Ho Chi Minh Eating Tour, VIETNAM
Airing Date: May 2nd, 2005
Bulging with a population of nearly seven million, Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam's largest and most exciting city. While Hanoi is the centre of government, Ho Chi Minh City is the nation's economic heart.
With its heavy reliance on rice, wheat and legumes, abundance of fresh herbs and vegetables, minimal use of oil, and treatment of meat as a condiment rather than a main course, Vietnamese food has to be among the healthiest on the planet. And Maeve O'Meara has found a way for you to enjoy all the very best of this food on a guided gourmet safari.
Each region in Vietnam boasts a local specialty. In Hanoi, you'll stumble upon the aptly named Cha Ca Street, named for a major staple in local cuisine, cha ca (which is fried fish).
In the ancient trading port of Hoi An, in Central Vietnam, the strong Chinese influence helped create the local specialty -delicate wontons filled with shrimp and garlic. In the south, expats and locals agree that Ho Chi Minh City's best spring rolls are found at Tan Nam.
North or south the Vietnamese staple is Pho (pronounced like phir in English). Pho is noodles made from rice flour in a light beef stock flavoured with ginger, cinnamon, anise, onions and the ubiquitous nuoc mam (fish sauce). Often garnished with bean sprouts or fresh mint, this dish is a wonderful combination of flavours. Pho can be eaten at any time of the day, but is particularly a very popular breakfast. Pho is traditionally made with beef, but you can find different variations such as chicken, or vegetable for vegetarians.
Another dish found throughout Vietnam is cha gio (spring rolls). Shrimp, pork, fresh mint and bean sprouts are rolled in wafer thin rice paper, and then usually accompanied by the pungent nuoc mam fish sauce as well.
No visit to Vietnam is complete without a trip to a bustling local market and no where are they more bustling than Ho Chi Minh City. Most Vietnamese shop for food at least twice a day, and this explains why Vietnamese cuisine is famed for its fresh ingredients. A Vietnamese local market is certainly an exciting way to witness day-to-day life and can offer a dizzying array of tropical fruit, vegetables, live fish, meat and sugars - even dog meat or armadillo!
Ben Thanh market has long been one of Ho Chi Minh City's most famous landmarks and a great spot to try the best food Vietnam has to offer.
If you find you're itching to recreate some of Vietnam's best dishes, perhaps you'd like to check out a class at the country's first cooking school. The Vietnam Cookery Centre offers half-day courses that include different aspects of food preparation, utensils and presentation. The school usually covers four to five dishes which are served as lunch to end the lesson.
Further information:
A Vietnam Gourmet Safari starts from $4650 ex Sydney a person, twin share.
Includes flights, 9 nights accommodation, meals, cooking classes, tours & transport.
Includes charges / taxes. Conditions apply.
The tour only rate is $3350 per person, twin share.
Gourmet Safaris: Ph. 02 9960 5675.
www.gourmetsafaris.com.au.
Prices correct at 02/05/05.
