Vietnamese food is the most diverse and delicious. It is famous for its typical use of fresh, spicy, and aromatic flavors. In the north of Vietnam, stir-fries and noodle soups are famous. Additionally, in the south, food is sweet in taste.

Moreover, Vietnamese food contains beverages of Vietnam. It has the characteristic of all the basic taste elements such as sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and spicy. Each dish has a distinct flavor containing one or more of these ingredients. 

Common ingredients used in the food are shrimp paste, rice, fish, sauce, fruits, soy sauce, fresh herbs, and vegetables. In addition, there are many famous foods of Vietnam which we are describing in this article. 

Some Of The Famous Food In Vietnam

Prawn Crackers

Prawn crackers are a famous snack in parts of East and Southeast Asia. They are also called prawn chips and shrimp puffs which are made from prawns and starch.  

This traditional Vietnamese food is sometimes served with a mixture of cuttlefish, garlic, sugar, tapioca, flour, fish sauce, salt, arrowroot flour, and cracked black pepper. 

Recipe-

Ingredients:

2 lbs of Peeled Prawns

2 lbs of Tapioca Flour

4 tbsp of Salt

3 tbsp of Sugar

2 tbsp of Pepper

In the cooking process, prawn, tapioca flour, sugar, pepper, salt is mixed using water. The mixture is then simmered, rolled out, and sliced into round pieces. Traditionally, for more crispness, the slices are sun-dried before frying so that there remains no moisture on them. 

When the slices get dry properly, they are deep-fried in high heated oil. Within seconds, semi-transparent chips turn into white soft crackers just like popcorn. 

If you leave the prawn crackers open for more than a few hours, they become slightly crunchy. Therefore, it is ideal to have them when freshly prepared. Moreover, keep the chips in a sealed container or a non-humid environment. Besides this, without any preservatives, you can store them in an airtight vessel for three months. 

On the other hand, you can cook varieties of prawn crackers in a microwave oven. This way of cooking is quick and less messy. Additionally, the chips are not as oily as those deep-fried in oil. It also retains the strong smell of raw shrimp.

Beef Balls

Beef ball is a delicious Vietnamese food that is made of beef. It is prepared by mixing the ground meat and garlic, ginger, sauce, baking soda, sugar, and some herbs and spices. 

Recipe-

Ingredients: 

4 pounds of ground meat

8 tbsp Fish Sauce

2 tbsp finely chopped Garlic

3 tbsp Sugar

2 tbsp Ground Pepper

2 tbsp freshly grated Ginger

Baking Powder

Firstly, take a bowl and mix all the ingredients in it. Secondly, cover it properly and put in the freezer for 2-3 hours till the beef gets frozen. Also, you can leave it overnight in the fridge instead of the freezer. By doing this, the meat will finely stick together. 

After that, put 1/4 of the beef mixture at one time in the food processor. Remember do not overload the container. Grind till the mixture turns into a smooth and firm paste. 

In addition, check the mixture occasionally to scratch down the side of the container so that all the ingredients blend very well. Now put the freshly prepared paste in the freezer for 30 minutes as it will make the beef balls more crispy. 

Now arrange one bowl of boiling and one of ice water. Start making the beef balls. Wet your hands with water so that the paste does not stick on your hands. 

Then, put the meatballs into the bowl containing boiling water. Just as the balls come to the surface, let them cook for at least 7 minutes. 

Afterward, put them in another bowl of ice water for 3 minutes. This process will make the meatballs properly stick together and become crispy.

Now remove and serve them. For serving the dish, add beef or chicken broth, spread with chopped scallions and white pepper. 

Slow-Cooked Brisket

This Vietnamese food consists of the brisket from the cow’s chest which is fat-rich. During the cooking process, the meat broils slowly so that the fat melts perfectly. 

Recipe-

Ingredients For Spice Rub-

1/3 cup paprika

1 tbsp brown and white sugar

2 tbsp coarse salt

1/2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp mustard powder

1 tbsp crushed garlic

Ingredients For Beef Basket-

2kg beef brisket

1/3 cup fish sauce

1/3 cup soya sauce

2 cups beef stock

1 large chopped capsicum

120 g baby corn

150 g chopped beans

1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts

1/2 cup fresh coriander

Mix all the spices with crushed garlic to make a spice rub. Smudge the beef brisket with the rub, covering it properly. Now encase it in plastic wrap and put it in the freezer for several hours. You can also leave it for two days. 

However, instead of spice rub, you can use salt and pepper to smear the beef brisket and fry it in a hot oil pan. 

Now put the beef brisket in a cooker and add water and all the other ingredients and cover it. However, if you are using the roasting pan, make a cover of two sheets of foil together and place it over. Let the meat slow cook for 8 to 10 hours. 

Tofu With Mushrooms

This dish consists of fried tofu and varied mushrooms which are infused with a sweet, salted, and peppery fish sauce. It is a full-flavored food served with a bowl of rice. Additionally, perfect for strict vegetarians.

Recipe-

Ingredients:

2-14 ounces tofu

1 lb Baby Bella mushrooms

8 ounces oyster mushrooms

1 cup coconut water

2 tbsp Hoisin sauce and Soy sauce

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 shallot

Rinse the packed tofu using cool water and blot dry it with the help of a paper towel. Now cut it into 3/4-inches of cubes. Cut the oyster mushrooms from the root and separate them. Break off the end of stems of Baby Bella mushroom. 

Wash the mushrooms two times with cool water. Drain all the water before proceeding to another step. Now start peeling and chopping the shallots.

Then take a measuring cup and put soy sauce, Hoisin sauce, and coconut water into it. Stir it till all the ingredients mix perfectly. 

Heat a pan on a medium flame and apply vegetable oil all over it. Now put the tofu cubes into it while keeping the space between each piece. Let them fry until they turn brown and then take them off the pan. 

Now stir-fry the shallots for 15 seconds on the same pan. Then put the mushrooms and sear for 2 to 3 minutes to draw out the water present. Increase the flame of heat and add the sauce. 

Just as the sauce starts boiling, reduce the flame again to the medium and then add tofu. Mix them properly till the whole sauce smears on all the tofu.

Now let it cook for 5 more minutes while stirring occasionally. By doing this, some liquid evaporates, making the sauce thick. 

Conclusion

Vietnamese food always has basic five taste elements known for its balance in each of the dishes. All the cuisines are full of spices and beverages of Vietnam. Additionally, all the meals mentioned above like prawn crackers, beef balls, slow-cooked brisket, tofu with mushrooms are very famous in parts of Southeast Asia.

These Vietnamese foods have their own taste and smell due to the presence of different ingredients. Most importantly, each meal is delicious as well as healthy containing protein, vitamins, and minerals.