 | The joy of eating in Vietnam: fresh, healthy and tasty food | | | | | Riding a scooter through the streets of Hanoi in Vietnam is one of those things I've always wanted to do but was too afraid to attempt. Patrick Radden Keefe's 2017 New Yorker profile of Anthony Bourdain described it thusly, "Bourdain told me that the only way to see Hanoi was on the back of a scooter: 'To be anonymous, another helmeted figure in the middle of a million little dramas and comedies happening on a million bikes moving through this amazing city –every second is pure joy.'" | And pure joy is how I would describe my recent conversation with Thanh Huynh, a Vietnamese travel and food expert who, along with his business partner Tuan Pham, has created a food-focused itinerary that celebrates Vietnam's diverse cuisine and culture. The "Vietnam for Foodies" trip for Elsewhere, a travel planning company owned by Lonely Planet, concentrates on the sights, sounds and tastes of Vietnam, meeting farmers and cooks and local families along the way. Read on to learn more about Thanh's background and this one-of-a-kind trip. | | | | | Director, Newsletter Content | | | | | Here's a taste of the 9-day small group adventure, "Vietnam for Foodies." Click here to view the entire itinerary | | Wrap up your trip with a cruise through Hạ Long Bay | | | | | Day 1: Welcome to Saigon and Vietnam. On your first night in Saigon, you'll climb on the back of a scooter and head into the city center to taste the diverse flavors of the market, like a Chinese roasted duck and a French baguette. | | | Day 2: Life and food on the Mekong Delta. Saigon's breakneck pace gives way to a totally different cadence once you enter Bến Tre province in the Mekong Delta. Island-hop on a small-boat tour, which includes a stop at an artisan workshop and lunch with a local farmer family. | | | Day 4: Hội An, a boat trip and a sunset barbecue. Visit the thousand-year-old Champa Ba Le Well, Japanese Covered Bridge and Hội An's other sites. In the evening, head out on small fishing boats to try and catch fish for dinner. A sunset barbecue ashore follows, with lots of cold drinks and delicious new foods to try. | | | Day 8: By boat through Hạ Long Bay. Cruise the glorious waters in the less-touristy area of Lan Ha Bay and take in stunning scenery. Kayak into a sea cave, then sip cocktails and enjoy dinner on the deck before settling into your on-board luxury suite. | | | Learn more about this "Vietnam for Foodies" small group adventure, December 4 – 13, 2022 | If you've been looking for a reason to visit Vietnam this winter, consider joining Thanh's expertly designed group trip. | | | Spend some time getting to know Thanh, local expert and lifelong champion of Vietnam's culture | | | | Food, family and comfort are the essence of Vietnamese cuisine | | | | | Why do you think Vietnam is such a great foodie destination? | It's family food, comfort food. My family is originally from the north, and when I go home I immediately go to the local place for a bowl of phở. This is the right time to talk about Vietnamese food. People [here] are totally foodies without knowing – it's in our DNA. | | | What is specifically Vietnamese in terms of ingredients? | Like the French, we do have terroir in Vietnam. The rice from the Mekong Delta [for example], people will pay three times more to get that specific rice from a particular village. The same with teas from the north. It's all very unique, but there hasn't been good communication about this aspect of Vietnam. | | | | | "The simplicity of the ingredients in the North is very subtle, while in the South it's a more complex combination of cuisines." | | | How would you characterize the food? | It's fusion. In Saigon, there's a quintessential spring roll with jicama that was brought in from Mexico, Chinese sausage and sweet Thai basil. You can only find this dish in Saigon. There's also Cantonese dim sum, but with fermented soy from the north of Vietnam instead of the usual soy sauce and vinegar. This is diversity. There is such a mix of cultures; it's very blended. | | | | | It's smart to have some Vietnamese đồng on hand to pay food vendors you may encounter. | | | This email was sent to you by: | Lonely Planet Publications Ltd. | 1101 Red Ventures Drive, Fort Mill, SC 29707 | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment