Vietnam is an agriculture-based nation. So, the Wet Rice Civilization has affected Vietnamese food culture for thousands of years. Rice plays an essential role in the life of Vietnamese people. Besides being located in Southeast Asia with advantageous conditions of nature, climate, and geography, Vietnamese people have been producing plenty of eatables, which provides suitable conditions for the creativity in Vietnamese dishes.  

In creating and evolving the country, Vietnam suffered from a series of long-lasting battles and sovereignty, especially 1,000-year Chinese hegemony and French colonialism; the Vietnamese Food culture, therefore, was influenced and more diversified. 

Vietnamese food became more refined and mixed, partly influenced by Chinese cuisine, but kept Vietnam’s unique characteristics. The colonialism of the French contributed to the variety of Vietnamese food culture. 

There is a lot to know about Vietnamese cuisine and culture, with many unheard facts. 

These facts can make you crave these dishes! 

You can try the best Vietnamese food in Hong Kong at Mint and Basil, located at the best spot with catchy views. 

Let’s uncover the facts now –  

Vietnamese food is low in fat. 

Yup! You heard that right. 

Vietnamese dishes are gluten-free and packed with lots of nutritional and essential minerals and vitamins, which help boost the immune system, lose extra weight and provide the human body with the fuel it needs. 

It mainly consists of fresh vegetables and fruits paired with diverse spices and herbs, making its calorie count and fat content plenty lower than the usual dish having a lot of dairy or carbs.  

Most Vietnamese sauces, authentic dishes, and spices you will find in restaurants are very low in fat and calories. Even a giant bowl of Pho contains 300 to 600 calories and retains less than 3 grams of fat per bowl, which means you can eat one bowl of Pho everyday meal as a part of a low-fat, calorie-controlled diet. 

Food is rich in taste. 

Vietnamese cuisine is regarded as one of the most beneficial in the world. It concentrates heavily on fresh ingredients, with a few touches of fat or oil to enhance the flavour. Herbs and spices are picked carefully for rich flavour, and there are rarer blends used to ensure a precise dose of sauce in each dish cooked with care.  

It would not be easy to talk about Vietnamese food culture without discussing sauces in the cuisine. It is built on rich, salty sauces for a base, but chefs are also fond of using them as a final touch. 

1. Fish sauce is a thick gravy used in nearly every Vietnamese dish. You will find it sprayed into Pho or on grilled pork. It is also famous as a base for many soups and casseroles. 

1. Soy sauce is another element of Vietnamese food that earns attention. It is used often in vegetable dishes, and soy sauce is full of salty tastiness and flavour. 

1. Chili sauce is another standard ingredient. It provides a pleasant kick and a nice rosy color to some watery vegetable soups or broths. 

1. Shrimp sauce is a shrimp and salt paste used for sauteed and marination. 

It is a good mix of ingredients and spices. 

Vietnamese dishes usually include a variety of foods such as meat, shrimp, crabs, vegetables, and rice. There is also a blend of many flavors such as sour, spicy, salty, sweet. 

Vietnamese food culture varies by province from the north to the south.  

Vietnamese food is delicious and healthy. 

Vietnamese cuisine combines dishes and tastes to create a distinctive feature.  

Although many of the ingredients are affordable, the detailed and balanced trial and taste of these meals show the work that has gone into them for many years. 

As Vietnam went through many wars and political conflicts, it became a practice to use fresh and local ingredients to preserve money and not waste anything. If an animal is purchased, every part is used in some form.  

Vietnamese cuisine heeds five basic elements: wood, fire, earth, water, and metal. These elements correspond with five flavour elements: sour, sore, tangy, sweet, and salty. Each meal includes these different flavors, which are counterbalanced by each other. 

The use of chopsticks is seen a lot! 

Picking is an art. And picking food correctly is another form of art. 

The use of chopsticks is an integral part of Vietnamese food culture. Vietnamese chopsticks are used in every meal, even at the BBQ party; Vietnamese people infrequently use a fork to pierce food like Western individuals. 

Chopsticks are used to transmit pieces of meat, fish, or whatever form the combined dish to a little bowl of fish sauce. It is good to bring the bowl almost to your lips and use chopsticks to dig rice into your mouth, which might stop food from falling in laps. 

Food is always served in a tray. 

A Vietnamese meal is the variety of dishes spread on the tray at once. All members will share meals, and there is no method in standard Vietnamese meals. Each member will have a rice bowl but jointly eat other dishes, soup, and fish sauce. 

Apart from these, there are some more Vietnamese facts you should know! 

1. Vietnamese cuisine always has fish sauce, soy sauce, fresh herbs, fruits, and vegetables with every meal.
2. Cakes and desserts are enveloped in banana or coconut leaves.
3. Vietnamese recipes use herbs like lemongrass, mint, long coriander, and Thai basil leaves.
4. Conventional Vietnamese cooking is valued for the freshness of the ingredients and the lowest use of oil, which makes this cuisine very beneficial.
5. Beef, pork, chicken, fish, and different seafood are used in most dishes.
6. Vietnamese also have a sweet dessert soup usually prepared with beans or sago filled with diced seasonal fruits.
7. Unlike traditional Chinese spring rolls, which are so oily and typically made with wheat flour, Vietnamese spring rolls are made with rice flour and are very light on the appetite.
8. The spices used in dishes are always gentle.
9. Mint leaf is used vastly in most dishes to purify your digestive system.
10. You will mostly taste four flavors: fish sauce, lime or rice, vinegar, salt, and sugar.
11. This cuisine is renowned for its noodle soup and spring rolls.
12. During summer, the food is more delicate, and a lot of vegetables are utilized in dishes, while in winter, pork and beef are preferred more.
13. Lamb is not widely gulped.
14. They avoid using preservatives and corn starch in the food.
15. Rice wine is open in various colors, including red, black, and yellow.
16. Lotus tea is another favored beverage.
17. Every part of the lotus is used to make separate dishes, and root plants are used in mixed dishes.

Mint and Basil, the best Vietnamese restaurant in Hong Kong, serves the most flavourful Vietnamese dishes at the best location in Hong Kong. 

Must Visit for Pho and salads! 

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