16 Vietnamese Food Souvenirs

Posted on September 21, 2017 by cameron.stauch@gmail.com

I often receive emails from friends, and friends of friends, asking for food and travel tips when visiting Vietnam. I have a standard Word document I refer to and then customize it based on where they’re visiting. I’ll sometimes suggest a local food related souvenir for them to pick up. But I’ve yet to compile a complete list of interesting and unique food souvenirs they should consider picking up on their travels throughout Vietnam. I also wanted to share it here with you.

Most of the items I’m suggesting are compact, small, and lightweight making them easy to pack and to bring home. Before you make your purchase think about how you’re going to transport your luggage. Checking in your bags gives you a lot of leeway of what you can buy. But, if you travel with just a carry on, as I do regularly, you won’t be able to purchase any gifts that are liquid or sharp. Consider packing some zip top bags, medium to large size, or even a small amount of bubble wrap if you generally like to purchase food items or pottery/ glassware when you travel. They’ll help prevent breakage and hopefully contain any spillage or broken packages.

You’ll be able to purchase most of the items in major tourist areas in Hanoi, Hoi An, Hue, and Saigon. Some of them you’ll find on the outskirts of large local wet markets, in grocery stores, or even perhaps airport gift shops.

Marou Chocolate bars with their gorgeous designed packaging.

Marou Chocolate

It may be odd to start off with something you naturally wouldn’t consider as part of the Vietnamese pantry but everyone loves chocolate. Samuel Maruta and Vincent Mourou started making chocolate in an apartment kitchen and now have a flagship shop in District 1 in Saigon (definitely worth a visit!). They are Southeast Asia’s first true Bean to Bar chocolatiers and they work directly with cocoa farmers in six southern provinces surrounding Saigon. To highlight the terroir of the cocoa beans from each province they keep them separate when making their chocolates. The result is chocolate bars with different cocoa percentages (70-78%) and wonderfully intense flavors. My current favorite is Tien Giang 70%.

Artichoke tea, Jasmine tea, Lotus Flower tea

A variety of Vietnamese teas: artichoke, jasmine, lotus flower. Some you’ll also find in your local Vietnamese grocer.

Artichoke Tea; Jasmine and Lotus Scented Teas

The temperate climate of the hill station town of Da Lat, 300 km north of Saigon, is perfect for growing artichokes, most likely introduced by the French colonialists who flocked to the area in order to retreat from Saigon’s summer heat and torrential rains. At the central market you’ll see vendors with mounds of large perfect artichokes. Although some locals prepare the artichokes in soup or braised dishes they’re mainly dried and processed into a refreshing, deep flavored tea. Grassy, nutty, and naturally sweet it’s a fabulous alternative to other herbal teas.

Green tea enhanced with the scent of jasmine and/or lotus petals are well loved in Vietnam. The delicate, subtle flavor of lotus tea is generally reserved for special occasions or ceremonies. In cafes or restaurants you’ll regularly receive jasmine tea to accompany your coffee or meal. Don’t brew the teas too long (maximum a couple of minutes) otherwise they’ll become too bitter.

Black Pepper from Phu Quoc

Pepper plantations dot the southern island of Phu Quoc. Hand picked black, white, and red peppercorns in Phu Quoc are prized for their warm, pungent, and fruity flavor.

Fish Sauce (Nước mắm)

Phu Quoc is also known for its high quality fish sauce. If you like to live life on the edge and take risks you may want to purchase a bottle of Phu Quoc fish sauce. But buyer beware, if that bottle breaks in your luggage you’ll receive a funky gift coming off the baggage carousel, not to mention some puzzled looks from fellow passengers, and the challenge of removing the pungent fishy smell from your clothes and luggage. A safer bet is to purchase an excellent product that’s already been exported, like Red Boat Fish sauce, to the United States.

Purchase these delicious coconut treats for family and friends.

Coconut Candy -Pandan or Durian flavored (Kẹo dừa)

Our kids love these candies, particularly the pandan coconut flavor. Hailing from Ben Tre province in the Mekong delta they’re great to purchase for friends and family who enjoy small sweet bites. Let them know the very thin wrapper around the candy is edible rice paper. Otherwise, they’ll spend a considerable amount of time trying to peel it off.

Vietnamese-Young-Green-Rice-Cakes-Banh-Com

One of the shops on Hàng Than in Hanoi that sell young green rice cakes, bánh cốm.

Young Green Rice Cakes (Bánh cốm)

The appearance of roving vendors selling young green rice on the streets of Hanoi indicates autumn’s arrival in northern Vietnam. For over a century families have been making a variety of treats using the young green rice flakes. You’ll find a number of shops selling the thin, bright green squares (some filled with mung bean or coconut) along Hàng Than street in Hanoi.

Coffee sourced from local and indigenous Vietnamese farmers.

Coffee (Cà phê)

Vietnam is the second largest producer of coffee in the world, mainly the robusta variety. But there are some optimistic Vietnamese coffee lovers who are working with farmers to increase the production of arabica beans to make a more refined flavored coffee. Some companies, like Oriberry Coffee in Hanoi, operate as a social enterprise to help indigenous and ethnic minorities peoples in rural parts of Vietnam. They work with small farmers and offer guidance and a market for their products. Alternatively, purchase some Trung Nguyen coffee, Vietnam’s largest coffee producer, from one of its many outlets established throughout the country.

A Vietnamese coffee filter is called a phin and sits on top of a mug for the coffee drips into it.

To go along with the coffee you should purchase a Vietnamese drip coffee filter, called a phin. It’s easy to use and perfect for making individualized coffees. Purchase a couple of them so you can enjoy a Vietnamese filter coffee – with or without condensed milk – with or without ice – with a friend as you share stories about your Vietnam adventure.

Hand made and Hand Painted Vietnamese Pottery from Bat Trang village outside of Hanoi.

Pottery and Enamel

All throughout the country there are villages that specialize in making hand made pottery. Some designers and discerning shopkeepers work with the potters to come up with innovative designs and unique decorative, hand painted features. You may find a new favorite coffee mug or teacup or several large bowls to serve your homemade noodle soups in. If you’re lucky you may happen upon a shop selling some older pottery or enamel from the 1980s Subsidy Period (Thời bao cấp) which have some great minimalist character items (albeit from a time of enormous hardship for much of the Vietnamese population).

The multipurpose Vietnamese vegetable peeler.

Multi-Purpose Vegetable Peeler

Shops or stalls selling kitchenware are often located not far from the vegetable vendors in local wet markets. Seek out these peelers. You can peel, grate, shred or make decorative cuts with them. Buy several peelers. They’re cheap and if you’re aggressive when using them they break easily.

Water Spinach Stem Splitter

The Vietnamese are extremely resourceful cooks and have figured out ways to use all parts of vegetables. This innovative contraption, with a long stainless stem needle and top with six to eight sharp blades, easily splits the somewhat tough stems of water spinach into thin, delicate strands that become great additions to salads or noodle soups. Again, buy several of them.

Rustic Vegetable Peeler Knives (Dao bào)

These knives look super cool, especially when you see a skilled market vendor expertly slicing carrots, cabbage, green mangoes, or green papayas in the wet markets. Unless you’re well versed with kitchen knives and well coordinated it doesn’t make sense to buy one to use in your kitchen.

Look at stores around the wet markets for these handy farmer’s market shopping bags.

Farmer Market Shopping Bags

These colorful woven plastic bags, available in different sizes, are great to use when you go shopping at your farmer’s market. They’re stylish, sturdy, and much easier to clean than cloth bags. If any dirt from freshly harvested vegetables makes it’s way to the bottom of the bag simply give it a rinse and air dry.

Who can resist a glass of fresh beer in one of Hanoi’s unique beer glasses made from recycled glass.

Hanoi Beer Glasses

The cloudy class pint glasses, hand blown and made from recycled glass, are unique to Hanoi’s beer halls, bia hơi. I think they make a great gift for any craft beer connoisseur. Sold only in the Hanoi area.

Many of the food themed t-shirts will have puns or slogans on them. Notice “Make Pho Not War” slogan, bottom left.

Food Themed T-shirts

You can find fun, punny t-shirts, many highlighting Vietnam’s foods and drinks, in the main tourist areas in the larger cities. Franchised shops like Gingko, Bambou, or independent shops from young designers offer more stylish, unique t-shirts. The sizing of the shirts is often not in sync with Western sizes so you’ll likely need to purchase shirts two sizes up to get the right fitting (ie If medium is your usual size, XL may be the correct fit).

Food Themed Dresses

A requirement for any fashionista travelling to Hanoi is a visit to Chula. Spanish designers Diego and Laura sell vibrant creative clothing (primarily dresses and jackets, and soon a men’s shirt and jacket line, yay!) that celebrate all aspects of Vietnamese life and culture. Chula’s food themed collection is funky and delicious to wear and to look at.

This food themed propaganda poster highlights taking care and developing bee populations.

Propaganda Posters

From the middle to the end of the 20^th century Vietnamese revolutionary forces used propaganda posters to encourage people to fight against and prevent French and American colonialism. Some posters focused on taking up arms, industry, and education. Some of the most striking posters, design wise, are the ones insinuating that increased food production would lead to prosperity for the country.

POST TRAVEL GIFTS

If you forgot to buy something for someone, want to buy more of the food items, or didn’t have the room/ weight for some souvenirs head to the nearest Vietnamese or Asian grocer in your area. Alternatively, you could order some items, like the maps and books I’ve suggested below, online.

Hand Drawn Vietnamese Food Maps

My friend, Jodi of Legal Nomads, eats soup for a living. The bright, sour, and spicy flavors of canh chua , a southern Vietnamese soup, inspired her to live and travel in Vietnam. On her website Jodi sells unique hand food drawn maps, printed on posters, t-shirts, and tote bags, inspired by the delicious foods of Vietnam. They’re a perfect gift for a friend, or even yourself, who raved about the fabulous dishes they ate on their Vietnamese vacation.

BOOKS

Graham Holliday was one of the earliest English language bloggers to write about Vietnam’s culinary scene. He’s chronicled his immersive journey in the rich and evocative Eating Việt Nam: Dispatches from a Blue Plastic Table. Reading this will have you planning another trip back to Vietnam or, at the least, make you head to your closest Vietnamese restaurant to satisfy your instant craving for many of the dishes he describes in his book.

Cookbooks

You’ve had some fabulous meals on your trip and now want to recreate some new favorite dishes in your own kitchen. Look to any books by Andrea Nguyen, the doyenne of Vietnamese cooking in North America – her most recent is a deep dive in to phở. Or pick up Australian chef Tracey Lister’s cookbooks that highlight Vietnam’s street foods or regional dishes. If you’re vegetarian or vegan you can pre-order my first cookbook, Vegetarian Việt Nam (to be released in March 2018).

Happy shopping!

Vegetarian ‘Chicken’ Phở

Posted on March 23, 2016 by cameron.stauch@gmail.com

Boston’s weather these past couple of weeks has deliciously hinted that warm spring days are imminent. Some days the temperature has risen into the low 70Fs bringing everyone out in t-shirts and shorts playing tennis or going for bike rides. But with overnight temperatures suddenly dropping to the low 40Fs, we’re still also bundling up in our winter coats, scarves and hats. This cyclical weather brought a stomach bug into our house and our 6 year old was the first to succumb. In Vietnam, when he regained his appetite after an illness a bowl of chicken phở was what he craved. But now he only eats vegetarian.

When I was searching for vegetarian recipes in Vietnam I came across a lot of fabulous, slurp worthy noodle soups. The vegetarian versions of phở I tasted were all based on the beef version, with warming spices of star anise, cinnamon and cloves, and not the comforting, restorative, ginger-infused chicken phở my son preferred.

Charred shallots and ginger on a gas stove

I like to use a small steel cooling rack, specifically for this purpose, of charring ginger and shallots. It’s also handy for eggplant, peppers and tomatoes.

So I set out to prepare a vegetarian broth reminiscent of what he was used to. As I charred the shallots and ginger on the gas stovetop, to mellow and sweeten their flavors, I pulled out some homemade vegetable stock from the freezer and defrosted it. (If you’re going to use a store bought boxed vegetable stock try to use one that is lighter in color and not the orangey-red hue from too much carrots and tomato. Check out The Kitchn’s taste test of vegetable stocks).

Fish sauce is out, so I used some soy sauce and miso to boost the umami factor in the broth. (A small number of vegetarian cooks I met in Vietnam have started to add a touch of miso to their broths for added depth of flavor). The broth and noodles would satisfy my son’s needs but the healthy family members (though we all eventually caught the bug) were going to be eating the phở as our dinner so I needed to consider the rest of the bowl’s contents.

Living back in North America this year I’ve encountered some products in grocery stores that are new to me. I’ve increasingly become curious with the plant based meat alternatives from Beyond Meat. I’ve been impressed by the lightly seasoned Beyond Chicken strips – particularly their flavor, texture and the way they hold up when they are heated. I had a package in the fridge, as I was planning to stir-fry them with lemongrass and chile for dinner one night, so I decided to use them as the chicken garnish. They shred up nicely and require a brief dunk in boiling water to be reheated before being added to the bowl. If you who don’t eat fake meat analogues, or can’t access them because of where you’re living, I’ve given a variation using tofu skin sticks and oyster mushrooms.

Vegetarian (and vegan) 'chicken' phở with shredded tofu skin and mushrooms

Vegetarian ‘chicken’ phở with shredded tofu skin and mushrooms

The garnishes of bean sprouts, thinly sliced spring onions, and herbs (cilantro, Thai basil and mint) are straightforward but I do love the added rich sweet flavor from fried shallots. If you do attempt to make the fried shallots, and I highly recommend that you do, I suggest you make them first or even the day before. They’re highly addictive – you might have to control yourself from nibbling through them before they reach the soup bowl. If you’re unfamiliar with how to make them and want to give them a go David Tanis has a simple recipe for you to follow. It’s worth frying a ½ pound of sliced shallots (about 5-6 of them) for the 1 cup of oil he suggests. Reserve the fragrant oil to drizzle over salads or even into the phở for an extra fatty mouthfeel.

It’s only been during the last decade that some chicken phở vendors in Hanoi started to add some thinly sliced lime leaf as a garnish. I like how the essential oils in the leaves bring a pleasant citrusy fragrance flavor to the dish. If you buy fresh lime leaves (avoid dried lime leaves as they are flavorless) you’ll have more than you need for this recipe. Store the fresh leaves in a ziploc bag in the freezer, for up to a few months, and pull them out when need for this dish or a favorite Thai dish.

Vegetarian ‘Chicken’ Phở

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the Broth

3 French shallots or 1 small onion, unpeeled

2 inch (5cm) piece of ginger, unpeeled

7 to 8 cups (1.75 to 2 litres) Light vegetable stock

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon miso (preferably white (shiro) miso, but red or yellow can also be used)

1 teaspoon salt

Bowls

½ pound (225 g) dried medium or large flat rice noodles

6 ounces (170 g) Beyond Chicken lightly seasoned strips (4 strips per person), pulled

apart into shreds

Garnish

⅓ to ½ cup crispy shallots (see headnote for recipe link)

4 scallions, white part cut into 4-inch length then thinly sliced lengthwise; green

part thinly sliced crosswise

A handful cilantro sprigs, thinly sliced

1 or 2 Thai basil sprigs, leaves removed and torn

1 or 2 mint sprigs, leaves removed and torn

2 kaffir lime leaves, rib removed and very thinly sliced

A handful of bean sprouts

1 lime, cut into 6 wedges

1 long red chile or two Thai bird’s eye chilies, thinly sliced

Instructions

Char the shallots and ginger by placing them on the grate of a gas burner set to medium heat. Let the skin of the shallot and ginger char and then rotate or turn over to let other parts become charred. Do this for about 10 minutes or until the shallots and ginger have softened and most of the surface area is charred. (Alternatively, preheat oven to 425F and place the shallots and ginger on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes or until browned and softened).

Set aside the shallots and ginger for about 5 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Peel away and discard any of the burnt shallot skins. Use a spoon or a paring knife to scrape off the charred ginger skin. Rinse the shallots and ginger under running water to loosen and remove any small burnt pieces. Cut the ginger into 3 pieces and using the back of a chef’s knife lightly smash each ginger piece. Place the softened shallots and smashed ginger pieces into a 3 quart (3 litre) pot.

Add the vegetable stock, soy sauce, miso into the same pot and bring to a boil. (Add the mushrooms if you’re making the version with tofu skin). Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover to let the flavors infuse for about 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

In a large bowl of warm water, soak the noodles for about 15 to 20 minutes or until soft and pliable. Also bring a large pot of water to a boil.

While the stock is infusing it’s a good time to prepare and assemble any of the garnishes for the noodle bowls. Mix the sliced cilantro, torn basil and mint leaves in a small bowl. Place sliced scallion in a small bowl or plate. Slice the rest of the garnishes (lime leaves, chilies, lime) and set them all aside.

Uncover the broth and use a slotted spoon or Chinese mesh spider to remove (and discard) the shallots and ginger. Raise the heat so that the broth comes to a simmer. (If using tofu skin and mushroom: Scoop out the mushrooms from the broth and set aside).

Drain the noodles and place a quarter of them and a good pinch (a ¼ of the total) of bean sprouts in the basket of a fine mesh strainer. Dunk in the water and untangle the noodles with tongs or chopsticks and cook for about 15 seconds. Remove the strainer from the pot and quickly shake it to let any excess water drip back into the pot. Place the noodles and bean sprouts in a bowl. Repeat for the other 3 portions.

Add the shredded Beyond Meat ‘chicken’ into the basket of the strainer and dunk it into the water for about 10 seconds to warm through. Remove and divide evenly between the four bowls. (If using tofu skin and mushroom: Divide the reserved mushrooms amongst the four bowls. Add the shredded tofu skin into the basket of the strainer and dunk it into the water for about 10 seconds to heat through and divide the tofu skin evenly between the four bowls).

Sprinkle some shredded lime leaf, scallions and herbs over top. Ladle 1 ¾ cups of broth over the noodles and serve with the chili and lime for diners to adjust the seasoning.

Notes

VARIATION: Vegetarian phở with shredded tofu skin sticks and oyster mushrooms

If you’re using the tofu skin sticks soak them either the night before (or before you leave for work) as they take some time to rehydrate (though I’ve also given a ‘quick’ rehydrate method).
Tofu skin sticks are made from the skin that forms on the surface of simmering soymilk. The skin is gently pulled off, crumpled together and hung on a stick or rack to dry. You can buy dried tofu skin sticks at Vietnamese or Chinese grocers. In Vietnam, you’ll find them at stalls at fresh food markets that sell dried pantry items like dried beans, rice paper wrappers and soy or fish sauce.

2 tofu skin sticks
1/4 lb (112 g) oyster mushrooms, torn or cut into bite sized pieces (approximately 2 cups)

To Rehydrate the Tofu Skin Sticks

Long soak method
Eight hours before you plan to eat the soup place the tofu sticks in a casserole dish (snap them, trying to keep them in long lengths, if they’re too long for the dish). Fill the casserole dish with hot tap water. Since the tofu skin sticks will float I’ll use a small mesh rack (you can lay a large stainless steel spoon, or something that won’t float, across them) to keep them immersed. The tofu skin sticks will rehydrate overnight (or put them in the water before leaving for work).

Quick Soak Method
If you’ve forgotten to soak them and need to ‘speed’ up the process, turn your oven on to 200F and add the casserole dish (filled with hot water). (Set the timer on your phone or leave a note near the oven - I sometimes will even tape a piece of paper with the time I should check what's in the oven to the oven door- as a reminder that the tofu skin sticks are in the oven).

I’ve found the constant gentle heat quickens the process of the water penetrating the center of the sticks. They should be ready after about 1 to 1 ½ hours. To fully hydrate the tofu skin sticks they need to be gently hydrated which is why a quick boil, say like boiling pasta, does not work (they lose their shape and become slimy).
The tofu skin sticks are fully hydrated when they have turned a lighter color and when you cut through them there is no dried parts at the core of the stick.

To use them in the soup, cut the sticks into 2-inch (5 cm) lengths and either pull them apart into shreds or cut them 3 or 4 times lengthwise. Discard any parts that are tough (this often tends to be the thin curved part that touched the stick or rack when drying). Place the tofu shreds into a bowl or onto a plate and cover with a damp towel and wrap with plastic wrap so that they don’t dry out.

Dried tofu skin or dried bean curd sticks

Here’s a package of dried tofu skin sticks or as they are also called Dried Bean Curd Sticks.

Dried Bean Curd Sticks Rehydrating or Soaking

Use something like a cooling rack or stainless steel cooking spoon to keep the tofu sticks immersed in the water (instead of floating on the surface)

Eating Vegetarian or Vegan in Vietnam

Posted on March 13, 2016 by cameron.stauch@gmail.com

A sign for vegetarian food 'cơm chay' at a small restaurant in the central city of Huế.

A sign for vegetarian food at a small restaurant in the central city of Huế.

If you’re planning a trip (or even a move) to Vietnam don’t let anyone convince you that you’ll have a hard time finding good vegetarian food to eat. Almost all of the vegetarian dishes are vegan friendly, so if you eat vegan you’re also really well covered for food. There are plenty of options but it’s not always apparent to a traveller or non-Vietnamese speaker where to find a vegetarian meal. Early on during my time living and travelling in Vietnam (I lived in Hanoi from 2012-15) I encountered some hurdles finding vegetarian dishes. Initially I was looking in the wrong locations, on the incorrect days or times, or lacked the language skills. I wanted to put together a post, to offer you some guidance in knowing when, where and what signs to look for when searching for Vietnamese vegetarian food and to make the process much easier and tastier on your travels in Vietnam. Over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing my recommendations on vegetarian restaurants and street foods worth sampling in several cities throughout Vietnam.

Before I share that information with you I want to give you a brief background into how I came about looking into the vegetarian food culture of Vietnam. When I’m living in Canada, I’m part of the kitchen team that cooks for the Governor General, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second’s representative in Canada. Like the White House kitchen, we’re required to prepare a variety of foods from daily family meals to creative State dinners that represent Canada’s culinary landscape, tied with the flavors of the visiting nation. During these events one of my roles has been to prepare meals for guests with dietary restrictions, be it vegetarian, gluten-free or serious allergic reactions. With each meal or event, I’ve refined my skills in vegetarian global cuisines, drawing upon the dishes and flavors I’ve encountered while living overseas. When I was living in Hanoi my family started to increasingly eat in a more vegetarian manner, by choice and because our young son decided he no longer wanted to eat meat or seafood (and it’s always great to have more menu options to choose from).

In order to satisfy my culinary curiosities I decided to look more closely into the vegetarian category of Vietnamese cuisine. I was particularly interested in the ingredients Vietnamese cooks use to replace proteins and umami flavors from meat and fish sauce and which cooking techniques they employ to successfully transform an everyday non-vegetarian dish into a delicious vegetarian version. Before learning how to successfully prepare vegetarian versions of Vietnamese classics I first needed to find restaurants, street food vendors, home cooks and monks and nuns to taste their food and to hopefully learn from. This is the first of a series of posts about finding vegetarian/ vegan food in Vietnam. In future posts I’ll share how to find vegetarian street food and some of my favorite restaurants around the country that serve delicious Vietnamese vegetarian dishes.

How to Spot a Vegetarian Restaurant

Vegetarian and vegan restaurants are easier to find in larger cities and communities. The name of the restaurant will end with the word ‘chay’, (meaning vegetarian and pronounced ‘chai’) or ‘cơm chay’ (meaning vegetarian food) such as Nhà Hàng Cơm Chay (vegetarian restaurant). Vegetarian restaurants and street food options are very common in the southern cities of Sài Gòn and Tây Ninh, the centre of the Cao Đài religion, and throughout the Mekong delta in Cần Thơ and Mỹ Tho. The central cities of Huế and Da Nang also have plenty of choices while Hà Nội is slowly experiencing an increase in vegetarian restaurants. As you move north from Hà Nội into the countryside and hills near the Chinese border, the options are more limited.

Photo of Hum Vegetarian restaurant in Saigon

‘Nhà Hàng Chay’ means vegetarian restaurant. This is a great restaurant, Hum, in Saigon.

A sign for a vegetarian restaurant in Vietnam. 'Quán Ăn' is also another name for restaurant or diner in Vietnamese. It's more commonly used in the south and center of the country.

‘Quán Ăn’ is also another name for restaurant or diner in Vietnamese. It’s more commonly used in the south and center of the country.

Monks and nuns eat their main meal of the day around 10:30 to 11:00am. If you find yourself at a pagoda around this time, you may receive an invitation to dine with other lay Buddhists.

How to Order in Restaurants

Restaurants that cater to tourists are usually aware of that foreign vegetarians do not eat meat and seafood but are open to eating dishes prepared with eggs and dairy. (If you follow a vegan diet try to explain to the server what ingredients you do not eat). They will have several vegetarian choices on their menu. When dining in a general restaurant that doesn’t have an English menu look for a section of vegetarian dishes called ‘món chay’.

The first couple of times you leaf through a menu in a vegetarian restaurant you may think you’ve been given an incorrect menu based on the names, translated from Vietnamese to English, of some of the dishes. It is common that the English menu is translated literally. Don’t worry. Vegetarian dishes in Vietnam are generally replicas of meat and seafood dishes and are often called by their traditional name in Vietnamese but with the word ‘chay’ added to the end of it.

If at lunchtime, and sometimes dinner, you see a handful of people crowded around a glass display case filled with platters, buffet style, of freshly prepared dishes you’ve happened upon a Vietnamese style diner. These basic restaurants, roughly translated as commoner’s rice (cơm bính dân) or broken rice (cơm tấm), have no menu. I’ve nicknamed them ‘point and eat’ restaurants since you indicate by pointing, particularly if you are not familiar with the names of the dishes or with the Vietnamese language, to the cook or, server as to which dishes you would like to order. They scoop some rice on the center of a plate and surround it with spoonfuls of the dishes you selected. You then find an empty seat at a communal table to consume your meal. These types of restaurants are popular with blue collar and office workers as it provides them a cheap full meal of homestyle comfort dishes. Alongside the meat and seafood dishes common vegetarian dishes routinely prepared are tofu in tomato sauce, stir-fried water spinach or chayote tendrils with garlic, sautéed seasonal vegetables, grilled eggplant and a light vegetable broth again with seasonal vegetables. Depending on the cooks or clientele, some of these dishes may contain a splash of fish sauce, while some cooks may use soy sauce. Although empty platters are regularly refilled I like to go, around 11 am, when the food is fresher and still warm.

Sign for a casual Vietnamese eatery called Com Binh Dan

Sign for a ‘cơm bính dân’, a Vietnamese style diner. Also look for signs that read ‘cơm tấm’ (meaning commoner’s rice or broken rice). If the world ‘chay’ follows these words on these signs the restaurant is fully vegetarian.

Vegetarian ‘broken rice’ restaurant sign in Saigon.

Don’t be alarmed when you happen upon a vegetarian version (called cơm bính dân chay) where the dishes look remarkably like meat and seafood. Vegetarian cooks pride themselves in preparing food that looks and tastes like the non-vegetarian versions, so you’ll be fine.

These mock meat and seafood dishes are made with tofu and tofu skin, but sometimes are prepared using gluten, seitan (mì căn), or textured vegetable protein (TVP). The use of these non-tofu based meat substitutes is fairly frequent, particularly as you move to the northern part of the country. Inventive vegetarian cooks in the center and south will also transform produce such as young jackfruit, banana flowers, and taro root into delightful dishes.

When, Where and What to Buy from Street Vendors

Fabulously flavored dishes are sold on the streets or in markets in several ways. No matter what form the food stall is typically each vendor specializes in cooking and selling one dish. A common site is that of vendor, bamboo pole slung over her shoulder with a bamboo basket balanced on either end of the pole, called đòn gánh tre, each containing her ingredients and cooking tools. Each day she sets up at the same sidewalk location or continuously roams around a neighborhood only stopping to finish the assembly of her dish when hailed by a hungry passerby. There’s another type of street food vendor who serves from a basic outdoor kitchen consisting of just a burner or two or from a small cart, located on the sidewalk in front of their home. They set up a few knee high plastic tables and basic stools, just a foot from the ground making it feel like you’re clumsily sitting on children’s furniture at a make believe tea party, around their rudimentary kitchen. The seating provides just enough comfort for the time needed for you to consume your meal and to prevent any long term lingering.

Vegetarian mobile food vendor’s ingredients for fresh noodle bowl with spring rolls and thin rice crepes (bánh cuốn) (batter is in the blue pitchers).

Many of these makeshift roadside vendors, selling either regional noodle soups or bánh mì sandwiches, operate in the mornings starting as early as 5:30 am and closing up around 10 am. Stalls in the rustic market food courts often remain open for lunch as well. Vegetarian dishes at street food vendors or in stalls in market food courts are more commonly found in the south and center of the country. Often there may be a permanent vegetarian stall or two in a market food court, or a street food vendor, around a pagoda. In the north, such as in Hanoi, it is a rarity.

Look at the Moon

If you’re in town on the 1^st or 15^th of each lunar month, you’re in luck. Apart from full-time vegetarians or vegans, most people who seriously practice Buddhism follow a periodic vegetarian diet on those days. Some believers may eat vegetarian two more days, on the 14^th and 30^th. On these auspicious days, around the new and full moon, street food vendors and some of the cơm bính dân restaurants serve vegetarian versions of popular dishes. At food courts of fresh food markets, scour the signs of the prepared food vendors or those of the street food vendors surrounding the larger pagodas. Vendors offering a vegetarian version of a dish like phở or bánh mì will display a temporary sign ending with the word chay, such as phở chay or bánh mì chay.

Vegetarian Bánh Mì Sandwich vendor stall. Normally she sells meat versions but on this day she is selling vegetarian versions. You can tell by the Bánh Mì Chay sign that she’s taped up on the top left corner. Many other street food vendors will add these temporary signs on half or full moon days.

It’s worth paying attention to the lunar calendar. Several times I’ve returned the day after the full moon for a second tasting of a memorable vegetarian dish, only to discover the street vendor is back to preparing a full-fledged meat or seafood version. Similarly, some regular vegetarian restaurants close the day following a half or full moon to give their staff a break from the previous few days hard work of preparing for a busy onslaught of hungry, temporary vegetarian, diners. On the auspicious lunar calendar days an enterprising prepared food market vendor may offer a dish or two in the early evenings to catch people in search of a vegetarian dish for dinner.

If You Have Gluten or Gluten Insensitivities

Although the vast majority of the Vietnamese dishes are gluten free if you are sensitive to gluten you’ll still need to watch out for the inclusion of several products used in the Vietnamese vegetarian pantry. Dishes where one of the main ingredients is wheat tend to have the word bột mì or mỳ in the name. Other off-limits foods are gluten or seitan (mì căn) used in preparing mock meat dishes, wheat noodles such as Chinese egg noodles (mì/ mỳ trứng), macaroni noodles (nui) and bread (bánh mì). Unlike the US, the majority of soy sauce used on the streets, in cheaper restaurants, and in homes is not made with wheat. However, it’s always best to double check, as restaurants and hotels that cater to tourists may use imported soy sauce that contains wheat. I highly recommend you check out my friend Jodi’s Gluten Free Travel Guides that include her experiences eating her way around Vietnam.

Handy Vietnamese Phrases

When you don’t see any vegetarian options and want to ask the kitchen to prepare menu items in a modified manner, these Vietnamese phrases are extremely useful:

I am/ eat vegetarian Tôi ăn chay.

I don’t eat meat, fish or seafood Tôi không ăn thịt/cá/ hải sản.

I eat egg. Tôi ăn trưng.

Does this dish contain ______________?

Món ăn này có (insert ingredient name) không?

Can you cook this dish using (soy sauce)? (Instead of fish sauce)

Bạn có thế nấu món ăn này vui (Nước tương/ xì dầu)đước không?

Can you cook this dish without …

Bạn có thế nấu món ăn này không (insert word from below)…?

Meat Thịt

Chicken Thịt gà

Beef Thịt bò

Pork Thịt heo

Seafood Hải sản

Fish Cá

Fish sauce Nước mắm

Soy sauce Nước tương/ xì dầu

Wheat flour Bột mì

Grocery Shopping in Hanoi

Posted on November 1, 2014 by cameron.stauch@gmail.com

Grocery shopping in Hanoi is like participating in a daily scavenger hunt. It requires you to make a handful of stops to gather all of the items on your grocery list. This is especially the case when you, as an expat, want to prepare a dish or meal to celebrate a birthday or holiday, cook a treasured family recipe or simply buy something that gives you a taste of home. Compared to a lot of other cities in Asia the choice of imported products in Hanoi is fairly decent.

Some ingredients however are simply not available. Some of you may have certain dietary needs that require the purchase of specialty products that are hard to find. Or a specific ingredient is a must-have to make that beloved Ottolenghi recipe sing with flavour. If you can’t live without it, you will need to pack it in your luggage on your next trip back to Hanoi.

Here are a few tips for sourcing hard to find ingredients in Hanoi.

Quantities are limited. Seeing it on the shelf today doesn’t mean it will be there the next time you need it. If you use it regularly you may want to purchase a few packages or bottles of it to last you a while.

Plan ahead. Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries – their dates don’t ever change. If one of these festivities is drawing near purchase the non-perishable ingredients a few weeks in advance. Order any perishable products or large meats that you MUST have (turkeys; roasts; whole salmon) about 4-6 weeks in advance.

Place a written order with the shop manager. Only the shop manager or owner (not employees) makes the orders to their suppliers/importers for their upcoming shipments. If something is out of stock or specific to a holiday ask well in advance if they will be ordering and when will it arrive. Check back a week before the estimated arrival date to reconfirm that your order will be satisfied as this gives you time if a misunderstanding occurs or the shipment is delayed.

Be prepared to open your wallet. Imported specialty products are considerably more expensive than what you may be used to in your home country.

Be aware that the product may be spoiled. Because of the heat, humidity, the way in which the product is stored or length of time it sits on the shelf the product may be off. This is a particularly high probability with nuts, some flours and oils that typically require refrigeration for conservation. There is a chance that some frozen products, small/thin items such as berries, pizzas, French fries, have thawed and were refrozen during shipment possibly leading to freezer burn.

Imported products can be bought at reasonable prices at grocery stores like Fivimart or small mini-marts (such as Hung Long, Quang Ba or Dan’s Bistro) throughout the city. You may even find some specialty items at these shops but don’t expect them to have them often. However, there are some shops in Hanoi that regularly carry a greater variety of imported products.

There are four stores that specialize in carrying imported products. It is best to try these shops first when looking for harder to find items:

Annam Gourmet Market: 51 Xuan Dieu (Syrena Shopping Center)

Gluten-free ORGAN brand products (pastas; falafel mix; gravy mix; pizza dough; self raising flour; cake mixes); Quinoa; Bob’s Red Mill Cereals; Truffle Oil; Sherry Vinegar; Walnut/ Hazelnut Oil; Herbal Teas; Agave syrup; Fleur de sel; different Pasta types; light rye flour; stone ground wholewheat; Marmite; Chestnut puree; Orange flower water; Lyle’s Golden Syrup; Flaxseed and flaxmeal; dried cranberries; dried currants; Amy’s brand frozen meals

L’s Place: 8 locations around Hanoi with 1 Xuan Dieu and 63 Ly Thuong Kiet offering the largest selection of all locations.

Quinoa; Bulgur; Tahini paste; Vegemite; Chia seeds; Israeli Couscous; Mincemeat; Molasses; Lyle’s Golden Syrup; Indian products (jarred chutneys/ pastes/ spices/ lentils/ papadums; sooji; basmati rice); Thai curry pastes; White balsamic vinegar; Herbal teas; Equal; Korean chili powder; dried fruits (cranberries, apricots, prunes); Tinfoil roasting pans, cake pans, pie pans; imported charcoal briquettes

Veggy’s: 99 Xuan Dieu

Cornish Hen; US/AUS beef; Lamb racks; Turkeys; Salmon (fresh/smoked); Scallops; Fresh horseradish; Parsnips; Celery root; Swiss chard; Fennel; Arugula/rocket; Endives; Imported fruits (cherries, apricots, apples, oranges); Frozen berries (blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries); Fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage, tarragon, Italian parsley); Whole and ground spices and spice mixes (Taco/ Burrito); Filo and Puff Pastry; Canned chipotles, tomatillos, jalapenos, refried beans; Walnut and hazelnut oil; Pecans; Hazelnuts; Ground hazelnuts and almonds); Stevia; Variety of pasta shapes; Frozen oven ready pizzas and Amy’s brand Enchiladas, Tamale Pie, Shepherd’s Pie; Maple Syrup; Thai curry pastes; Vanilla Beans; Semolina Flour

The Oasis: 24 Xuan Dieu

Charcuterie/ deli meats; Imported cheeses; quinoa; soy flour; millet flour; chickpea flour; pearl barley flour; masa flour; Western vegetables, herbs and spice mixes; truffle oil, anchovies

Mini Marts with Imported Goods

Hung Long Mini Mart 71B Xuan Dieu; 544 Lac Long Quan; E1 Tower (Ciputra)
Quang Ba Mini Mart 98 To Ngoc Van or 4 To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho
Dan’s Shop & Bistro 28 Thanh Nien Street (basement of Lakeview Residences)
Lien Hoa (see address below)

Meats and Fish (Beef, Pork, Lamb, Turkey, Salmon, Barramundi, Trout)

Le Cochon d’Or 1B Dang Thai May
Hanoi Small Goods
Metro Cash and Carry Pham Van Dong Street, Co Nhue, (Trout is sold as salmon “Ca Hoi” from Sapa)

Japanese products are best found at:

Enishi House Japanese Store 51 Xuan Dieu (Syrena Shopping Center)
Yuki’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetables 54 Xuan Dieu
Unimart 12 Pham Ngoc Thach Street

Korean products are best found at:

Ace Mart Ciputra (Shophouse Ct17); B3 Nguyen Thi Thap Street
K-Mart Stores Bldg. L2 Ciputra; B29 Nguyen Thi Dinh (Trung Hoa district)

Indian spices/pastes, pulses, papadums can be found at two shops

Hung Long Mini Mart 71B Xuan Dieu; 544 Lac Long Quan; E1 Tower (Ciputra)
L’s Place (see above)

Organic/ Concerned about farming methods/ reduced antibiotics

Naturally Vietnam No. 4 Lane 67 Alley 12 To Ngoc Van
Organik Online Delivers twice a week to Hanoi from Dalat.
Thanh Xuan Organic Vegetables

Goat’s Milk and Yogurt 163 Thuy Khue Street 7am-10pm Mr Phuong 01683996955

Don’t be surprised when you think you are at the wrong shop as it also sells antique table and ceiling fans.

BUYING IN BULK

There are some businesses that cater primarily to restaurants, hotels and some of the stores mentioned above as they will sell things in bulk or large sizes. Thankfully, they will also sell to individuals but you may need to do some of your own leg work like first going to the shops on your own to see exactly what they do sell. I tend to only use these shops when I am preparing food for a large amount of people (say the holidays and want an entire beef tenderloin or some short ribs; or I am going to do a lot of baking and need a lot of butter). Purchasing like this can save you a fair amount of money.

Kiwi Foods 21/8 Ly Nam De Street, Hoan Kiem District, 04 3843 9258
Metro (see meat & fish section above)
Classic Fine Foods 19/298 Ngoc Lam Street, Long Bien District, 04 3873 6079/80

Baking and Kitchen Equipment

Lien Hoa Mart 16 Phung Hung
Kitchen Art Store & Studio 38/27 Xuan Dieu
Kitchen supply shops on Hang Khaoi Street near Dong Xuan Market

Young Green Sticky Rice: Autumn’s Arrival in Hanoi

Posted on September 23, 2014 by cameron.stauch@gmail.com

A quick glance at the fruits and vegetables stacked in the baskets of roaming food vendors in Hanoi reveals what season it is. Now in early autumn, you can find a couple handfuls of such vendors wandering the streets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter or settled on the sidewalk to sell a favorite Hanoi fall snack called cốm or young green sticky rice. Cốm is favored by Hanoians for its subtle fresh nutty sweet flavor and fragrance.

I was recently invited by a Vietnamese television show to experience a taste of autumn in Hanoi. We shot over three days on the streets sampling sour autumn fruits like ambarella and dracontomelon (quả cóc and sấu chín) tossed with a sugar, salt, chili mixture; collecting then preparing a dish using lotus seeds from the lotus pond near my house; learning how young sticky rice is transformed into com, fragrant flat jade colored flakes; and then onto a local restaurant to make a few autumn dishes that incorporate the young green rice.

My day harvesting, threshing, roasting and pounding the rice was a delight and I shot some photos to record the entire process how cốm is made from start to finish.

The unripen rice is harvested each year from August to October. When farmers see the rice stalks beginning to bend and a pressed grain releases a milky droplet of moisture they know it is time to begin the harvest.

I drove about 50 kilometres outside of Hanoi to a village and met some farmers in one of their fields. Arriving just around 5am I noticed the farmers busy at work and had been for some time as a quarter of the rice stalks of the approximately 30 X 40 metre field were already cut. They waved at me to join them in the harvest. The thin sharp sickles were not hard to use but Chi Mam showed me exactly where to cut, about 15cm (6 inches) from the base of the plant. After a couple hours of being hunched over slicing the stalks we took a short and much needed break eating sticky rice with mung beans for our breakfast. In typical fashion they asked my age, if I was married and did I have kids. They giggled as they found it funny that I could answer those basic questions in Vietnamese but then produced a blank expression as their questions became more detailed and I wasn’t exactly sure what they were asking. I switched the conversation back to the rice and the female farmers explained that this work tends to be done by women as the rice is not as heavy when unripen (compared to when fully ripe) and it allows the men to perform other chores.

A few of us began to load the tractor with the cut rice stalks as a couple others finished harvesting the field. Although just 8am the sun shone brightly and with such strength I understood why this laborious work begins so early in the morning. They encouraged me to climb on top of the pile of rice stalks and ride through the village to Chi Mam’s house just a few kilometres away. I got some bemused looks by their neighbors unsure of what to make of the situation.

The stalks were unloaded and then the husbands and wives teamed up to thresh, wash and pack the grains. I was amazed at the grip and efficiency of the electric threshing machine. Moving at such a high speed you need to delicately move the bunch of stalks over the drum. Pressing too hard can shave off more of the stalk than required.

The washing helps to separate the hollow grains and remove any unwanted parts of the stalk. These are kept and fed to the pigs. The grains are then loaded into 50 kg bags and three of these heavy bags are expertly balanced on the backs of motorbikes and driven to Vong Village 30 kilometres away an now within the city limits of Hanoi. Traditionally the families of Vong village would grow, harvest and then process the grains but as an urban village they no longer have any land to grow the rice and must purchase the rice from other farmers. Only about ten families in the village remain who hold the knowledge and maintain the tradition of processing the unripen rice grains into fragrant chewy jade rice flakes.

I made my way to the home of Ba Hai, the family matriarch who has been making cốm for over 40 years. She and her son guided me through the process. The roasting, husking and pounding used to all be done by hand but each family has been creative in mechanizing the process while retaining the key elements that produce the well-loved cốm.

The roasting of the grains starts early around 4am and heat quickly surrounds the room. I thought working on the line in a busy kitchen is sweat producing but this wins hands down. They move the wood around to maintain a constant heat and use a mechanical arm to keep the grains constantly moving and to prevent them from becoming too dark or burning. If overcooked the final rice flakes will not retain their beautiful shade of green. The grains are roasted for about 90 minutes and are ready when the roaster judges that they retain a malleable sticky firmness and remain flat when pressed.

The roasted grains are left to cool and then passed through a machine 3-4 times to separate the rice from the husks and to begin the process of being slightly pressed. The discarded husks are used to start the fires for the roasting of the grains but generally they are sent back to feed the pigs.

The rice is then pounded using a large wooden mortar and pestle contraption until it is sufficiently flat. The flakes are then raked by hand to separate any clumps.

Hanoians can purchase freshly made cốm in autumn from vendors on the streets who are identified by the rice stalks attached to their baskets. Some vendors will sell two or three types of cốm based on freshness: made that morning to a week or so old. The cốm is wrapped in a bunch in two different leaves, first lá dáy and then lotus leaves and stored in a fridge to keeps fresh.

A street vendor with young green rice, com, for sale

Look for the green rice stalks tied or lying on the basket as indication vendor will be selling cốm.

Dried cốm can be purchased year round from shops on Hang Than street as it is used in different events such as wedding ceremonies or on ancestral alters.

A stack of green rice cakes for sale in Hanoi

Bánh cốm (green rice cakes) for sale at a shop on Hàng Than street in Hanoi.

Cốm can be used as an ingredient in spring rolls, to make che (a sweet dessert), in ice cream (at 35 Trang Tien street) as a coating (like bread crumbs) on shrimp (Andrea Nguyen of Viet World kitchen has a nice recipe) or blanched pumpkin slices or simply accompanied with fall fruit (banana/ persimmon) or a simply eaten on its own.