Visit Phu Quoc

Vietnamese cuisine in general is rich and diverse; it also imprints the Vietnamese culture in many ways. There are subtle or more obvious distinctions between the meals prepared in all the different regions of Vietnam, the main difference compared to Western food is that most dishes are made out of rice instead of wheat flour. Rice takes many forms including noodle soup (phở), noodles (bún), rolls (bánh cuốn) and water fern cakes (bánh bèo).
The people in Vietnam have very good habit of using a lot of fresh vegetables in their daily meals. One common example, the hotpot soup with fish paste (lẩu mắm) – a specialty in the Mekong Delta region – is prepared with 36 kinds of vegetables and is usually service during the flooding season, when plants are growing more abundantly.

Seasonality is also very important and this is where the subtleties arise between North, Central and South Vietnamese cuisine.
In the South, meals are sweeter and spicier than in the North, but not as strong as in Thai food with one of the main ingredients being fish sauce. It is used at different extents and can be more or less strong, the best fish sauce of course is said to come from Phu Quoc Island!
Fish sauce production is still today an important part of the local economy, even if the island has become more developed for tourism, you can find pepper farms everywhere on the island and the quality of this local spice is well renowned in Vietnam and globally.

To enjoy Vietnamese food, use your 5 senses right from the time the dish arrives on the table:
- Sight: A beautifully decorated meal is more appealing, the colors must be attractive.
- Smell: Aromas emanating from the dish may come from the food or the seasoning such as fish sauce, skillful preparation is required to create these characteristic flavors.
- Taste: Is the dish well balanced, salty enough, spicy or sour as it should be? Your tongue will let you know!
- Hearing: The sound that your food is making while you are touching or eating it has its importance too!
After having been cooked, deep fried spring rolls must have a crispy rice paper texture, you can hear the clicking sounds of the ingredients as you are biting them.
- Touch: Texture of the food must feel soft or hard, just as it should be, depending on what you eat.
Vietnamese people are difficult when it comes to food; they pay attention to all these points and never afraid to complain when something is wrong! However, if pleased with their 5 senses, it's regarded an adequate meal!

Perhaps they are this picky because in Vietnamese culture, food is not only a matter of survival or sensory pleasure but eating is considered as external sign of good education and culture.
The personality of a person transpires through his food, with someone we just met we can only identify him through his clothing, speech or gestures, to gain a deeper understanding of his personality, habits and lifestyle, it is necessary to know about his diet.
As is the same in eastern medicine, Vietnamese people pay close attention to the balance of their cuisine to ensure good health.
Hot or cold, salty or sweet, spicy or refreshing, everything is a matter of Yin and Yang, of balance and if balance is respected, your body will not have to worry much about diseases. Therefore, the Vietnamese kitchen is considered as a small hospital for the family.

In a traditional family, the role of the woman is very important as she is the one creating such delicious food every day.
For her Vietnamese family she does not only cook food but she is also showing that she is caring for the ones she loves.
Once everything is ready, everybody gathers around the meal and at that moment the whole family is united and share this happy moment together.
As you can see, eating in Vietnam is not only delicious it is also a way to learn about the traditions, the culture and the life of local people and it can make your holiday more insightful.

Phu Quoc is a place where many people from all over Vietnam have met to work and live and they brought their culinary specialties with them. It is therefore the perfect island for trying a wide variety of different cuisines and really enjoy the specialties of Phu Quoc like Vietnamese people do, so please make sure that you try some street food!


Article provided by Green Hat Holiday
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