Pho
Often eaten: Often eaten for breakfast but can be enjoyed anytime.
Known for: Northern Vietnam, especially Hanoi
traditionalbreakfast
Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas (CC BY-SA 3.0)
4 dishes to discover
Food of Vietnam
Vietnam is a country in Southeast Asia known for its delicious and varied food. Vietnamese meals often include rice, noodles, fresh vegetables, and herbs. Meals are usually shared with family and friends, making eating not just about food but also about spending time together.
Featured Dishes
Meal Culture
In Vietnam, meals are a time for togetherness. Families and friends share food placed at the center of the table. Everyone helps themselves and enjoys the variety of tastes and colors.
Eating Etiquette
In Vietnam, using chopsticks is common. Remember to lay them flat on your bowl or on a chopstick holder when you’re not using them. Never point them at people; it's considered rude.
When People Eat It
Banh Mi
Often eaten: Can be eaten for lunch, dinner, or as a snack.
Known for: Ho Chi Minh City
street foodfusion
Goi Cuon
Often eaten: Usually served as an appetizer or snack.
Known for: Southern Vietnam
appetizerfresh
Com Tam
Often eaten: Commonly eaten for lunch or dinner.
Known for: Southern Vietnam
heartylunch
Make It Yourself
👩🍳 Cook together! Always ask a grown-up to help with hot or sharp steps.
PhoPhở
Makes 4 bowlsIngredients
- 8 oz (225 g)Flat rice noodles
- 8 cups (1.9 L)Beef broth
- 1/2 lb (225 g)Thin beef slices
- for the brothGinger, star anise, cinnamon
- 2 cupsBean sprouts and basil
- to serveLime and green onion
How to Make It
- 1Ask a grown-up to simmer the broth with ginger, star anise, and cinnamon for 30 minutes, then strain.
- 2Cook the rice noodles in hot water until soft, then drain.
- 3Pile the noodles into bowls and lay the raw thin beef slices on top.
- 4Pour the very hot broth over the beef — it cooks the thin slices instantly.
- 5Add green onion.
- 6Serve with bean sprouts, basil, and lime to add at the table.
Banh MiBánh mì
Makes 2 sandwichesIngredients
- 1 baguetteBaguette
- 1/2 lb (225 g)Grilled pork or chicken
- 1 cupPickled carrot and daikon
- to fillCucumber and cilantro
- 2 tbspMayonnaise
- 1 tbspSoy sauce
How to Make It
- 1Quick-pickle the carrot and daikon in a little vinegar and sugar for 20 minutes.
- 2Ask a grown-up to grill the pork until cooked.
- 3Slice the baguette open and spread mayonnaise inside.
- 4Layer in the grilled meat.
- 5Add the pickled vegetables, cucumber, and cilantro.
- 6Drizzle with soy sauce and close the sandwich — a French-Vietnamese favorite.
Goi CuonGỏi cuốn
Makes 8 rollsIngredients
- 8 sheetsRice paper wrappers
- 16 shrimpCooked shrimp
- 2 cups cookedRice vermicelli noodles
- 2 cupsLettuce and herbs
- to servePeanut dipping sauce
How to Make It
- 1Dip one rice paper wrapper in warm water for a few seconds until it softens.
- 2Lay it flat and place lettuce, noodles, and herbs near the bottom.
- 3Add two shrimp in a line.
- 4Fold up the bottom, fold in the sides, and roll it up snugly.
- 5Repeat with the rest of the wrappers.
- 6Serve fresh (not fried) with peanut dipping sauce — light Vietnamese summer rolls.
Com TamCơm tấm
Makes 4 servingsIngredients
- 2 cups (370 g)Broken rice (or regular rice)
- 4 chopsPork chops
- for the marinadeFish sauce, sugar, garlic
- 1 cupCucumber and tomato
- 4 eggsFried egg
How to Make It
- 1Mix the fish sauce, sugar, and garlic into a marinade and coat the pork chops.
- 2Let them marinate for 30 minutes.
- 3Cook the rice until fluffy.
- 4Ask a grown-up to grill the pork chops until browned and cooked.
- 5Fry an egg for each plate.
- 6Serve the rice with a pork chop, a fried egg, and fresh cucumber and tomato.
Vocabulary
Both Vietnamese Pho and Italian Minestrone are famous soups with lots of vegetables and delicious flavor, but Pho uses rice noodles while Minestrone has beans and pasta.