Food Culture in Vietnam Part 1- Healing Foods

By: Michelle Nguyen- Vietnam Director

Come with me and let’s continue our virtual food journey through Asia. Andrea has shared about Myanmar and Nicole about Laos so let’s continue to Vietnam.

As a self-confessed foodie with a Vietnamese husband and family I fit right in here and have been on a journey of discovery since I arrived in 2004. Word of warning though, Vietnamese love to eat (constantly) and yet they remain so slim! Vietnamese are incredibly gracious hosts and they love to show their welcome through their food, rice wine, beer, tea and coffee (grown in the plantations in the central highlands here). Take note that if you are full then leave a little on the plate to indicate this, or the food may just keep on coming!

Vietnam has an extremely healthy and varied, albeit odd by Western standards, diet.  Living in Asia, you realize that nothing is wasted and everything goes into the pot- quite literally! A head or feet in the dish is quite normal in local cuisine, so be prepared.  However, many of these somewhat strange additions to dishes are made for a purpose.

Vietnamese consider food as their natural healing larder. If you have a cold then eat caramalised kumquats (including the skin) for a sore throat, drink a mug of fresh beansprouts in boiled water, or sliced fresh ginger in boiled water with a little honey. If you are constipated locals eat dragon fruit and if you have an upset tummy then you are recommended to eat green bananas.  There are too many local natural remedies to mention…

In a similar manner, it is also believed that the part of the animal you eat brings health benefits to that part of your own body. So if you are feeling adventurous just go with the flow… For example chickens’ feet are considered to have a high vitamin nutritional value, provide a lot of energy and strengthen tendons.

Offal and innards are also often eaten to strengthen health.

Certain meats in particular are also believed to have healing benefits:

Baby clam soup is one of my favourites and a dish I had a real craving for when I was pregnant, quite logical when you learn that it helps to reduce body heat and the nutritional properties it provides.

Snake (Thit Ran): Snake wine, made by soaking snakes in alcohol or by mixing the body fluids of a snake into wine or whiskey, is widely believed to enhance virility.  You will see snake whiskey is readily available everywhere and is considered very nutritious. Eating snake meat is also thought to be a great food remedy for the treatment of arthritis. It is, however, not allowed for pregnant women or children. Personally, I prefer drinking the snake whiskey to eating snake hot pot as, to me, snake can be quite boney.

Fetal duck eggs (Trung Vit Lon): This is where embryos develop in to young chicks inside the shell. Still in the shell they are boiled and eaten with lemon, salt and pepper and with Rau Ram (a kind of vegetable). I haven’t yet tried these but I am told they taste strong and minty. They are commonly eaten to encourage good luck after a run of bad luck and as an aphrodisiac.

If you have any sort of health problem I’m sure the Vietnamese have a food cure for it!