I was fortunate to be a member of a group of travelers on an Intrepid trip from north to south of Vietnam. This was my first visit and there was much to discover for a newcomer. I have visited China and Thailand and there are some cultural similarities but also differences. The country seems filled with a positive vibe and on the way forward.
Food is the focus of this blog and I want to share some of my experiences in the following. On one my first days I tasted the typical and always present soup of Vietnam Pho. One can suspect some of the origins of this comes from the classic French dish Pot-au-Feu, soups with beef broth exist all over the world in Norway we have the classic Kjøttsuppe with local root vegetables. Pho can be eaten at many places all over the world in my home town Kristiansand the local community of Vietnamese people mean that good Pho has been available for many years. Pho varies from north to south in Vietnam and a more extensive discussion of this can be found in other blogs for example Viet World Kitchen.
Before the rest of the group arrived I had the pleasure to be guided by a young competent women that was knowledgeable in regard to street food which is so enjoyable in Vietnam. Below a picture of the classic Summer Spring Rolls.
Hue the city of the Vietnamese emperors was impressive and in some ways the monuments and the Imperial Citadel brought thoughts to the Forbidden City in Beijing. We shared a unique meal at a Buddhist monastery, this cuisine demonstrates that vegan food can be both visually appealing and tasty. The meal was quite expensive but one can imagine how much work is needed to create a feast like this.
In Hoi An I was quite busy but very satisfied with the a bicycle trip on a neighboring island that clearly portrayed the importance of rice in traditional Vietnamese culture. The trip through fields of sprouting rice paddies evoked many descriptions in novels I have read from the Far East. We also experienced various ways that rice could be made into tasty food. Rice noodles are made in a simple manner the reminded me of traditional Norwegian flat breads. All the participants were able to have a try at the making individual rounds of rice noodle. Rice wine and distilled products were also tasted.
In the late afternoon I attended a short course in Vietnamese cooking at the Green Mango . The course was taught in a friendly and professional manner by the General Manager Nguyen Thanh Hai. I have since received comprehensive recipes that I will be trying in the months ahead. The days schedule was somewhat hard on a retired academic librarian and I could have been more alert during the cooking class.
The group ended in Ho Chi Minh City often still called Saigon. The whole group spent one one long and very enjoyable day day in the Mekong Delta which I will describe later. I was alone for some days in Saigon and was able to connect to the last Seafood Trail Tour before the Vietnamese New Year Tête on the 25th of January. This was possibly the most impressive food tour I have ever had. We were three guests and two guides both had intimate knowledge of the best local seafood with a focus on various shellfish and crabs. Despite indulging in a glorious array of delicacies my stomach held up up!
