[Reading level: B2 – Upper Intermediate]
Banh mi, pho, iced coffee and Hoi An cao lau noodles have earned high marks from international travel magazines in 2022, reaffirming Vietnam’s growing reputation as a global culinary attraction.
Pho
In January, CNN included pho bo (Vietnamese beef noodle soup) in its list of the 20 best soups in the world, along with China’s Lanzhou noodle soup, and Thailand’s tom yum goong.
Till now, pho bo remains the most beloved version of the dish in Vietnam and has become the most popular breakfast in the country, with options that include the original raw beef, a mix of raw and cooked beef, brisket and tendon.
A bowl of pho bo in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi cost between VND30,000 to 80,000 ($1.32-3.40).
Banh mi
In May, CNN included Vietnam’s popular banh mi in a list of the world’s 23 best sandwiches, saying “it is widely loved well beyond the country’s borders.”
Considered the most popular street food in Vietnam, banh mi is also known as a Vietnamese sandwich that is a fusion of cold cuts and vegetables, such as coriander, cucumber, pickled carrots and daikon, and pate, combined with French condiments such as mayonnaise.
A banh mi also often includes toppings such as cha lua (Vietnamese pork bologna), a fried egg, grilled pork, and meat balls.
A loaf with all the trimmings costs from VND15,000 to VND50,000.
American tourist Rita Joe Graybill described Vietnam’s banh mi as the best dish in Vietnam and certainly worth a try.
Banh cam
Also in May, CNN named banh cam, Vietnamese deep-fried glutinous rice ball, as one of 30 best fried foods in the world.
Banh cam is made with tender glutinous rice flour filled with mung bean paste. The balls are then rolled in sesame seeds and fried. It is a highly favored dessert in the south.
A northern parallel to this dish is the banh ran, but this variation has a sugary syrup poured over it.
Ca phe sua da
In May, Canadian travel magazine The Travel listed Vietnam among 10 countries with a unique coffee culture, with ca phe sua da (iced coffee with condensed milk) as the best option.
Ca phe sua da is made using ground dark roast Vietnamese coffee topped off with ice and condensed milk. This thirst quencher can be found on most sidewalk coffee stalls.
A cup costs VND10,000-15,000.
“Vietnamese coffee is the best. Love, love, love it,” Australian Libby Watkins said. She said that she visited two Vietnamese restaurants back home, but although both were run by Vietnamese, “they certainly haven’t got the coffee right.”
Cha ruoi
In June, Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post introduced cha ruoi (ragworm omelet) as “a Vietnamese delicacy not for the squeamish.”
The seasonal dish is made with eggs and ragworms, or palolo worms, a kind of seaworm typically harvested between late autumn and early winter in northern localities of Vietnam.
The worms are normally found in brackish water in the northern coastal provinces of Hai Duong and Quang Ninh, as well as in Hai Phong City.
The ragworms are put in hot water to remove their tentacles and then mixed with minced pork, tangerine peel, herbs and eggs. This is then fried to a crisp.
Ragworm omelet is a popular snack in Hanoi during the chilly days of late autumn and early winter.
Cao lau
In August, SCMP also featured cao lau (roasted pork with thick Vietnamese noodles), a traditional dish in the ancient town Hoi An.
“Hoi An’s fantastic cao lau noodles tick all the flavor boxes when it comes to Vietnamese cuisine; they’re sweet, sour, salty, spicy and bitter,” said the newspaper.
Besides poached noodles, a full bowl includes bean sprouts and herbs from Hoi An’s famous Tra Que Village. On top of the dish sits thin slices of barbeque pork and crispy fried pig skin.
Bun ca
The SCMP also described bun ca (fried fish cake noodle soup) as a “not-to-be-missed dish” on a food tour of Hanoi.
The Hanoi-style fish noodle soup has a light broth made with fish bones. Ingredients are added to the mix, including tomatoes, wine vinegar and fresh dill.
A bowl of fish noodle soup includes crunchy fried catfish or fishcakes, along with mounds of fresh herbs such as coriander and basil.
Bun quay
The Hong Kong daily also introduced bun quay, or stirred noodles, a signature dish in the southern tourist island Phu Quoc.
The noodles originated in the central region where they were only served with ground shrimp. However, the recipe changed after the dish was introduced to Phu Quoc Island in 1995. Phu Quoc locals took the taste to a new level by adding fish, squid and other ingredients.
The noodles are made on site from rice flour. The cook puts a paste made from ground shrimp, fish and squid into bowls and adds onions and herbs. The boiled water that was used to cook the noodles is then poured over the ingredients which is then stirred. The noodles are added last to the dish.
Chao vit
In November, international food magazine TasteAtlas selected Vietnamese duck porridge among Asia’s 10 must-try duck dishes.
Steamed pieces of duck meat are typically the main ingredient in this rice porridge that is served with a fish sauce mixed with sliced hot chilies and minced ginger.
A bowl of duck porridge is also served with shallots, carrots, ginger, green onions, coriander, black pepper, and duck blood pudding.
The dish is usually served with a portion of salad made with thinly shaved banana flowers, Vietnamese coriander, carrots and red onions garnished with crushed peanuts.
A bowl of Vietnamese duck porridge costs VND30,000-50,000. You can try this dish at street-side beer stalls.
Source: https://e.vnexpress.net/news/food/10-vietnamese-dishes-shine-on-global-culinary-map-this-year-4548149.html
WORD BANK:
reaffirm /ˌriː.əˈfɜːm/ (v): tái khẳng định
reputation /ˌrep.jəˈteɪ.ʃən/ [B2] (n): danh tiếng
culinary /ˈkʌl.ɪ.nər.i/ (adj – formal): thuộc về ẩm thực
brisket /ˈbrɪs.kɪt/ (n): ức
tendon /ˈten.dən/ (n): gân
fusion /ˈfjuː.ʒən/ (n): sự kết hợp
cold cuts /ˈkəʊld ˌkʌts/ (n): lát thịt nguội
coriander /ˌkɒr.iˈæn.dər/ (n): rau mùi
pickled /ˈpɪk·əld/ (adj): muối, ngâm muối
daikon /ˈdaɪ.kɒn/ (n): củ cải trắng
condiment /ˈkɒn.dɪ.mənt/ (n – formal): gia vị
bologna /bəˈləʊ.ni/ (n): một loại xúc xích làm từ thịt xay mịn đã được nấu chín và hun khói
grill /ɡrɪl/ [B1] (v): nướng
loaf /ləʊf/ (n): ổ (bánh mì)
glutinous rice /ˌɡluː.tɪ.nəs ˈraɪs/ (n): gạo nếp
tender /ˈten.dər/ [C2] (adj): mềm
flour /flaʊər/ (n): bột
mung bean /ˈmʌŋ ˌbiːn/ (n): đậu xanh
paste /peɪst/ (n): hỗn hợp ở dạng sệt
sesame /ˈses.ə.mi/ (n): hạt vừng
dessert /dɪˈzɜːt/ (n): món tráng miệng
a parallel to sth /ˈpær.ə.lel/ [C2] (n): một thứ tương đương, tương đồng với thứ khác
variation /ˌveə.riˈeɪ.ʃən/ [B2] (n): biến thể
syrup /ˈsɪr.əp/ (n): xi-rô
pour /pɔːr/ [B1] (v): rót
condensed milk /kənˌdenst ˈmɪlk/ (adj): sữa đặc
grind /ɡraɪnd/ (v): nghiền
roast /rəʊst/ (v): rang
thirst quencher /θɜːst ˈ kwen.tʃər/ (n): món giải khát
sidewalk /ˈsaɪd.wɔːk/ (n): vỉa hè
ragworm /ˈræɡ. wɜːm/ (n): con rươi
omelet /ˈɒm.lət/ (n): trứng tráng
delicacy /ˈdel.ɪ.kə.si/ (n): món ngon
squeamish /ˈskwiː.mɪʃ/ (adj): khó tính
seasonal /ˈsiː.zən.əl/ [B2] (adj): theo mùa
harvest /ˈhɑː.vɪst/ [B2] (v): thu hoạch
brackish water /ˈbræk.ɪʃ/ (n): nước lợ
tentacle /ˈten.tə.kəl/ (n): xúc tu
mince /mɪns/ (v): băm nhỏ
tangerine /ˌtæn.dʒəˈriːn/ (n): quả quýt
herb /hɜːb/ [B1] (n): rau thơm
crispy /ˈkrɪs·pi/ (adj): giòn
chilly /ˈtʃɪl.i/ [C1] (adj): se lạnh
tick all the boxes (idiom): đáp ứng mọi yêu cầu
poach /pəʊtʃ/ (v): chần (qua nước nóng)
bean sprout /ˈbiːn ˌspraʊt/ (n): giá đỗ
fish cake /ˈfɪʃ.keɪk/ (n): chả cá
broth /brɒθ/ (n): nước dùng
vinegar /ˈvɪn.ɪ.ɡər/ [B2] (n): giấm
dill /dɪl/ (n): thì là
catfish /ˈkæt.fɪʃ/ (n): cá trê
basil /ˈbæz.əl/ (n): húng quế
stir /stɜːr/ [B1] (v): xào
signature /ˈsɪɡ.nə.tʃər/ (adj): đặc trưng
originate /əˈrɪdʒ.ən.eɪt/ [C2] (v): bắt nguồn
recipe /ˈres.ə.pi/ (n): công thức
take sth a new level (v): đưa cái gì lên một tầm cao mới
porridge /ˈpɒr.ɪdʒ/ (n): cháo
steam /stiːm/ [B2] (v): hấp
fish sauce /fɪʃs sɔːs/ (v): nước mắm
shallot /ʃəˈlɒt/ (n): hành, hẹ
blood pudding /blʌd ˈpʊd.ɪŋ/ (n): tiết canh
shave /ʃeɪv/ (v): bào
garnish sth with sth /ˈɡɑː.nɪʃ/ (v): trang trí cái gì bằng cái gì
peanut /ˈpiː.nʌt/ (n): đậu phộng, lạc
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