect. No fruits in pho. No fruits in rolls, stir fry meals, or rice plates. In restaurants in Toronto, fruit and Vietnamese cuisine don’t go together.

Even so, there’s a long history of using fruit in Vietnamese cooking. Southern Vietnam grows a variety of fruits and vegetables. They’re most often used in desserts or eaten fresh.

When do you eat fruit in Vietnamese culture?

You are most likely to find fruit in a southern Vietnamese meal. In the south, the freshness of ingredients is very important. Tropical fruits are used frequently. Mangosteen, mango, and dragonfruit are favourites.

Read more: What Kind of Fruits Do You Use in Vietnamese Cuisine – read here!

A meal often isn’t complete without a dessert. Some come covered in sugar. Others come in unique flavors inspired by fruits, vegetables, and natural ingredients.

Desserts in Vietnamese cuisine are sweet and delicious. Indigenous-inspired ingredients with elements of French cooking, there are over a half-dozen desserts worth a try. Unfortunately, Canadians haven’t heard of very many Vietnamese desserts. We want to change that.

Some desserts in Vietnamese cooking are very similar to their Canadian counterparts. That said, they carry slightly different tastes and an authentic presentation. Ethnic cuisines aren’t usually known for desserts. These though have to be shared.

Che

Che is a dessert beverage or pudding. It is made from beans and sticky rice. Che comes in varieties, sometimes associated with a specific fruit or bean. The beans used are either mung or kidney beans. Serve it hot or cold.

Common ingredients in che are tapioca, jelly, and coconut cream. Fruits used are mango, longan, durian, lychee, or jackfruit. Che is made at home but can also be shopped at many Vietnamese grocery stores.

Read more: See the Best Vietnamese Desserts Classic, Delicious, And So Tasty

The mouth-watering dish that is pho in Toronto will warm you when it’s cold outside. It’ll also give your soul a kind embrace when things aren’t going so great on the inside. Pho is our favourite Vietnamese meal.

You may have seen pho advertised at a local Toronto Vietnamese restaurant. You may have enjoyed a bowl with friends. However you’ve come to it, it’s become a delightful winter dish throughout the GTA.

With winter coming to a close, as a tribute to pho, we compiled the most frequently asked questions about pho in Toronto. Here we go.

How do you pronounce pho?

Pho is spoken as ‘fuh’. Although newcomers will call it ‘foe’, the correct pronunciation is said as ‘fuh’.

Read more: Pho FAQ – All of Toronto’s Best Questions About Pho Answered