World Flavors Cookbook

Vietnam Recipes

Vietnamese cuisine is a delicate balance of five fundamental tastes: sour, bitter, sweet, spicy, and salty. Famous for its heavy use of fresh herbs, minimal use of dairy and oil, and its reliance on fish sauce (nước mắm).

Recipes from Vietnam

• Phở Bò (Beef Noodle Soup)

  The quintessential Vietnamese comfort food; a fragrant beef bone broth served with rice noodles, tender beef slices, and fresh herbs.

• Bánh Mì (Vietnamese Sandwich)

  A perfect fusion of French and Vietnamese flavors; a crispy baguette filled with savory meats, pâté, pickled vegetables, and fresh herbs.

• Bún Chả

  A Hanoi specialty featuring charcoal-grilled fatty pork patties served in a bowl of sweet-savory fish sauce broth with rice vermicelli and herbs.

• Gỏi Cuốn (Fresh Spring Rolls)

  Refreshing and translucent summer rolls filled with shrimp, pork, rice vermicelli, and fresh herbs, wrapped in rice paper.

• Bánh Xèo (Sizzling Pancake)

  A crispy, savory rice flour pancake tinted yellow with turmeric, filled with shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts.

• Phở Gà (Chicken Noodle Soup)

  A lighter, clearer version of Pho made with a rich chicken ginger broth and shredded free-range chicken.

• Bún Bò Huế (Spicy Beef Noodle Soup)

  A bold and spicy noodle soup from the former royal capital of Hue, featuring thick rice vermicelli, lemongrass, and shrimp paste.

• Cao Lầu

  An exclusive noodle dish from Hoi An, featuring thick chewy noodles, char siew pork, crispy crackers, and local greens.

• Cơm Tấm (Broken Rice)

  A Southern Vietnamese favorite; "broken" rice grains served with grilled pork chops, egg meatloaf, and pickled vegetables.

• Chả Giò (Fried Spring Rolls)

  Crispy deep-fried spring rolls filled with ground pork, shrimp, wood ear mushrooms, and glass noodles.

• Bánh Cuốn (Steamed Rice Rolls)

  Delicate, silk-thin steamed rice sheets filled with seasoned ground pork and wood ear mushrooms, topped with fried shallots.

• Bún Bò Nam Bộ

  A refreshing Southern-style noodle salad with stir-fried beef, fresh herbs, crushed peanuts, and a light fish sauce dressing.

• Canh Chua (Sour Soup)

  A vibrant Mekong Delta soup with fish, pineapple, tomatoes, and bean sprouts in a tangy tamarind broth.

• Bò Kho (Beef Stew)

  A fragrant, slow-cooked beef stew with carrots, lemongrass, and star anise, often served with a crispy baguette.

• Bánh Bột Lọc

  Chewy, translucent tapioca dumplings filled with a whole shrimp and savory pork belly.

• Cơm Gà Hội An

  Hoi An style chicken rice; turmeric-tinted rice served with shredded chicken, onions, and Vietnamese coriander.

• Chè Ba Màu (Three-Color Dessert)

  A popular sweet dessert drink with layers of yellow mung bean paste, green pandan jelly, and red beans in coconut milk.

• Bánh Tiêu (Hollow Donuts)

  Crispy, hollow fried bread coated in sesame seeds; a simple and addictive street snack.

• Bò Lá Lốt

  Ground beef seasoned with spices, wrapped in wild betel leaves (piper sarmentosum) and grilled until fragrant.

• Bánh Cam (Sesame Balls)

  Golden fried glutinous rice balls filled with sweet mung bean paste and coated in sesame seeds.

• Vịt Quay (Roasted Duck)

  Succulent roasted duck with crispy red skin, seasoned with five spice and honey.

• Bánh Mì Ốp La

  A classic Vietnamese breakfast; sizzling sunny-side up eggs served in a skillet with a crispy baguette for dipping.

• Mì Quảng

  Central Vietnamese turmeric-yellow noodles served with a small amount of intense broth, pork, shrimp, and a giant rice cracker.

• Bánh Tét

  A cylindrical glutinous rice cake filled with mung bean and pork belly, wrapped in banana leaves.

• Sữa Chua Nếp Cẩm

  A popular modern dessert featuring creamy yogurt served over nutty, fermented purple glutinous rice.

• Cà Phê Sữa Đá (Iced Coffee)

  The world-famous Vietnamese iced coffee; intense dark roast coffee dripped over thick sweetened condensed milk and ice.

• Bánh Tiêu Xá Xíu

  A hollow fried donut (Bánh Tiêu) split and stuffed with savory char siew (BBQ) pork and herbs.

• Roti John Vietnam

  A Vietnamese take on the Malay omelette sandwich, using local seasonings and crispy baguettes.

• Kem Bơ (Avocado Ice Cream)

  A creamy avocado smoothie served with a scoop of coconut ice cream and crunchy coconut flakes.

• Chè Trôi Nước

  Sticky rice balls filled with mung bean paste, served in a warm, sweet ginger syrup.

• Bún Riêu Cua

  Northern Vietnam's tomato and crab rice noodle soup — a tangy, rich broth with crab paste dumplings, tofu, and shrimp paste.

• Bánh Cuốn Hà Nội

  Hanoi's delicate steamed rice rolls — gossamer-thin sheets filled with minced pork and wood ear mushrooms, served with crispy shallots and nuoc cham.

• Chả Cá Lã Vọng

  Hanoi's most famous dish — turmeric-marinated fish sizzled in oil with fresh dill and spring onion, eaten with rice noodles and roasted peanuts.

• Gỏi Gà (Chicken Salad)

  Vietnamese shredded chicken salad with cabbage, rau răm (Vietnamese coriander), and a punchy lime-fish sauce dressing.

• Chè Đậu Xanh (Mung Bean Sweet Soup)

  Vietnamese sweet mung bean dessert soup — soft cooked mung beans in coconut milk syrup, eaten hot or cold.

• Xôi Xéo (Turmeric Mung Bean Sticky Rice)

  Hanoi's golden morning sticky rice — glutinous rice steamed with turmeric, topped with mung bean paste and crispy fried shallots.

• Bò Nướng Lá Lốt

  Fragrant beef rolls wrapped in lá lốt (betel leaves) and grilled — one of Vietnam's most aromatic and beloved dishes.

• Canh Bầu Tép (Bottle Gourd Shrimp Soup)

  A light, everyday Vietnamese home soup — bottle gourd and tiny dried shrimp simmered in a clear broth with spring onions.

• Thịt Kho Tàu (Caramel Braised Pork and Eggs)

  Pork belly and hard-boiled eggs slowly caramelized in coconut water and fish sauce — the definitive Vietnamese comfort braise.

• Bánh Khọt (Vũng Tàu Mini Pancakes)

  Crispy mini coconut rice pancakes from Vũng Tàu — each cup filled with a shrimp, topped with mung bean and crispy coconut crust.

• Phở Cuốn (Hanoi Fresh Pho Rolls)

  Hanoi's ingenious take on pho — flat pho sheets wrapped around beef, herbs, and bean sprouts, eaten with a garlic-vinegar dipping sauce.

• Cơm Hến (Hue Baby Clam Rice)

  Huế's most beloved street food — cold rice topped with tiny river clams, shredded pork skin, peanuts, sesame, chili, and fermented shrimp paste.

• Dưa Cải Chua (Pickled Mustard Greens)

  Vietnamese fermented mustard greens — sour, crunchy, and golden, eaten as a condiment with almost every meal across Vietnam.

• Nước Chấm (Vietnamese Dipping Sauce)

  The essential Vietnamese table sauce — fish sauce, lime, sugar, garlic, and chili in perfect balance. The foundation of Vietnamese flavor.

• Bánh Mì Thịt Nướng (Grilled Pork Baguette)

  The most beloved bánh mì filling — caramelized grilled pork with pâté, pickled daikon, cucumber, and cilantro in a crispy Vietnamese baguette.

• Lẩu Hải Sản (Seafood Hot Pot)

  Vietnamese communal seafood hot pot — a sour tamarind and lemongrass broth for cooking shrimp, fish, mussels, and vegetables at the table.

• Phở Bò

  Vietnam's soul in a bowl — clear, deeply aromatic beef broth with rice noodles, thinly sliced beef, and a garden of fresh herbs.