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Vietnamese Recipes

40 recipes

Vietnamese cooking is built on balance: sweet, salty, sour, spicy and bitter notes, hot and cool, soft and crunchy, all in a single meal. Rice is the base, eaten as steamed grains, noodles, rice paper and sticky rice. Fish sauce, lime, chili and a heap of fresh herbs supply most of the seasoning, and many plates arrive with lettuce, mint and basil for wrapping or tossing in. The north, around Hanoi, favors clear broths and restrained sweetness. The center, around Huế and Hội An, cooks bolder and spicier food, shaped by the old imperial kitchen. The south, from Saigon through the Mekong Delta, leans sweeter and uses plenty of coconut milk and fresh herbs. Baguettes, pâté and coffee arrived during the French colonial period and were reshaped into bánh mì and cà phê sữa đá. Street food is part of daily life, and Tết, the Lunar New Year, brings sticky rice cakes, braised pork and pickles to every table.

Staple ingredients

Breakfast

Appetizers

Soups

Salads

Main Dishes

Side Dishes

Desserts

Drinks

Sauces, Dips and Condiments

Pickles and Preserves

Common questions

What is Vietnamese food known for?

Fresh herbs, light broths, rice noodles and a careful balance of sweet, salty, sour and spicy. The best-known dishes are phở, bánh mì, gỏi cuốn (fresh rolls), bún chả and cà phê sữa đá (iced coffee with condensed milk).

What is the national dish of Vietnam?

There is no official one, but phở is the dish most people name first. Many Vietnamese would also point to bánh mì or a plate of cơm tấm (broken rice with grilled pork) as everyday favorites.

Is Vietnamese food spicy?

Mostly mild. Fresh chilies and chili sauce are served on the side so each person sets the heat. The central region, especially around Huế, cooks the spiciest food in the country.