To many people, Vietnam culture still remains mysterious or even unknown. Getting to know Vietnamese cuisine can be interesting and attractive. We Viet’S Corner hope that with us, you can somehow comprehend our gastronomy culture and beyond.
Overall, Vietnam is bordered mostly by 4 countries, including China, Laos, Cambodia and Thai. As a consequence, the cuisine is more or less a “catchall for the best of various types of Southeast Asian Cooking”. Thus, a unique style is created at the end. Nancie Mc Dermott, the author of the book Quick and easy Vietnamese said:
“Vietnam food borrows a little from each culture, but puts it together in a way that is uniquely its own. It is very individualized kind of cuisine where a lot of dishes are blended at the table, so the exact combination of what is eaten is often left to the individual dinner”
Indeed, we share with many other Asian countries the herbs and spices in common. It’s not that we use them the same way. Rather, we are supposed to choose fewer herbs together with spices, but intend to create bigger flavours.
Moreover, the food may look complex from its appearance. However, most Vietnamese chefs always emphasize the simple cooking style, which is highly regarded. Certainly, highlighted by the simplicity, the variation of fresh ingredients makes the food more appealing. In the article “40 delicious Vietnamese dishes” of CNN, it is said as follows:
“Vietnamese cuisine doesn't win any points for complexity. Many of the most popular dishes can be made just as well on the side of the road as in a top-end restaurant. But it’s precisely this simplicity, the subtle variations by region and the fresh ingredients that keep us pulling up a plastic stool for more.”
One more thing you may not know, but Vietnamese food is considered as a healthy conscious choice. According to the report of Health.com, Annie Corapi ranked Vietnamese meals as the third among ten healthiest ethnic cuisines. In fact, while cooking, we make use of many fresh herbs, vegetables, and seafood. Moreover, cooking techniques in which we use more water than oil makes the food quality outstanding. There goes a saying of the Health magazine's senior food and nutrition editor. He emphasized:
“This cuisine, prepared the traditional way, relies less on frying and heavy coconut-based sauces for flavor and more on herbs, which makes it lower in calories” (Frances Largeman-Roth)
Actually, nothing else can satisfy and it is quite great that the food features naturally flavored together with low cholesterol. The author of the book, so-called The Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table pointed out that:
“It is a naturally healthful cuisine, but also one where each dish is an explosion of flavors -- so you come away feeling as if you have eaten something truly spectacular, but you haven't consumed a lot of calories” (Mai Pham)
Definitely, with all the gastronomic values above, the cuisine has become a crucial part of Vietnam culture in general. Up till now, to many Vietnamese people, it has been developing but still remains the beauty of the traditional gastronomy.
As it is said that “seeing is believing”, let’s come and get the experiences at Viet’S Corner.
No comments:
Post a Comment