Traveling to Vietnam means discovering a culinary heritage of exceptional richness. At every street corner, in every market and village, cuisine tells its story through gestures, aromas, textures and traditions inherited from centuries of exchange and creativity. Whether you're discovering this country for the first time or are already a lover of its gastronomy, you'll be amazed by the diversity of dishes, the freshness of ingredients, and the importance of meals in daily life.

Vietnam's Must-Try Specialties

Phở

Phở is the culinary emblem of the country. It's a rice noodle soup served at dawn and dinner alike, prepared with a long-simmered broth (bone, ginger, star anise, nước mắm). Phở is garnished with:

• Beef or chicken
• Spring onions
• Lime
• Bean sprouts
• Fresh herbs (cilantro, mint, Thai basil)
• Sometimes egg yolk.

Soups and Noodle Dishes

You'll also find Bún bò Huế, a spicy soup from the ancient imperial city, blending beef, aromatic herbs, lemongrass and chili paste. In the South, hủ tiếu offers a clear broth enhanced with shrimp, pork, crab and quail egg.

Other regional specialties complete this diversity:

• Cao lầu: thick noodles from Hoi An with grilled pork, bean sprouts, herbs, croutons and light sauce.
• Mì Quảng: yellow noodles accompanied by pork, shrimp, herbs, peanuts and a reduced broth.
• Bún chả: rice vermicelli, sliced and meatball pork grilled in a sweet and sour sauce with herbs.
• Cha ca (or Cha ca La Vong): turmeric-grilled fish served with herbs, peanuts and shrimp paste.

Rice Dishes and Grilled Meats

Rice, in all its forms (regular, fragrant or sticky), is at the heart of Vietnamese cuisine. Cơm tấm, very popular in Saigon, combines broken rice, grilled pork, fried egg, marinated vegetables and nước mắm.

Stir-fried noodles, crispy chicken skewers, beef, or ginger-grilled duck, accompanied by rice or vermicelli, are widespread throughout the country. Ca kho tộ, caramelized fish in nước mắm and simmered in a clay pot, is a fragrant classic of the South.

Sandwiches, Fritters and Pastries

Bánh mì, a Franco-Vietnamese legacy, combines crispy baguette, pâté, mayonnaise, roasted or marinated meat, vinegar-pickled vegetables, cilantro and chili sauce. It comes in countless regional variations.

You'll also find bánh bao, a steamed bun filled with pork, fragrant mushrooms and onions, as well as bánh tôm, a fried shrimp fritter.

Crêpes, Ravioli and Steamed Specialties

Bánh xèo is a large crispy crêpe filled with pork, shrimp, bean sprouts and herbs, which you roll in lettuce with nước mắm.

Bánh cuốn, a delicate steamed rice ravioli filled with minced pork and black mushrooms, is a breakfast essential.

Rolls, Spring Rolls and Small Bites

Gỏi cuốn (fresh spring rolls) combine shrimp, pork, vermicelli, vegetables and herbs, wrapped in a rice sheet and dipped in peanut sauce or nước chấm.

Nems (or chả giò in the South), rolled in a rice cake and fried, are filled with pork, beef, chicken, duck, crab or shrimp, mixed with vegetables, noodles and mushrooms.

Another bite is bò bía with sausage, shrimp, salad and herbs in a rice crêpe.

Salads and Seafood

Vietnamese salads focus on crunch and acidity: green papaya salad, lotus salad, green mango salad, often enhanced with peanuts and fragrant herbs. Coastal cuisine offers shrimp, crabs and other seafood enjoyed by the sea or in specialized restaurants.

Other Signature Dishes

You'll also find:

• Nộm chim quay (green papaya salad with grilled pigeon)
• Vietnamese pâtés such as giò (pork pâté)
• Chả (minced pork fried or grilled)
• Various skewers served with rice or vermicelli
• And more.

Vietnam's Regional Cuisines

The North

In the North, flavors are salty, subtle and mildly spiced, influenced by China: black pepper, rice vinegar, soy sauce, slow cooking, clear broths, sticky rice, fresh herbs and seafood (shrimp, crabs, clams, squid) are preferred.

Typical dishes include:

• Phở (clear beef or chicken broth)
• Bún chả (grilled pork and vermicelli)
• Bún riêu (crab-tomato)
• Chả cá Lã Vọng (turmeric-grilled fish with dill)
• Bánh cuốn (steamed rice crêpes)
• Bánh chưng (New Year rice cake)
• Cốm Làng Vòng (young rice with lotus).

For the curious and those wishing to taste unusual dishes: thắng cố (horse offal stew) and incubated duck eggs.

The Center

The Center offers a spicy, complex and refined cuisine, inherited from Hué's royal tradition, marked by chilies, lemongrass, galangal, fermented shrimp sauces, varied vegetables and Indian, Chinese and ethnic influences.

Among the signature dishes, you can mention:

• Bún bò Huế (spicy beef and pork soup)
• Bánh xèo (crispy turmeric crêpe)
• Cao lầu (thick noodles, pork, croutons, herbs)

There are also steamed bites such as Bánh bèo, Bánh nậm, Bánh bột lọc, and Nem lụi (lemongrass stem skewers). Portions are small, decorated, and feature locally-prepared tuna and seafood.

The South

In the South, flavors are sweet, sugary and rich, influenced by the fertility of the Mekong Delta, the "Rice Bowl of Vietnam". Coconut milk, sugar, lush herbs, garlic, shallots, tropical fruits, meats and fish are used in abundance.

The emblematic dishes are:

• Cơm Tấm (broken rice and grilled pork)
• Hủ Tiếu (pork-crab-shrimp soup)
• Bún mắm (fermented broth with vermicelli)
• Bánh khọt (mini turmeric and coconut milk crêpes)
• Gỏi (salads of papaya, pomelo, lotus)
• Chè with coconut milk, artisanal candies and exotic fruits.

Among unusual specialties are đuông dừa, coconut beetle larvae from the delta.

Street Food in Vietnam

In Vietnam, street food is far more than a simple meal: it's an immersion into the lifestyle, history and multiple influences of the country, blending local traditions with Chinese heritage. On a simple plastic stool, you taste grilled skewers, fresh gỏi cuốn, fried spring rolls (chả giò), fritters, exotic fruits cut fresh before your eyes, or fragrant soups prepared right in front of you. The stands often amount to nothing more than a burner, a pot and baskets of herbs, yet they serve the most authentic dishes.

Local markets overflow with colors and aromas, while small hidden eateries tucked in alleys offer the most flavorful recipes, far from tourist zones. Here, everything is paid for in cash (VND) and every dish is cooked to order, guaranteeing freshness, aromas and authenticity. Vietnamese street food is built on the harmony of sour, spicy, salty and sweet flavors, and adapts to each region.

Desserts

In Vietnam, desserts are simple and sweet, often made with fresh fruits (pineapple, banana, orange, papaya, grapefruit, mango, jackfruit, durian). Traditional specialties use sticky rice, beans, coconut milk or candied fruits. The most popular is chè, served with white beans, corn or sweet potatoes and topped with coconut milk, sometimes transformed into custards flavored with soy or lotus seeds. You'll also find bánh chuối (steamed banana cake) and mứt (candied fruits).

Some desserts are tied to festivals, such as bánh dẻo, a sweet sticky rice cake filled with candied fruits and sesame, consumed at mid-autumn. The North is known for bánh cốm, green rice cake filled with sweet bean paste. Moreover, inherited from the French period, yogurts and ice cream remain common, served both in markets and street food stalls and restaurants in major cities.

Typical Beverages

Vietnam is a paradise for fresh and refreshing drinks. Among the must-tries are:

• Cà Phê Đá: iced coffee with condensed milk
• Cà Phê Sữa Đá: intense coffee served iced
• Cà Phê Trung: egg coffee typical of Hanoi
• Bia Hoi: light local beer, often served on draft
• Nước mía: sugarcane juice
• Trà đá: Vietnamese iced tea, often flavored with lemongrass or ginger
• Sữa Chua Nếp Cẩm: yogurt, coconut milk and fermented sticky rice
• Rượu: rice alcohol, often enjoyed during convivial moments
• Rượu dừa: coconut alcohol, a specialty of the Mekong Delta
• Fresh fruit smoothies: to quench your thirst under the sun.

Tea, often green or jasmine, is the national drink, served everywhere, notably in Vietnamese homes.

Table Habits and Codes

A meal in Vietnam, or "bữa cơm", centers around rice, the central element, accompanied by vegetables and often meat (rarely daily). Family meals are shared, with all dishes served at once, a contrast to Western dining culture of multiple courses.

Chopsticks are essential, and each family member eats from an individual bowl around a round platter, symbolizing conviviality and abundance. Meals often consist of soup, grilled meat, fish, and fresh fruit for dessert.

During meals, Vietnamese people follow a code of respect:

• Wait for the host or elder to begin.
• Pass dishes with both hands.
• Never plant chopsticks vertically in rice.
• Share dishes at the center of the table.

Table etiquette: eat calmly, avoiding frantically picking from shared dishes or consuming food without first placing it in your individual bowl. It's also important to remain at the table until the end and to thank the host after the meal.