eating habits of vietnamese
The traditional Vietnamese diet is healthy. Meals emphasize rice, vegetables and fish, and cooking methods often involve steaming or stir-frying. Rice is the staple of the diet, consumed in some form in almost every meal. For Vietnamese adults, all three meals of the day may consist of steamed rice with side dishes of vegetables or fish or meat.
As a result of their unique eating habits, Vietnamese people tend to socialize more during meals. During dinner, Vietnamese people enjoy chatting and small talk. Parents inquire about their children’s school days, partners discuss their jobs, grandparents tell their grandchildren stories, and so on, creating a wonderfully pleasant atmosphere.
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North, Central and South of Vietnam have unique way of eating and cooking, making great local food to taste and to know more about the culture of each region. 1. The process of cooking Use mainly rice, vegetable, fish sauce, and herbs to cook. Vietnamese culinary originates from 2. The habit of
Thien Ly Da Nang Style is a quite new restaurant, just opened in July 2016, but it fastly became famous and is considered as one of the best restaurants in Da Nang. The restaurant specializes in Vietnamese cuisine from Mekong Delta and the south region in Vietnam such as Banh Xeo Sai Gon, Pho Bo Nam Bo, Bun Bo Nam Bo, etc.
Vietnamese Eating Habits Travel Guide #1: Three major meals in Vietnam. The locals have three major meals including breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but note #2: The concept of dining table in Vietnam. If you travel to Vietnam ‘s countryside areas, especially in the remote #3: Eating in Vietnam
Vay Tien Nhanh Home Credit. For those who have travelled to Vietnam and enjoyed the vast variety of Vietnamese food, one could wonder what lies beneath the diversity of its cuisine. Despite the colonization and influence in Vietnam by various empires and countries throughout history, its traditional and famous cuisine kept their own unique characteristics from the cooking method to even garnishes. There are many aspects to the Vietnamese cuisine that makes it distinctive from the sophistication and creativity of Vietnamese food culture may not be simply explained in one single article, however, exploring these 8 different characteristics may help you understand why travellers love Vietnamese food so much. 1. Historical diversity2. Low in fat3. Rich in flavour4. Good mix of ingredients and spices5. Delicious and healthy6. Use of chopsticks7. Serve in a tray8. Sense of community1. Historical diversityVietnam is an agriculture-based country, thus, Vietnamese food culture has been influenced by the Wet Rice Civilization for thousands of years. Rice plays an important role in the life of Vietnamese people. Besides being located in SouthEast Asia with favorable conditions of nature, climate and geography, Vietnamese people have been producing an abundance of eatables, which provides good conditions for the creativity of cuisine in Vietnam. In the course of building and developing the country, Vietnam suffered from a series of long-lasting wars and dominations, especially a 1000-year Chinese domination as well as the French colonialism, the Vietnamese food culture, therefore, was influenced and more food became more sophisticated and various, partly influenced by Chinese cuisine, but kept its own unique features that represented Vietnam itself. It was the colonialism of the French contributed to the diversity of Vietnamese food mi Vietnam2. Low in fatVietnamese dishes are gluten-free, really low in fat, and jam-packed with lots of healthy and necessary minerals and vitamins, which helps boost the immune system, lose extra weight, and provide the human body with the energy it food mainly consists of fresh vegetables or fruits paired with various types of spices and herbs, making its calorie count and fat content a lot lower than the usual dish that may contain a lot of dairy, oil or carbs. Most Vietnamese dressings, authentic dishes, and sauces you will find in restaurants are very low in fat and calories. Even a giant bowl of Vietnamese noodle soup “Pho” just provides 300 to 600 calories, and contains less than 3 grams of fat per serving, meaning that you can eat one bowl of Pho every day for dinner or for lunch as part of a low-fat, calorie controlled Fresh Spring rollsCheck out this recipe if you want to make your own fresh spring rolls at home3. Rich in flavourVietnamese cuisine is considered one of the healthiest in the world. It focuses heavily on fresh ingredients, with a few touches of fat or oil to enhance the flavour. Herbs and spices are selected carefully for optimum flavour and there are fewer blends used to ensure a precise portion of spice in each dish handmade with care. It would be impossible to talk about Vietnamese food culture without talking about the use of sauces in the cuisine. Vietnamese cuisine is built on these rich, salty sauces for a base flavour, but cooks are also fond of using the sauces as a finishing sauce is a thick condiment used in nearly every Vietnamese dish available. You will find it squirted into pho, or on grilled pork dishes. It is also popular as a base for many soups and sauce is another component to Vietnamese food that deserves attention. Used often in vegetable dishes, soy sauce is full of salty deliciousness and umami sauce is another common ingredient. It provides a nice kick, but it also provides a nice reddish color to some light vegetable soups or sauce is a shrimp and salt paste used for sautéing and in marinating Sour Soup – Photo by Huong Nghiep A Au4. Good mix of ingredients and spicesVietnamese dishes usually include a variety of foods such as meat, shrimp, crabs along with vegetables, beans, and rice. There are also a combination of many flavours such as sour, spicy, salty, sweet…Vietnamese food culture varies by regions from the north to the south. In Northern Vietnam, Vietnamese food is characterized by light and balanced flavours as the harmonic combination of many ingredients. Northern Vietnam is seen to be the cradle of Vietnamese civilization in general and Vietnamese cuisine in particular with many notable dishes like Pho, Bun Rieu, Bun Thang, Bun Cha, Banh Cuon, etc. Then, food culture in Northern Vietnam became popular in Central and Southern Vietnam with suitable flavours in each region. In Central Vietnam, the topography is characterized by mountains, thus, the regional cuisine of Central Vietnam is famous for its spicy food, which differs from two other parts with mostly non-spicy food. Hue cuisine is typical Central Vietnam’s food culture. Dishes of Hue cuisine are decorative and colorful, which expresses the influence of Vietnamese royal cuisine in the feudal period. Food in the region is often decorated sophisticatedly and used with chili peppers and shrimp sauces, namely, Bun Bo Hue, Banh bot loc, or Banh beo, etc. In Southern Vietnam, the region is characterized by warm weather and fertile soil, which creates favorable conditions for planting a variety of fruits, vegetables and livestock. Thus, food in the region is often added with garlic, shallots and fresh herbs. In particular, Southerners tend to use sugar a lot and often add sugar in almost all their dishes. The Vietnamese cuisine also takes a lot of influence from other cuisines both Asian or Western, such as Chinese, Indian, French or – The iconic Vietnamese Beef Noodle5. Delicious and healthyVietnamese cuisine is a combination of dishes and flavours to create a unique feature. Although many of the ingredients are inexpensive, the meticulous and balanced preparation and taste of these meals shows the work that has gone into them for many Vietnam went through long periods of war and political conflict, it became a tradition to use fresh and local ingredients in order to save money, and not waste a thing. If an animal was purchased, every part was used in some way. Vietnamese cuisine is not known for its high quality cuts of meat and expensive organic fruits and vegetables, but for the way that simple staple ingredients can be used to create dishes with extraordinary of the most interesting parts of Vietnamese cuisine is their concept of opposites and balance, or yin and yang. Vietnamese cuisine observes five basic elements wood, fire, earth, water and metal. These elements in turn correspond with five flavour elements sour, bitter, spicy, sweet and salty. Each meal contains each of these different flavours, which are in turn balanced by each we think of opposites in a culinary sense, we typically think of colours, textures and temperature. When it comes to Vietnamese cuisine, individual types of food in the same category for example different types of meat can be considered either hot or cold. In a meal, a food is considered hot, cold, warm or cool. For every food that is considered “hot”, there must be a balancing food that is “cool” or “cold”.Sweet and sour salad6. Use of chopsticksPicking is an art, pick up properly, do not let food fall … The use of chopstick is an essential part of the Vietnamese food culture. Vietnamese chopsticks are used in every family meal, even in the BBQ party, Vietnamese people rarely use a fork to skewer food like the Western are used to transfer pieces of meat, fish or whatever from the communal dish to a small bowl of fish sauce and then to your bowl. It is definitely acceptable to bring the bowl almost to your lips and use chopsticks to scoop rice into your mouth. This way might prevent food from dropping in Serve in a trayA Vietnamese meal is the combination of many dishes which are laid on the tray at once. All family members will share daily meals together. There is no course in typical Vietnamese meals. Each member will have a bowl of rice, but eating other dishes, soup and fish sauce together. Vietnamese people use chopsticks and ceramic spoons in their meals. Family meal8. Sense of communityThe Vietnamese tend to eat in groups, rarely alone—in most traditional Vietnamese restaurants, you’ll be seated at a table with several dishes placed in the centre. The food in the middle of the table belongs to everyone; you’ll help yourself to your share of the dishes in the middle, filling your own plate as rivers, rice paddies, mountains and deep blue seas are deeply ingrained in the local culture. Because of this, it’s rude to leave food uneaten, especially when we are in someone’s home and they’ve cooked for us. LIKE THE ARTICLE AND WANT TO SEE MORE? Follow us on Instagram, and FacebookLilian NguyenLilian NguyenLilian loves cooking and working with children ever since she was young. She believes that food is a very powerful tool to connect with people. Lilian is a preschool teacher in Vancouver - Canada and spends her time cooking for her daily meals and dinner parties with family and friends.
Vietnam has a diverse range of agricultural products. It is this diversity and variety that makes their food healthy and balanced. Dishes and ingredients used in Vietnamese cuisine can cover all the dietary needs on protein, lipids, vitamins, carbohydrates and minerals. In addition, the culture of eating multiple dishes and chewing slowly improves digestion and assimilation of nutrients, without overloading the digestive system. However, the eating habits of Vietnamese have changed recently due to economic growth and availability of more and more processed food, loaded with added sugar, sodium, and fat. This is the reason why the number of Vietnamese people with cardiovascular diseases and metabolic disorders, obesity, cancers, has considerably increased. Also, the increased consumption of alcohol among men results in the increasing number of liver and digestive system cancers. Therefore, the reputation of Vietnamese food as healthy is only true to traditional diet when rice is the staple of the diet and cooking methods often involve steaming or stir-frying. 2 out of 3 meals of the day often consist of steamed rice with side dishes of vegetables, meat, fish or tofu. Their favourite breakfast contains usually rice-based food such as noodle soups, sticky rice, steamed rice rolls, porridge… Pork and meat are the most common protein in the Vietnamese diet. They are cooked in a lot of ways fried, sauteed, steamed… A common Vietnamese meal has at least 4 side dishes 1 vegetable dish, 2 salty dishes and 1 kind of soup. The most used condiment is nước mắm fish sauce made from fermenting fish. It is the staple ingredient for seasoning in Vietnamese cuisine. In order to add aroma, flavour and colour to their dishes, Vietnamese people often use herbs as integral ingredients. When you order a Vietnamese dish, especially noodle soups like phở, bún riêu, hủ tiếu… your dish always comes with a basket of aromatic plants and vegetables. In terms of nutrients, the herbs contain many vitamins and antioxidants which can promote general health and slow the development of several age-related diseases. The most frequently used herbs are coriander, Thai basil, lemongrass, sawtooth, spearmint, peppermint… Despite the fact that Vietnamese food is naturally healthy, nutrient, and full of flavours, the trend is towards artificial-tasted, industrially processed and lack of nutrient-enriched food. Pay attention to where you eat and the ingredients used in the preparation of the dishes. A bowl of phở is healthy because natural ingredients are used, yet, the nutrient might be reduced if the restaurants use food enhancers. VIETNAMESE EATING HABITS Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are the only meals in Vietnam. Vietnamese people have breakfasts by 9 am and they prefer it completely salty. Lunch is a quick but nutritive meal which usually has to be eaten between 12-1 pm The main meal in Vietnam is dinner with the attendance of the whole family. Dinner time is after 6 pm and before 8 pm. Not all of the families in Vietnam have a dining table. Vietnamese like watching the news on TV in their mealtime Except for rice served in single bowls, the other dishes are placed on separate plates. People share food together. The middle-aged like to drink tea after meals. Young family usually dine out at weekends. Check Also Proposal to Extend Vietnam E-Visa Duration to 3 Months The Ministry of Public Security has put forth a proposal to extend the validity period …
Dining Etiquette Street Food All AroundObligatory Dishes Drinks All Around Obligatory Beverages Vietnamese cuisine is the product of the country's geographic location and history. While influenced by its neighbors, China and Thailand, Vietnamese food boasts a wide variety of its own unique dishes. Those who truly want to explore the tastes and textures Vietnamese food has to offer will need to step out of the restaurants and onto the streets. The impact Chinese occupation had on Vietnamese food can be felt first-hand when you abandon your knife and fork and pick up a pair of chopsticks. Hot woks frying up noodle and rice dishes will live up to any traveler's expectations of food in South East Asia. However, pork sandwiches and cups of strong dark coffee are as common as the local noodle dish Pho, making Vietnam an exciting culinary crock-pot. If you are planning on spending any time in Vietnam it is probably a good idea to brush up on your table manners. It is unlikely that local people will expect you to be familiar with every custom, but knowing the local etiquette can be an easy way to impress any friends you meet on your trip. When not using your chopsticks, lay them across your rice bowl instead of sticking them into your food. Buddhism heavily influences Vietnamese culture and chopsticks standing up in rice look similar to incense burned in Buddhist ceremonies. Feel free to hold your rice bowl up to your mouth. Avoid eating directly from shared dishes. Instead, move a small amount of food to your rice bowl before you eat it. Do not be afraid to ask for a fork and spoon if you feel like your chopstick skills are deficient. Take your time. Dining in Vietnam is a slower affair than in most western countries, so do not feel the need to rush. Eat your vegetables. Meat is expensive and only eating meat from a dish is considered impolite. Elbows on the table? No problem! Feel free to rest your travel-weary elbows on the table; it's not considered rude. Pass with both hands. Try to sample every dish on the table and when passing a dish make sure to use both hands. Find the bill. In Vietnamese restaurants it is considered rude of the staff to bring you your bill. In most restaurants you will need to go to the front and ask how much you owe. Recommended Itinerary positive customer reviews among 10,000+ positive customer reviews among 10,000+ Vietnam & UAE FANTASTIC tour! Thank you Albee Ning! Albee was INCREDIBLE. She arranged a 9-day private tour of both North and South Vietnam. No stone was left unturned a private cruise up the Mekong; excellent hotel reservations; personal, caring tour guides; More Consumer, Jun 2020 We traveled with Asia Highlights… My husband and I had an absolutely wonderful 5 1/2 week trip that was organized by the exceptional Ruby Zhao. We have traveled a lot and Ruby is the VERY BEST AGENT we have ever had! More Lurinda Smith Barton Barnwell, Mar 2020 We satisfied with Asia…Four Great Weeks in China and Viet Nam Asia Highlights was very efficient at advising us on what to see and the best routes to take, but they were also very flexible in integrating our own ideas in regard of travel destinations and accommodations. More Eva and Jim, Oct 2019 Trip to Vietnam with Asia Highlights was well above expectations My 12-day private trip to Vietnam was a very rewarding experience, and every day was fantastic, and well above expectations. My trip was perfectly well prepared and organized by Lissy Syoo from Asia Highlights, More cdietp, May 2019 Repeat Customer We traveled with China Highlights in 2015 and were completely satisfied, so when they emailed that they now were arranging trips to SE Asia we didn't even consider looking at other tour companies. More Terry, Feb 2019 7-Day Vietnam Tour - Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hue, Danang/Hoi An Asia Highlights did a great job planning and executing our family’s trip around Vietnam. We have two young girls and wanted to have a balance of sightseeing and activities so nobody got bored. More Andrew, Jan 2019 We would like to thank Asia Highlights We would like to thank Asia Highlights for a wonderful trip. Lissy was a joy to work with, in planning a vacation that took into account all our interests and was able to give us so much more than we expected. More Victor Cognato, Dec 2018 Vietnam with Asia Highlights Just returned from Vietnam trip arranged by Albee at Asia was very helpful with the arrangements even when I requested multiple changes in the itinerary. More Tom, Oct 2017 Just came back from Vietnam/Cambodia… Just came back from Vietnam/Cambodia trip via Asia Highlights and had a wonderful experience. The hotels they chosed for us were all very food. the guides were all very professional and spoke good English More Yumin Zheng, Feb 2017 Street Food All AroundObligatory Dishes No culinary tour of Vietnam would be complete without sampling some of the local street food. You will not be able to try all of the delicious food Vietnam has to offer in one trip, but a good place to start is by sitting down in one of the many pink plastic chairs that signify places for buying street food. Che Com Che Com is made from sticky glutinous rice and filled with caramel, ginger, and cashews or peanuts. It can be recognized from its gingery aroma and looks something like a small round muffin. Bun Ca Locals in Hanoi will tell you that no visit to the wet markets in the Old Quarter is complete without a bowl of Bun Ca. Bun translates as noodles while Ca is fish. Variations on this dish are many and each vendor will approach it differently, but you can expect a bowl of vermicelli noodles in pork-and-fish-flavored broth. Often seasoned with dill and other herbs, Bun Ca is a staple of the Old Quarter. Cao Lau If you're looking for something more filling for dinner you can try Cao Lau. This noodle dish is served with pork and crispy crackers on top. Its rich flavors are uniquely Vietnamese, but the thin noodles and meaty sauce will be a comfort to any traveler who has spent the day sampling more exotic dishes. Find Cao Lau at any large noodle vendor's. Pho No trip to Vietnam would be complete without a bowl of the iconic Pho noodles. A relatively simple dish with many variations, expect a clear broth full of thin noodles, topped with spices and fresh basil. Eating a quick bowl of Pho can be a satisfying way of experiencing local culture, easy to find and easy on the stomach. Be Thui Similar to a spring roll, Be Thui is a classic dish that features roasted calf meat wrapped in rice paper. Dipped in shrimp paste or chili sauce and filled with coriander and green banana, these are spring rolls of a kind you won't be able to find at home. Recommended Itinerary Drinks All Around Obligatory Beverages Herbal Tea The unofficial drink of Vietnam is green tea, but you can find a wide variety of herbal teas in the country. Due to the warm climate, it is easy to find iced teas, but travelers should be aware that the ice has been known to cause some people to have stomach troubles. Nuoc Sam is one of the more popular varieties and boasts a nutty flavor produced by nettle leaves and sugar cane. Coconut Milk Since Vietnam is a major producer, you will see coconuts being sold on almost every street corner. Vendors will crack open a fresh coconut, put in a straw, and send you on your way. An excellent option for staying hydrated on a hot day. Vietnamese Coffee Ca Phe Vietnam is also a major producer of robusta coffee. Bitter and strong, a traditional cup of Ca Phe is served with a few spoonfuls of sugar. Ca Phe Sua Da or coffee with milk can be a gentler approach for less-seasoned coffee drinkers. Typically served in small metal drip filters over ice, Vietnamese coffee will keep you alert and full of energy on a long trip. Smoothies After only a few minutes in Vietnam you will surely notice the abundance of fresh fruit for sale. At many fruit stalls and nearby shops you can find any number of fresh-fruit smoothies. Paired with a bowl of Pho, these smoothies make for an excellent lunch. Visit Vietnam with Asia Highlights Asia Highlights welcomes the chance to help you design your perfect trip to Vietnam. Our knowledgeable staff will assist you in selecting destinations, accommodations and activities that best suit your requirements. Check out the following links to learn more about our tours and get a head start on planning your hassle-free vacation today! 10-Day Best of Vietnam with Mekong Delta 13-Day Vietnam Classic Wonders with Sapa 14-Day Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos Tour You might like to read Street Food Tour in Vietnam Vietnamese Food Street Food in Vietnam Drinking in Vietnam
Fruits on display at a supermarket in Vietnam. Photo by Shutterstock/Vietnam Stock Images. Most urban Vietnamese are willing to pay higher prices for healthier foods since health remains a top concern, a survey has found. The study done by market research firm Kantar in September in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Can Tho said 79 per cent are willing to pay more while 88 percent read product labels to ensure they avoid unhealthy foods. Seventy eight percent said they exercise regularly. Vietnamese eating habits are changing. Consumption of fat, sugar and red meat is decreasing, while that of fiber, white meat and dairy are increasing, according to Kantar data from June 2018 to June 2019. Seventy six percent of consumers said they are trying to reduce their fat consumption. Consumption of sugar is declining in Hanoi and central Da Nang City and that of red meat in HCMC and southern Can Tho City. "We are seeing Vietnamese consumers switch to healthier lifestyles, which include eating and drinking habits," Kantar said. The country consumes million tons of meat a year, with pork accounting for 70 percent, according to official figures. A Vietnamese consumes only nine kilograms of chicken a year compared to 30 kg by Thais and 35 kg by Singaporeans, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The top two concerns in Vietnamese households are food safety and health, something confirmed by a number of other studies. A survey recently released by market research firm Nielsen found 44 percent of respondents citing health as their key concern, followed by job security 42 percent and work/life balance 22 percent.
46% of Vietnamese Gen Y & Gen Z consumers cited COVID-19 as the main motivator for healthy food consumption in a recent whitepaper by Decision Lab & Vero. The consumer landscape in Vietnam sustained various changes in the post-pandemic world. Decision Lab has shown that digital consumption in Vietnam, for instance, was heavily dependent on the COVID-19 pandemic. In a recent whitepaper by Vero and Decision Lab, the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam was shown to determine other aspects of Vietnamese consumers’ lives. According to the whitepaper, which captured the voices of 828 Gen Z & Gen Y consumers in major cities in Vietnam, the COVID-19 pandemic is one of the leading factors that make consumers reconsider their eating habits. The publication also reveals new trends in vitamin consumption and the difficulties consumers face in eating healthy. The COVID scare The COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam introduced devastating human loss and prolonged lockdowns to many areas in the country. Therefore, it’s no surprise that 46% of Vietnamese Millennials and Gen Z cited COVID-19 as the leading factors to make them reconsider their eating habits. According to the whitepaper, cooking was one of the ways in which Vietnamese cope with the pandemic. Memberships of cooking-focused social media groups increased significantly over this period. At the same time, ensuring sufficient nutrition uptake is also a way to boost immunity, a crucial weapon against the Coronavirus. Supplements and vitamins As consuming good food is associated with better health, Vietnamese consumers are also taking more supplements and vitamins. 46% mentioned taking vitamins or supplements as a popular health activity outside of healthy eating. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Millennials 50% utilize supplements and vitamins more than Gen Z 43%. After all, Gen Y consumers may face more health problems than Gen Z, while having more disposable income to spend on vitamins than their younger counterparts."Healthy food is expensive" Despite its physical and mental health benefits, healthy eating introduces considerable costs to consumers. In a monetary sense, healthy food is perceived as pricier than typical food. 41% of consumers cite "healthy food is expensive" as a barrier to healthy eating. This sensitivity to price is especially true for Millennials, 46% of whom cited price as a barrier to healthy eating. Only 37% of Gen Z shared the same concern. Healthy eating also is perceived as costly in terms of resources. 45% of consumers think they lack time to cook and prepare healthy food. This should prompt F&B brands to make healthy food options more readily consumable. In general, brands should strive to capitalize on healthy eating trends among consumers. The "specter" of the global pandemic has made health the top priority for young Vietnamese consumers. Healthy eating and vitamin consumption are key ways in which consumers can achieve good health. For more insights, download the full "Helping Brands tap into Vietnam's changing eating habits" report for FREE here. To get in touch about our entire suite of agile marketing products, reach out to one of our expert consultants today. RELATED ARTICLES
Knowing the Vietnamese via the way they eat is one of the most interesting topics to the travelers, so here are some facts about Vietnamese eating habits that might interest you. It is up to you to follow the locals’ ways or not, by using chopsticks for example, but the knowledge in advance can make your journey more exciting than ever expected. 1 Three major meals in Vietnam The locals have three major meals including breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but note that there is no fixed time for these meals. This means each family might eat at their preferred periods, and this also varies due to the regions, from urban to the countryside. This might sound strange to some of you that there are no coffee or tea breaks between the meals. And, the major component of almost every meals is the rice. In general, people have breakfast before 0900 AM and the food might be sweet or salty, which can be Vietnamese sandwich, “Pho” noodle soup with beef or chicken and sticky rice. Regarding lunch, it is nutritive which is often eaten before 0100 PM. People working in the office can take a break and have lunch at the local eateries or street vendors. You might surprise to know that the main meal of the day in Vietnam is dinner, which is usually after 0600 PM and before 0800 PM. This is also when the family members gather, talk, and eat together. Oftentimes, women are responsible for cooking. However, today, it is common that people are eating out. 2 The concept of dining table in Vietnam If you travel to Vietnams countryside areas, especially in the remote villages, know that not all families have the dining table. In traditional beliefs, only wealthy families could afford the dining tables and chairs in the house with enough spaces. On the contrary, the indigent villagers often gather in a circle and eat, without the need to use the dining table. Even if they use the dining table, the concept might be different from what you think. This means they can take advantage of the stone table, the bamboo bed, or the working table to display the food. 3 Eating in Vietnam is also about sharing Traditionally, food is served in a single bowl or tray so that people can together take the food from it and share it. The elders might take food for the youth to show their care and love. Meanwhile, younger people might save the most delicious dishes for their seniors to show their respect. Overall, it is about the sense of sharing in a meal. 4 Stewing, steaming, and frying are the most common cooking methods To cook a meal, the Vietnamese often stew it, and the stewed pork is the favorite food in the country. Along with that, the chicken if often steamed and fish is fried. What’s more, vegetables should be boiled or stir-fried with garlic. More significantly, the local dinner mostly has steamed rice. 5 No strict eating rules or rituals The Vietnamese people are famous for their friendliness, and the eating habits in Vietnam do not cover any strict rules or rituals. This means travelers who are enjoying homestay can feel casual to eat with the local families. The keys are to remain polite, respectful and show a good manner. Of course, people like talking during the mealtime to say about the weather, school, work, or news. Besides, some families might prefer watching television. The eating habits of the Vietnamese have changed in recent times due to economic development and easy access to processed food and snacks. Whatever, fish sauce is still the major condiment in Vietnam. Some of the first impressions on the local dining habits might be that they are sitting on the plastic stool to have a meal from the street vendors. So, travel and figure out more!
eating habits of vietnamese