We can easily answer: YES, 100 times YES!
There is no doubt that Vietnamese food is one of the tastiest cuisines in the world.
Why is Vietnamese food so good?
Reasons for the refined taste of Vietnamese food :
-Vietnam and multicultural influence
Vietnamese cuisine is partly reflected in the country’s history. Vietnam was colonized by France and China for much of its history, 61 years under the French and 1,000 years as a Chinese colony. With both countries boasting some of the greatest cuisines in the world, Vietnamese cuisine has cleverly absorbed the compelling positive influences of both of these highly refined cuisines. Banh mi and pho are excellent examples of this cultural fusion.
-The different regions of Vietnam produce a wide variety of ingredients. The Mekong Delta provides a large number of vegetables, herbs, and fruits for the whole country throughout the year, plus animal husbandry such as chickens, ducks, cows and pigs. The North of Vietnam, although not a vast region, adds to this variety of different fruits or vegetables that cannot grow in the persistent heat of the South. A long coastline running from north to south, it offers Vietnam a large amount of seafood. Vietnam’s unique geography contributes to its diverse, fresh and tasty food.
-Vietnam has multiple religions and ethnic communities.
Vietnamese dishes from the center, north and south are all different.
After Buddhism, the religions with the largest number of followers in Vietnam are Christianity, indigenous religions, Hinduism and Islam. In addition, Vietnam has 54 distinct ethnic groups, each with its own language, way of life and cultural heritage.
The diversity of the Vietnamese culture and cuisine has benefited from this through the blending and cooking methods.
The religion that has the most impact is Buddhism. The vegetarian Buddhist monks, have the will to reflect their philosophy in all areas, including cooking and especially grocery shopping, they have brought an element of balance to Vietnamese cuisine. You can always find the perfect balance of ingredients and flavors in Vietnamese cooking recipes that make the perfect dish. A fresh spring roll will always be filled with meat protein or shrimp and vegetable fiber; there will also be the sweetness of the rice leaf and the crunch of the peanut in the dipping sauce.
-Dipping Culture
There are dozens of dipping sauces for food. Each sauce gives a different taste to the dish. We are talking about fish sauce, soy sauce, peanut sauce, shrimp paste, fermented fish sauce and many other untranslatable sauces. A dish is not complete if you don’t have the right sauce for it.
– Cuisine also plays an important role in Vietnam in healing methods, especially in the countryside where people cannot afford medicine. There is for example the chao (rice soup) passed down from generation to generation which will fight the small chills. Some foods may be forbidden or recommended depending on the ailment.
