Interested in a gastronomical adventure with your family and friends in Vietnam? Impress your friends and connect with the locals better by learning some of the most common Vietnamese food vocabulary so that you can order and have a simple idea of the food to expect. If you are up for that, then this language-learning guide we prepared for you will definitely help! Let's start learning!

Have a craving for Asian food? We cannot blame you as there is something truly special in this type of cuisine! But when it comes to soups, wraps, and healthy food, nothing beats the exquisite selection of mouthwatering dishes that Vietnamese cuisine has to offer. Unlike Western countries who enjoy chiến or fried food more than anything every single day, the Vietnamese people will surprise you with how well they can integrate rau sống (fresh vegetables), fresh herbs, and natural spices into the regular menu. For this reason, the country is one of the top travel destinations of many who also see themselves as vegetarians.

Some of the top vegetables that are almost always used in the Vietnamese menu include the rau mong (morning glory), rau mong toi (spinach), cai xanh (mustard green), dua guia (bean sprouts), and cai thia (bok choy). Interested to learn more words that you can use to describe Vietnamese food? Read on below!

Types Of Food In Vietnamese Cuisine

Planning to go on a trip to Ho Chi Minh city and dining at an exclusive restaurant within the place? There's a huge chance that some of the restaurant menus will not have translations which is why learning comes of the common types of food is a must. After all, you do want to be stuck paying for food items you have no intention of ordering right?

Now that we know the basic parts of a restaurant menu in the Vietnamese languages, the second thing you might be wondering is what type of food to actually get, right? As a rule of thumb, do remember that the food in the country is not as spicy as you think. Instead, the locals enjoy the salted flavor and the powerful combination of salt, garlic, and peanut. So, if you are unsure of what to get, here are a few suggestions that will surely make you want to stay in Vietnam forever:

If you are feeling snacky, you can get:

• Bánh Mì also known as Vietnamese sandwich or Saigon roll
• Bánh Bao or bun cake
• Bún Chả Giò - fresh spring rolls with chili sauce or peanut dipping sauce
• Bánh Ướt - a pancake made of thin rice paper sheets

If you want some appetizers:

• Gỏi Cuốn Bì or pork salad rolls
• Gỏi Cuốn - salad rolls in rice paper
• Chả Giò - fried spring roll
• Chạo Tôm - traditional sugarcane-grilled shrimp

If you want some filling meals:

• Banh Canh Giò Heo Tôm - noodle soup
• Cháo Gà - Chicken flavored congee
• Sườn Nướng - grilled pork chop

If you want to satisfy a sweet tooth:

• Cà Phê Sữa Đá - Vietnamese Iced Coffee with condensed milk
• Chè Ba Mau - also known as a three-colored dessert
• Chè Bắp- Vietnamese sweet corn pudding

Common Vietnamese Food Vocabulary

To help you navigate the restaurant menu better, we listed below some of the common food vocabularies along with the cooking styles that are unique to Vietnamese cuisine.

Popular Vietnamese Food Condiments And Seasonings

Just like most Asian countries, the cuisine here is characterized by the use of gia vị or condiments to make the flavor even more powerful and punchy. Take note of the commonly used condiments listed in the table below.

Wrapping Up

Are you excited to try out the Vietnamese food suggestions we listed in this post? Well, trust us when we say that you will surely fall in love with the exquisite cuisine of Vietnam. As the saying goes, the best way to man's heart is through his stomach, right?

As we reach this part of the post, we hope that you were able to learn all the words and correct translations for the common food items and condiments in the Vietnamese language. If we were not able to include other food-related words, feel free to send it in the comment section down below, and we will get back to you in an instant. In the case that you enjoyed this post and figured that you would love to learn more about the cuisine of other countries, feel free to check out these previous posts like Filipino foods, budget-friendly and highly popular Thai food selections, and Chinese cuisine you surely do not want to miss out on.

If you found yourself attracted to the idea of learning the Vietnamese language, you should also check out the Ling App by Simya Solutions so that you can learn new words and expressions every day! For just 10 minutes or less, you kick start your language learning journey and start progressing on the right foot. So, what are you waiting for? Download the Ling App today on your mobile devices or explore its features on the site now.