Vietnam’s food offers people many different choices for a healthy and delicious breakfast. Here’s a list of 6 most popular food that Vietnamese have for breakfast.
Pho
Pho is no doubt the most famous food in Vietnam. It is available everywhere in Ha Noi as the townspeople have the strong passion for this delectable soup. You can find Pho in the Viet Nam’s capital all day and night. Vietnamese people have Pho not only for breakfast, but also for lunch or dinner.
Pho is served in a bowl with a specific cut of white rice noodles in clear beef broth, with slim cuts of beef (steak, fatty flank, lean flank, brisket). Variations feature tendon, tripe, or meatballs in southern Vietnam. Chicken pho is made using the same spices as beef, but the broth is made using only chicken bones and meat, as well as some internal organs of the chicken, such as the heart, the undeveloped eggs and the gizzard.
Bun
Similar to Pho, Bun is made of rice flour but instead of flat triangle shape like Pho, Bun has small and circular shape. Recipes to make Bun’s broth are even more diverse than Pho, which result in different vermicelli dishes, most popular ones are Bun Cha (vermicelli and grilled chopped meat), Bun Rieu (vermicelli and crab meat soup), Bun Thang (varied vermicelli), Bun Ca (vermicelli with fried fish) and Bun Oc (vermicelli and snail), while Bun Bo (vermicelli with beef) is specialty of Hue. Specific trait of Bun is an adequate sour taste the main ingredients of their soup are tomato, garcinia cowa and lemon lime.
Xoi
Vietnamese “xoi’’ is sticky rice. It is also a typical breakfast in generations of Vietnamese. “Xoi” is a very common food in Vietnam, and one can find it anywhere from the roadside vendors to luxuriously traditional restaurants. This sticky rice varies from simple low-price ones like Xoi Gac (Xoi colored with Gac’s oil), Xoi Do Xanh (Xoi with green beans), Xoi Lac (Xoi with peanuts) or Xoi Ngo (Xoi wih corns) for commoners to higher ranks like Xoi Trung (Xoi with egg), Xoi Pate (Xoi with paste) or Xoi Cha (Xoi with meat rolls).
Banh cuon
Banh Cuon is probably one of those strongly influenced by French cuisine. It is a thin crepe-like rice savory pastry, with some meat and mushroom wrapped inside. The process of making banh cuon resembles that of making crepes. The only difference is that the pastry is steamed from a rice-based mixture, instead of light-oil fried from wheat-based liquid like crepes. This gives the dish a light yet unforgettable flavor and a thin and delicate texture.
The pastry is completed by the accompanying sauce a mixture of fragrant fish sauce blended with a light sour of lime, Cha lua – Vietnamese Pork sausage, and fried onions. Vegetarians can avoid the meat component by requesting for a plain Banh Cuon (Banh Cuon Chay), which does not change the taste dramatically.
Banh Cuon can be found on many local eateries in local markets or every few blocks. Look for a steaming pot and a bright yellow sign ¨Banh cuon¨ and you will be served this delicious delicacy for just a dollar.
Banh mi
A kind of imported foods from western country long time ago, Banh mi Vietnam (Vietnamese Traditional Bread) is really popular in Vietnam, it also has another name “Saigon baguette or Fried pork bread”. This is also traditional Vietnamese food.
Bread is made with wheat and rice flour. This can be seen as a combination of sandwich and baguette. Thinly sliced carrots, pickles, cucumbers, liver pâté, mayonnaise and various meats are put into bread and covered by a little soy or fish sauce.
People usually sell bread in small stalls on the street-side. Depending on customer’s needs, the seller will offer lots of types. Common varieties are chicken bread, omelet bread, shredded pork skin bread, grilled-pork bread, juicy crushed pork meatballs bread. If you are vegetarian, you can enjoy it with vegetable and tofu. It is one of reasons why traditional Vietnamese food is really delicious.
That’s why this baguette plays an important role in Vietnamese life- particularly with officers and people in a busy city. Any time, they can eat Banh Mi Vietnam (Vietnamese Traditional Bread) which is called Traditional Vietnamese food: breakfast, lunch or dinner; when walking, doing something and don’t feel bored because there are many flavors to change.
Chao
Congee or rice porridge is one of the most common meals in Vietnam in not only breakfast but also lunch and dinner. Cháo is very to cook since almost every electronic rice-cooker has porridge cooking function. Although it is considered as the poor’s food, Cháo could be much fancier when cooked with a variety of meats. To illustrate, Chao Ga is chao boiled with a whole chicken with bones to get the tastiest broth. Other varieties of Cháo such as Cháo Vịt (porridge with duck); Cháo Lươn (porridge with eel) and Cháo Cá (porridge with fish), are cooked with the same method.
