Asia · Traditional

Vietnamese cuisine

Vietnamese cuisine balances fresh herbs, rice, noodles, fish sauce, broths, grilled food and pickles with strong regional differences. Northern cooking often feels restrained, central food can be more intense and elaborate, and the south makes generous use of herbs, sweetness and tropical produce.

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Food history

Why Vietnamese cuisine is worth exploring

Vietnamese cuisine reflects wet-rice agriculture, long contact with China, regional kingdoms, French colonial rule and trade across Southeast Asia. The result is a food culture where herbs, fish sauce, rice products, broths and pickles can sit beside baguettes, coffee and techniques adapted from abroad.

Why it is famous

Among the dishes and traditions most associated with Vietnamese cuisine are pho, bánh mì, gỏi cuốn, bún chả, bánh xèo, cơm tấm, noodle soups and fresh herb-heavy dishes. They became famous for good reason, but they make more sense when seen as part of a wider food culture shaped by place, season and the way people actually eat at home.

Regional food story

Northern food is often more restrained and broth-focused; central Vietnam is known for punchier seasoning and the imperial legacy of Huế; the south uses more sweetness, coconut and abundant produce from the Mekong Delta.

How to cook it

Flavours, ingredients and menu ideas

Signature ingredients

The ingredients most closely tied to Vietnamese cooking include fish sauce, rice, rice noodles, fresh herbs, lime, chilli, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, pork, seafood and pickled vegetables. They form a useful map of the cuisine, although the balance shifts noticeably between coast and interior, city and countryside, and everyday food and celebration cooking.

Cooking style

Vietnamese cooking prizes freshness and contrast. Long-simmered broths may be served with raw herbs; grilled meats with pickles; crisp pancakes with lettuce; rich pâté with sharp vegetables. The diner often completes the balance at the table.

Build a menu

A strong menu might combine fresh rolls or a salad, a noodle or rice dish, something grilled and plenty of herbs and pickles. Keep dessert light with fruit, coconut or a chilled sweet rather than following every savoury dish with something heavy.

Starters Mains Desserts

Cook by course

Vietnamese recipes

Start with a starter, choose a main, then finish with a dessert to build a complete country-inspired menu.

Starters

Vietnamese starters

Gỏi Đu Đủ Green Papaya Salad

Gỏi Đu Đủ Green Papaya Salad is crisp green papaya salad with herbs, peanuts and a sharp fish-sauce dres…

Starter 35 mins

Gỏi Cuốn Fresh Spring Rolls

Gỏi Cuốn Fresh Spring Rolls is fresh rice-paper rolls with herbs, noodles, pork or prawns and dipping sa…

Starter 40 mins

Gỏi Gà Bắp Cải

Gỏi Gà Bắp Cải is shredded chicken and cabbage salad with herbs, lime and fish-sauce dressing.

Starter 40 mins

Bò Lá Lốt

Bò Lá Lốt is seasoned beef wrapped in aromatic betel leaves and grilled.

Starter 45 mins

Bánh Xèo Mini Sizzling Pancakes

Bánh Xèo Mini Sizzling Pancakes is turmeric rice-flour pancakes filled with pork, prawns and beansprouts.

Starter 55 mins

Chả Giò Crispy Spring Rolls

Chả Giò Crispy Spring Rolls is crisp fried rolls filled with pork, mushrooms, noodles and vegetables.

Starter 55 mins

Nem Nướng Lettuce Wraps

Nem Nướng Lettuce Wraps is grilled pork sausage served with rice paper, herbs, lettuce and dipping sauce.

Starter 55 mins

Bánh Bột Lọc

Bánh Bột Lọc is translucent tapioca dumplings filled with prawn and pork.

Starter 1 hr 10 mins

Main courses

Vietnamese main courses

Bánh Mì Thịt

Bánh Mì Thịt is crisp baguette filled with savoury meat, pickles, herbs, chilli and pâté or mayonnaise.

Main 55 mins

Chả Cá Lã Vọng

Chả Cá Lã Vọng is turmeric-marinated fish fried with dill and spring onions, served with noodles and pea…

Main 55 mins

Cá Kho Tộ

Cá Kho Tộ is fish caramel-braised with fish sauce and pepper in a clay pot.

Main 1 hr

Cơm Tấm Sườn Nướng

Cơm Tấm Sườn Nướng is broken rice with grilled pork chop, pickles, fish sauce and often egg.

Main 1 hr

Bún Chả

Bún Chả is Hanoi grilled pork with rice noodles, herbs and a sweet-sour fish-sauce broth.

Main 1 hr 5 mins

Gà Kho Gừng

Gà Kho Gừng is chicken caramel-braised with ginger and fish sauce.

Main 1 hr 5 mins

Bánh Cuốn

Bánh Cuốn is delicate steamed rice sheets rolled around pork and mushrooms.

Main 1 hr 15 mins

Mì Quảng

Mì Quảng is Quảng-style turmeric noodles with a concentrated broth, herbs, peanuts and rice crackers.

Main 1 hr 15 mins

Bún Riêu Cua

Bún Riêu Cua is tomato noodle soup with crab paste, tofu and herbs.

Main 1 hr 30 mins

Cơm Gà Hội An

Cơm Gà Hội An is turmeric rice with shredded chicken, herbs, onions and a sharp dressing.

Main 1 hr 30 mins

Cao Lầu

Cao Lầu is Hội An noodles with char siu-style pork, greens, herbs and crisp crackers.

Main 1 hr 35 mins

Bánh Canh Cua

Bánh Canh Cua is thick tapioca noodles in a glossy crab broth.

Main 1 hr 40 mins

Thịt Kho Trứng

Thịt Kho Trứng is pork belly and eggs braised in coconut water and caramelised fish sauce.

Main 1 hr 50 mins

Bò Kho

Bò Kho is aromatic beef stew with lemongrass, star anise and carrots.

Main 2 hr 55 mins

Bún Bò Huế

Bún Bò Huế is spicy central Vietnamese beef-and-pork noodle soup scented with lemongrass.

Main 4 hr 5 mins

Phở Bò

Phở Bò is clear beef noodle soup scented with charred onion, ginger and warm spices.

Main 4 hr 30 mins

Desserts

Vietnamese desserts

Chè Chuối

Chè Chuối is banana and tapioca cooked in sweet coconut milk.

Dessert 40 mins

Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream

Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream is condensed-milk ice cream flavoured with strong Vietnamese coffee.

Dessert 45 mins

Xôi Xoài

Xôi Xoài is sweet sticky rice with ripe mango and coconut sauce.

Dessert 55 mins

Chè Trôi Nước

Chè Trôi Nước is glutinous-rice dumplings filled with mung bean in ginger syrup.

Dessert 1 hr

Bánh Flan

Bánh Flan is silky caramel custard shaped by French colonial baking.

Dessert 1 hr 5 mins

Bánh Bò Nướng

Bánh Bò Nướng is baked pandan honeycomb cake with a springy, airy crumb.

Dessert 1 hr 10 mins

Chè Ba Màu

Chè Ba Màu is a three-colour dessert of beans, jelly and coconut milk over ice.

Dessert 1 hr 10 mins

Bánh Da Lợn

Bánh Da Lợn is steamed layered cake of tapioca, coconut, pandan and mung bean.

Dessert 1 hr 20 mins

Wine and drink pairings

What to drink with Vietnamese food

When pairing wine with Vietnamese food, match the structure of the dish first: fresh whites for seafood and herbs, medium reds for tomato, spice or roast meat, sparkling wines for fried or salty starters, and sweet or fortified wines for desserts.

Red

Beaujolais / Gamay

Juicy light red with cherry, raspberry and low tannin. Excellent slightly chilled with charcuterie, poultry, pâté, saus…

Grape: Gamay Region: Beaujolais, Loire, Switzerland

Red

Cabernet Sauvignon / Bordeaux

Structured red with blackcurrant, cedar, graphite and firm tannins. Best with roast beef, lamb, steak, rich gravies and…

Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc Region: Bordeaux, Napa, Coonawarra, Maipo

Red

Malbec

Plush, dark red with blackberry, plum, cocoa and smooth tannins. Excellent with beef, charred meat, pies and smoky dish…

Grape: Malbec Region: Mendoza, Cahors

Red

Pinot Noir / Burgundy

Elegant red with red cherry, earth, spice and fine tannins. Great with duck, mushroom, poultry, pork and lighter beef d…

Grape: Pinot Noir, Spätburgunder Region: Burgundy, Oregon, Central Otago, Baden

Red

Spätburgunder

German Pinot Noir with red cherry, earth and gentle spice. Excellent with pork, sausages, roast poultry, mushroom sauce…

Grape: Spätburgunder / Pinot Noir Region: Baden, Ahr, Pfalz

Red

Syrah / Shiraz

Peppery, dark-fruited red with savoury spice and medium-to-firm tannins. Great with grilled meat, pepper, smoke, sausag…

Grape: Syrah, Shiraz Region: Northern Rhône, Barossa, South Africa

White

Albariño / Vinho Verde

Fresh coastal white wine with citrus, peach, sea-spray minerality and bright acidity. Excellent with seafood, salt cod…

Grape: Albariño, Alvarinho, Loureiro, Arinto Region: Rías Baixas, Minho, Vinho Verde

White

Assyrtiko

Greek white with piercing acidity, lemon, salt and volcanic minerality. Ideal for tzatziki, feta, seafood, grilled fish…

Grape: Assyrtiko Region: Santorini, Macedonia, Crete

Plan the full table

Build a Vietnamese menu

Keep fish sauce, rice, rice noodles, rice paper, dried mushrooms and suitable condiments, then buy herbs, limes, chillies and vegetables as close to cooking as possible. Good stock and fresh herbs matter more than adding many bottled sauces. Choose fish sauce for clean savoury depth, not simply the highest salt level.

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