One cannot disagree with this- The essence of a country’s food tradition isn’t always located in pricey restaurants and fancy 5-star resorts, it truly exists in the roadside stalls and cheap street food joints. Vietnamese street foods are born from a combination of traditional Vietnamese cuisine, French colonial rule, and cultural exchanges with the neighbouring countries of Laos and China. It is rich in culture and has a huge diversity. Lining the streets you can find local markets, rustic food joints, and rickety food carts with delicious local food. Let’s discover more about street food in Vietnam.
Eat your way to an un-pho-gettable Vietnamese trip
Street food is the heart and soul of the vibrant bustling streets in Vietnam. We have a wide range of choices to pick from in Vietnamese cuisine. Simple and uncomplicated dishes, this Vietnamese street food will beckon your tastebuds and sneak its way into your heart:
1. Vietnamese sandwich (Bánh mì)
When it comes to street food in Vietnam, the most obvious choice would be the Vietnamese sandwich, Bánh mì. It is a Viet-style French baguette sandwich which has a global reputation. This crunchy baguette is packed with pickled vegetables, coriander, fresh chilli, and cuts of meat – typically pork – and smeared with a coat of pâté. Other toppings can be egg, chicken, meatballs, and more as per your choice. One can easily grab one of these in the streets of Vietnam!
2. Rice noodle soup (Phở)
The most famous and obvious choice of street food in Vietnam would be the Vietnamese noodle soup, phở. This daily staple is made up of chewy rice noodles in piping hot sauces with tender slices of beef or chicken and topped with crunchy, spicy, herby garnishes.
Definitely, nothing beats a good bowl of heartwarming rice noodle soup to start your day in the streets of Vietnam. Visiting the Top Attractions in Ho Chi Minh City along with phở is highly recommended.
3. Hoi An Noodles (Cao lầu)
Cao lầu is a noodle dish that is exclusive to Hoi An only and has quite a backstory. This native Hoi An dish consists of udon-like noodles, pieces of barbecued pork, fresh and crisp lettuce, and crunchy croutons.
Cao lầu is found specifically in Hoi An because of its unique noodles which have to be made using water from an ancient well, the Ba Le well, and mixed with special ash native to Hoi An. It’s also believed that the secret behind the precise recipe is known to only a few families in this region! Enjoy the noodles with your partner by booking a Vietnam honeymoon package.
4. Vietnamese sweet dessert (Chè)
Chè, as the word itself describes, is a sweet dessert beverage in Vietnam, that comes in many different forms, sizes, flavours, and colours! More often than not, you can find them in the form of pudding, drinks or soup.
The usual ingredients that you can find in chè include coconut milk, sweetened beans, glutinous rice, colourful jellies, fruits, and more. Easily found in the streets of local markets, these desserts are a great craving on hot afternoon days.
5. Rice paper salad (Bánh tráng trộn)
For those craving, some healthy street food – Bánh tráng trộn is THE DISH to try out. It's an explosion of flavours in a bite and a healthy snack. It’s prepared with strips of rice paper, varieties of dried protein – beef jerky, squid, shrimp – and tart green mango, fresh mint, sweet basil, and lastly, it's signature spicy, sweet, sour dressing.
6. Vietnamese pizza (Bánh tráng nướng)
I can barely imagine a world where someone doesn’t like pizza! A popular snack in Ho Chi Minh City, this Vietnamese pizza is made up of rice paper grilled on the barbeque and topped with minced pork, chicken, egg, or other toppings as per your choice. Additionally garnished with fresh herbs and served with mayo, tamarind or chilli sauce, this pizza is surely something you’ll crave in the middle of the night.
7. Spicy beef noodle soup (Bún bò huế)
If phở had a spicier and more vibrant sibling, it would have to be the bún bò huế. The main components of this noodle dish are beef broth, thick rice noodles, beef shank, pork, and lemongrass.
There are more flavours of Hue that are surely worth discovering. Spicy, tasty, and addictive, this dish originally from Hue, Central Vietnam, is one you’ll want to come back for more.
8. Spring rolls (Gỏi cuốn / Chả giò)
A classic Vietnamese crowd favourite, Gỏi cuốn! For anyone craving spicy street food in Vietnam, these spring rolls are always on their list. A variety of fillings like meat, vegetables, and shrimp wrapped in rice paper, you can find them deep-fried (Chả giò) or served fresh (Gỏi cuốn). These taste best with a dipping sauce, which is suitable for everyone.
9. Egg coffee (Cà Phê Trứng)
How about trying an egg coffee? Yep, you heard that right! Prepared with black coffee and egg yolks whipped into condensed milk, this is a very unique drink belonging to Vietnam. Tastes more like a dessert than coffee, it is something for you to try in the busy streets of Vietnam.
10. Vermicelli with fried tofu and fermented shrimp paste (Bún đậu mắm tôm)
Every culture has its own traditional but tasty food and in Vietnam, it’s the bún đậu mắm tôm. The ingredients are simple and uncomplicated but the flavours are complex and mouth-watering. Tips to eat this dish: Pick up the individual pieces, dip them into the shrimp paste sauce, popping into your mouth, and repeat!
You’re pho sure hungry now!
The struggle is very real when you have seen so much of these classy, spicy street food in Vietnam but cannot taste one. Book yourself a Vietnam tour package now so you can taste all these amazing and easy-on-the-wallet street food with the experts at Growing Global Overseas!
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