North Vietnamese Cuisine

President Obama and Anthony Bourdain eating Bun Cha in Hanoi. Photograph by Pete Souza

by Bob Durborow

Vietnam’s cuisine incorporates five tastes: sweet, salty, bitter, sour and spicy. The inclusion of these, however, varies by region. For example, certain characteristics  make a dish distinctly northern.  Due to its cold climate, northern Vietnam lacks the spices that one finds in  the south. This results in a balanced taste that combines textures such as crisp and soft. Vietnamese use fresh ingredients, taking care to thinly slice and briefly cook meat. North Vietnamese cooks also use vegetables and herbs abundantly to create a colorful presentation and add flavor. China’s historical influence over northern Vietnam is reflected by its cuisine.  Dishes tend to use noodles instead of rice. The most popular flavoring ingredient is fish sauce. Noted Vietnamese food writer Vu Band wrote this about Hanoi cuisine, “Even if I was abducted for a thousand years, I would remain a Vietnamese longing for the food in Hanoi.”

Examples of Cuisine

Vietnamese identify Phở as their national dish, originating from the northern city of Nam Định. With the movement of refugees following the Vietnam war, Pho has become popular across the world. Phở can be distinguished by its sweet beef broth. This  is made using a combination of beef bones, oxtail, other beef cuts, charred onions, charred ginger, and spices. Depending on the cook, various other spices may be added. Phở broth is clear, and this is achieved by cooking the broth slowly for a few hours and skimming the fat off the top. The northern variation of Phở has a fattier broth when compared to southern Phở. When serving the dish, specific rice noodles, bánh phở, and a cut of beef are added to a bowl and then topped with the Phở broth. Diners can then add garnishes like Thai basil, lime, bean sprouts, or cilantro. Most cuts of beef that Vietnamese serve with Phở  begin as raw and cook in the hot broth. 

While Phở is the dish people across the globe associate with Vietnam, Bún chả is the dish that is distinctly north Vietnamese. Bún chả originated in Hanoi and has spread throughout Vietnam. Traditionally eaten by Vietnamese for lunch, vendors sell the dish all day. People cooking the dish will use grilled ground pork meatballs or pork belly, rice noodles, Thai basil, beansprouts, chilis, and pickled vegetables. They then top it with , Nước chấm, a fish sauce with vinegar, sugar, peppers, and garlic. 

North Vietnamese cuisine is not just noodle or soup dishes. Giò lụa is a pork sausage that the Vietnamese prepare by pounding the pork into a paste and wrapping it tightly in banana leaves. They then typically add fish sauce and black pepper  to provide flavor. They finish the sausage by boiling the links in water. People eat it with sticky rice, Xôi, or in a sandwich. A specific northern preparation of Giò lụa is to season the sausage with cinnamon and then fry it. 

A traditional northern Vietnamese snack is  Bánh rán, a ball of rice flour dough with a filling made from sweetened mung bean paste and jasmine essence, then covered with sesame seeds.  Vietnamese deep fry these and serve them freshly hot.