For culinary devotees, Indochina is sure a must-visit destination. It can be said that food is the heart of Indochina culture, expressing the traditions, the characteristics as well as the souls of each country. Below is the list of unique dishes in Indochina I have compiled to recommend you taste while exploring this interesting land.
Pho, Vietnam
Referring to Vietnamese food without Pho will be definitely a big deficiency. This food is the mixture of a salty broth, fresh rice noodles, a sprinkling of herbs and chicken or beef, the daily nourishment of the locals. Wandering in any block in Vietnam’s big cities, you can easily encounter Pho stands with a bunch of people slurping Pho. Especially, it’s so cheap, delicious and really willing and able to served at anytime of day.
Bun Bo Hue, Vietnam
If you are a soup junkie, then you will be so pleased when digest Bun Bo Hue of Vietnam. With its meaty broth and piles of beef and pork and some special ingredients, Bun Bo Hue have a distinctive flavor that nowhere can have. Bun Bo Hue brings the style of people here. It not only is elegant, exquisite, meticulous but also hide the spirit of the makers. Coming to Hue, either morning or afternoon, going along the small corners, you can easily see “Bun Bo Hue”. Now, this thick slippery rice noodle can be found countrywide, however, visit Hue to taste the original savor.
Banh mi – Vietnamese baguette, Vietnam
Being famous not less than Pho is Banh mi. This is the combination of greens and a various choice of fillings, including paté and freshly made omelet. Nowadays, it’s been imitated around the world, as a result, a lot of its variations appear. Your Banh mi might consist of sausage, cheese, cold cuts or pickled vegetables. In the mornings, the image of long waiting lines of people before Banh mi stands is very popular with tourists.
Bun Cha, Vietnam
Bun Cha is also one of the most famous traditional dishes in Vietnam. Enjoying Bun Cha, grilled chopped meat or normal grilled meat on charcoal stove is served with rice noodles and herbs. All are sunk in syrup-thick fish sauce. It is called by another name Bun Thit Nuong. Addionally, you sure want to have a try on this food when knowing President Obama chose it be a first meal in Vietnam.
Goi cuon (Fresh Spring Roll), Vietnam
Goi cuon is listed in Vietnam’s most well-known foods and may be acceptable to the taste of the majority. Each spring roll is packed with greens, coriander and various combinations of minced pork, shrimp or crab. At some places they’re served with a bowl of lettuce and/or mint. In the southern, people have barbecued strips of pork wrapped up with green banana and star fruit, and then dunked in a rich peanut sauce. This really a must-taste when vising Vietnam.
Sticky rice (Khao Niaw), Laos
It is normally believed that Lao people eat more sticky rice than anyone else in the world. In tradition, it is steamed in a cone-shaped bamboo basket, and put in a covered basket where it is eaten alongside a lot of dishes. In Laos, there should always be sticky rice available to eat at any time of day.
Steamed Fish (Mok Pa), Laos
Mok Pa is steamed fish that is customarily wrapped up in banana leaves and tied with bamboo string. It is arranged with lemongrass, kaffir leaves, green onions, fish sauce, green chilly, shrimp paste, and fresh dill. All these ingredients are blended together with steamed fish. Mok Pa should be served wet because it won’t be keep its flavor perfectly when being dry. By the way, citizens always have it with sticky rice.
Bai sach chrouk (Pork and rice), Cambodia
Served early mornings on street corners all over Cambodia. Many people who ever tasted bai sach chrouk,said that it is one of the simplest but most delicious dishes in Cambodia. Thinly sliced pork is slow grilled over hot coals to bring out its natural sweetness. Sometimes the pork will be marinated in coconut milk or garlic. The grilled pork is served over broken rice, with some of freshly pickled cucumbers and daikon radish with plenty of ginger. You’ll often be given a bowl of chicken broth topped with scallions and fried onions along with.
Khmer red curry, Cambodia
Khmer red curry is less spicy than the curries of Thailand and similarly coconut-milk-based but without the overpowering chili. The dish features beef, chicken or fish, eggplant, green beans, potatoes, fresh coconut milk, lemongrass and kroeung. This delicious dish is frequently prepared at special occasions in Cambodia such as weddings, family gatherings and religious holidays like Pchum Ben, or Ancestor’s Day, where Cambodians make the dish to share with monks in honor of the departed. Due to the influence of French Colonist, nowadays Khmer red curry is usually served with bread.
Fish amok, Cambodia
This one of the most well-known Cambodian dishes. Fish amok is a fish mousse with fresh coconut milk and kroeung, a kind of Khmer curry paste made from lemongrass, turmeric root, garlic, shallots, galangal and finger root, or Chinese ginger.The special of this is the addition of slok ngor, a local herb that reveals a alluringly bitter flavor, separates the Cambodian version from the others. In luxurious restaurants, fish amok is steamed in a banana leaf, while local places prefer to serve a boiled version.
