Vietnamese cuisine is characterized by the use of fish sauce , soy sauce , rice , fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables. Vietnamese recipes include a wide variety of herbs, including lemon sorghum , mint , Vietnamese mint , coriander leaves and basil . In all regions of Vietnam, dishes are traditionally served with fresh vegetables and dipping sauces. The most common types of meat are pork , chicken , shrimp and other seafood . Beef is used less often, mainly for soups fo and the famous Bò 7 món (seven shifts of beef dishes). Duck and goat are even less common. Exotic meat of snakes, turtles, deer is mainly used as snacks for alcoholic beverages and is not considered as everyday food.
Three regional cuisines
Vietnamese cuisine is divided into three categories, each of which represents a separate region. The north of the country, being the cradle of Vietnamese civilization, is represented by the most famous dishes, such as fo and banyuon ( bánh cuốn ), appeared in this region. The cuisine of northern Vietnam is more traditional and strict in the choice of spices and ingredients.
The cuisine of southern Vietnam has historically developed under the influence of the traditions of immigrants from southern China and the French colonists. Southerners prefer a sweet taste in many dishes. The southern regions are characterized by more diverse vegetation, therefore, a wider range of herbs is used in the cuisine of this region.
The cuisine of central Vietnam differs from the cuisines of the north and south by the use of numerous small snacks served with the main course. Dishes are sharper than those of the neighbors.
Rice as the basis of Vietnamese cuisine
The basis of Vietnamese cuisine is rice. The birthplace of rice is the north of Thailand and Vietnam. It is these countries that occupy the first and second place in the world in terms of rice exports. In 2006, Vietnam and its neighbor, Thailand, signed a bilateral agreement to phase out the production of genetically modified rice.
The outlines of Vietnam are often compared with a curved beam with two baskets of rice: one in the north in the Krasnaya River Delta, the second in the south in the Mekong Delta . These are the rice granaries not only of Vietnamese, but also of world significance. Rice in Vietnam and the main food on the table, and the basis for the preparation of many traditional dishes, and one of the main export items. Each inhabitant of these countries on average eats at least two hundred kilograms of rice in its pure form per year.
Rice appeared about six thousand years ago. The ancestors of the Vietnamese saw the moisture loving nature of wild rice and began to plant it in the flood fields. About four thousand years ago, rice began to be divided into several varieties.