One of the most popular Vietnamese dishes is known as pho – which is pronounced as “fuh”. Canadians may recognize pho as a sort of Vietnamese soup. Although pho can be eaten for lunch or dinner, it is primarily consumed in the morning. Pho can be prepared in a wide range of different ways. Its’ basic ingredients include a meat source such as beef or chicken, broth, and rice noodles. From there, herbs and spices can be used to customize pho’s flavor profile, in addition to vegetable selection.
A Vietnamese meal usually consists of several courses which are served concurrently – such as meat or seafood, rice, noodles, egg, vegetables, and more. The beverage of choice for meals and sipping throughout the day is green tea. As evidenced, there are several aspects of Vietnamese eating that are adapted in other forms of Asian cuisine and which have been adopted in Canadian-based Asian foods.
Vietnamese dishes can be prepared in more than a dozen different ways, including frying, sautéing in a stir fry, stewing, boiling with spices over a long period of time, simmering, boiling with water, steaming, clay pot cooking, salads, grilled, skewered dishes, roasting, and hot pot dishes.
Almost all Vietnamese dishes are made in a communal way and meant to be shared. A typical multi-course family meal for an average Vietnamese family will include bowls of rice, a meat source of some kind likely mixed with vegetables, stir-fried or steamed vegetables separate, a clear broth of veggies and meat, and a prepared fish sauce for dipping which can be made to taste with garlic, chili, ginger, or lime.
Vietnamese cuisine has travelled the world along with its people. Areas where Vietnamese cuisine has gained particular favor include Australia, the United States, Canada, and France, although it’s also readily available in Japan, Korea, the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, and Russia.
Pho is not the only trademark of Vietnamese cuisine abroad either. “Goi cuon” which is a type of spring/summer roll and “banh mi” which is a Vietnamese baguette are both equally popular in some regions.
Something else you’ll notice as a philosophy in preparing Vietnamese dishes is the yin-yang balance. When selecting ingredients or elements of a meal, season or climactic conditions are usually considered alongside the physical well-being of the diners. For example, duck meat and seafood are both considered “cold” so they are served in the summer to balance out the hot temperatures. Chicken and pork are both “hot” so they are served in winter, accordingly. Anything spicy is very “yang” and so it must be harmonized with something sour with is seen as “yin”.
Needless to say, cooking and eating are extremely important to the Vietnamese people. The opportunity to bring these dishes to the world give glimpse into the way Vietnamese live and the philosophies that go into creating these dishes.
