Vietnamese Vegetarian Culture, Food and Life
It will be a mistake if you talk about cuisine issue without mentioning to vegetarian food especially it has become a virtual part in our daily life. Among countries in the same area, Vietnam is a bright spot for this kind of cooking culture that attract lots of tourist come to explore and enjoy.
Cooking and enjoying vegetarian food is one of the most appreciated customs in Vietnam. You will find this thing easy to understand if you know that Buddhism is the Vietnamese’ s main religion that requires followers to use different kinds of vegetables as daily food instead of killing living things. Despite the fact that these rules in nowadays are not as strict as in the past, lots of people always try to eat vegetarian food in the first and fifteenth day of the month that made from some ingredients such as fresh vegetables, beans, peanuts, etc. On the other hand, thanks to tropical climate, the growing of vegetables in Vietnam is so developing that there are numerous kinds of them used in cooking as both main and extra materials. However, the main cause that makes vegetarian culinary more and more popular in both Vietnam and other countries is the good benefits for people’ health. In hot and humid weather of summer or after over – protein and fat meals, it would be great to enjoy simple, frugal and flavorful vegetarian dishes. It is completely right way to balance our taste and life.
To your amazement, vegetarian culinary culture in Vietnam is so diversity and plentiful that you are able to have it for every meal of all day. The best vegetarian dish for snacks between main meals is Che, a kind of sweet soup that is interested by both young and adults Vietnamese people. In spite of ingredients in these dishes that are different from each other, the main ones are tapioca four, sugar and some kinds of beans. Besides, the fragrance extracted from grapefruit used to increase the flavor for them.
About dishes served in main meals, you will be surprised with the number of them. It is almost the same with non-vegetarian ones. If Western vegetarian cuisine is famous for a plenty kinds of salad, bread or cake, Asian and especially Vietnamese food culture seems to be more diverse and attractive. Not only foreign but also Vietnamese people are impressed by the talent and skillful of chef when making vegetarian dished that have both appearance and flavor that are similar to non – those by one hundred percentages. In some cases, you are not capable of finding out these are a real fried chicken or not.
Vegetarian Restaurants in Hanoi and Saigon
Because of the fact that there are more and more people love vegetarian dishes, the fast increase of restaurants serving this kind of food is certain thing. In Hanoi, the best ones are Bo De Tam (68 Pham Huy Thong), Truc Lam Trai ( 39 Le Ngoc Han), Com Chay Nang Tam (79A Tran Hung Dao), etc. Coming to these addresses, you will have chance to enjoy not only excellent Vietnam excellent vegetarian dishes but also a quiet and pure space as same as with the spirit of those dishes.
You will be even luckier if you are in Ho Chi Minh City, the cross of Vietnam‘s Southeast culinary culture. Some most popular names of vegetarian restaurants are Thuyen Vien (13 Nguyen Van Dau, Phu Nhuan district), Giac Duyen (360 Tran Phu, Dist 5), etc.
Vietnamese vegetarian cooking does not exist as just – appearing trend but the traditional one that accompanied with their main religion and spirit life. Stop having a full – meat of meal and enjoy the natural savor of life, take a chance during your food tour in Vietnam to experience the local vegetarian cuisine.
Knowledge sharing about Vietnam food culture and traditional recipes.