Alex Jung

With 3 major regional cuisines, Vietnamese food is characterized by its fresh and fragrant flavors and ingredients.

Table with dishes of food — Vietnamese home-cooked meal. Do Phuong Huy. CC BY 4.0.

Every time I travel to Vietnam, I am always delighted to try new or familiar dishes from across the country. Vietnamese cuisine is extraordinarily diverse, from its rice dishes and soups to its desserts and drinks. Each of the country’s three regions brings its own flavor palette to the cuisine. Northern Vietnam offers less spicy food, with an influence from Chinese flavors. Central Vietnamese cuisine is spicy, its bolder flavors associated greatly with how the Vietnamese royals used to eat. In Southern Vietnam, the cuisine is often sweet and sour, with tropical ingredients and flavors similar to those of neighboring countries, namely Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. Vietnamese cuisine is considered one of the healthiest cuisines globally due to the large amount of greens and herbs that are incorporated into its dishes. Travelers in any region of Vietnam are highly recommended to visit the local produce markets to taste a wide variety of fresh fruits, vegetables and food from street food stalls. This article will explore seven of Vietnam's must-try dishes that can be enjoyed all around the country.

1. Pho

Pho is the national dish of Vietnam. This soup originated in the early 20th century and has since become a popular dish greatly enjoyed in Vietnam as well as around the world through the Vietnamese diaspora. The noodle soup has a myriad of flavor combinations, including a rich broth made from beef or chicken stock, vegetables, such as bean sprouts, and coriander, as well as basil and chilli. Pho in Northern Vietnam differs greatly from pho in Southern Vietnam. Northern pho uses flatter noodles with a more savory broth, whereas Southern pho uses slimmer noodles. Whether it's at a restaurant or a street food stall, pho is a dish that can be found anywhere in the country, with one bowl of soup ranging from $1.50 to $4.

2. Bun bo Hue

Originating from the city of Hue, bun bo Hue is a spicy dish that is widely popular across the country. Its broth is often made from beef and pork with a lemongrass infusion. Bun bo Hue has also become more popular globally, its spicy flavor profile receivinginternational attention. The dish is sold at many markets, street food stalls and restaurants in Vietnam. Most often, travelers can find small street vendors selling the dish, with many Vietnamese locals eating it during lunch breaks. Like pho, bun bo Hue's price ranges from $1.50 to $4.

3. Banh mi

Banh mi has become one of the most loved and iconic dishes of Vietnam. It is a unique fusion of the country’s history of French colonial rule and the maintenance of distinct Vietnamese flavors. The dish transformed the typical French baguette into a sandwich with great fragrance and taste. Banh mi has also earned its reputation as one of the most affordable, convenient and delicious street foods in Vietnam, and the dish has increasingly been sold at restaurants around the world through Vietnamese immigrant communities. One unique ingredient in banh mi is its incorporation of pate, often made from chicken or pork liver. For a banh mi sandwich, travelers can expect to pay around $1.

4. Bun cha

Bun cha is a dish that is loyal to the warm flavors of Northern Vietnam, having originated in the country’s capital, Hanoi. The dish combines four of Vietnam's key ingredients: grilled pork, vermicelli noodles, spring rolls and soup. It is best enjoyed when combining all four of these flavors with a large plate of herbs and greens, making it an excellent choice to share with friends or family. The dish is more often found in restaurants rather than at street food vendors due to the large number of dishes it utilizes, with its price ranging from $1 to $4.

5. Vietnamese coffee

Coffee pots — Vietnamese coffee. HungryHuy. CC BY 2.0.

Aside from its fresh herbs and ingredients, Vietnam is famous for its coffee, being the second-largest coffee-producing country in the world. So it is unsurprising that the nation has a large variety of unique flavors and styles of coffee. Ca phe sua, or Vietnamese iced coffee, has a unique addition of sweetened condensed milk and dark roast coffee beans. It is one of the most popular coffees in the country and can be found in various street stands and stalls, as well as Vietnam's two largest coffee chains, Phuc Long and Highlands Coffee. Aside from ca phe sua, Vietnam also has ca phe trung ( egg coffee), sua chua ca phe (yogurt coffee), ca phe cot dua (coconut coffee) and ca phe la dua (pandan coffee). Vietnamese coffee is usually sold for around $1.

6. Com tam

Travelers who prefer rice over noodlesshould most definitely try com tam, a dish made with broken rice. It is popular in Southern Vietnam, with its origin in the Mekong Delta, and its influence has spread widely to Ho Chi Minh City. The dish was originally only eaten by farmers, who used whichever ingredients they had available and put them onto one plate with rice, not applying other cooking methods, hence the name broken rice. With urbanization in the early 20th century, com tam became more widespread across the country. This seemingly simple dish most commonly consists of a bowl of rice, some vegetables, a piece of grilled pork and a fried egg. However, the taste of the dish is far from simple, with a combination of sweet, fresh and salty flavors. Com tam is enjoyed by many and is the dish I enjoyed the most while traveling in Vietnam. It typically costs between $3 and $4.

7. Banh xeo

Banh xeo is a staple Vietnamese snack that can be found in almost all night markets and produce markets in the nation. The dish originates from Central Vietnam, with its name coming from the sizzling sound the dish makes when being fried. Banh xeo is Vietnam's take on the crepe or pancake, its batter being made from rice flour mixed with coconut milk. The bright yellow comes from sprinkling turmeric, and the pancake is filled with proteins, such as pork and shrimp, as well as bean sprouts and herbs. The dish is served with Vietnam's famous fish sauce for dipping. Most commonly found at street vendors, banh xeo often costs less than $2.

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