24 Vietnamese Foods You Should Know Other Than Phở

And other than bánh mì!

Let's get started by diving in bowls of noodles and rice vermicelli!

Before you start, try using chopsticks because they are essential for Asian meals.

1. Bún bò Huế (Hue beef rice noodles)

What in it: thick rice vermicelli, thin-sliced beef, a sweet, sour and spicy broth,

What it is served with: thin-sliced onion, Vietnamese coriander, saw tooth herb, chopped green onion and cilantro on top, lime wedge, mung bean sprout, banana blossom and/or cabbage (in side dish), shrimp paste, chili sauce (additional)

How you eat it: add everything in the bowl, mix it up and enjoy!

Note: the soup contains annatto oil, which is yellow and hard to be washed off your clothes, so be careful!

2. Bún riêu (meat rice vermicelli soup)

What in it: thin rice vermicelli, fried tofu, blood pudding, crab paste, tomato broth.

What it is served with: chives on top, a variety of greens, shrimp paste and chopped red pepper (optional)

How you eat it: put greens in your bowl, add a bit of shrimp paste and chili if you want, mix it up and enjoy!

Note: the soup contains annatto oil, which is yellow and hard to be washed off your clothes, so be careful!

3. Bún mắm (Vietnamese gumbo)

What in it: thick rice noodles, shrimp, crispy roasted pork belly, squid, eggplant, fermented fish broth.

What it is served with: mung bean sprouts, banana blossom, water spinach, garlic chives, fish sauce, lime wedges, chili slices.

How you eat it: put all the greens in the bowl, add about a tablespoon of fish sauce to taste, lime and chili (optional), mix it up and enjoy!

4. Mì Quảng (Quang noodles)

What in it: Quang noodles (they look like phở noodles but thicker and yellow-colored), stir-fried shrimp, chopped ribs and chicken, savory broth.

What it is served with: peanut and chives on top, variety of herbs, fish sauce, chopped red chili.

How you eat it: put a bit of every herb in the bowl, mix everything up and enjoy!

Note: the soup contains annatto oil, which is yellow and hard to be washed off your clothes, so be careful!

5. Bún cá (fish rice vermicelli soup)

What in it: rice vermicelli (of course), fish of any kind, tomato broth, pineapple, green onion, dill.

What it is served with: fish sauce (optional)

How you eat it: add a tablespoon of fish sauce in the bowl, mix it up and enjoy!

These two dishes of rice vermicelli would satisfy you if you don't like it soup-based.

6. Bún thịt nướng (Rice vermicelli with grilled pork)

What in it: thin rice vermicelli, grilled pork

What it is served with: peanut on top, sliced-and-styled cucumber and/or carrot, pickled radish and carrot, mung bean sprout, fresh basil and mint leaves, sweet and sour fish sauce (it is the small bowl at the top of the pic if you don't know it)

How you eat it: dress it with the amount of fish sauce you want, mix it up and enjoy!

7. Bún chả (grilled pork patties with rice vermicelli)

What in it: rice vermicelli, grilled pork patties, grilled pork belly.

What it is served with: lettuce and herbs, pickled veggies, sweet fish sauce, chopped red chili. (In the photo, pork patties are already in fish sauce.)

How you eat it: take a small bowl, put some rice vermicelli and patties in, top it with lettuce and herbs, dress with fish sauce and enjoy!

Next is the typical Asian dish: rice.

But first, let's explore two popular dishes to go with plain white rice.

8. Canh chua (sour soup)

What in it: okra, Indian taro (aka giant elephant ear), tomatoes, mung bean sprout, fish (if you're not vegetarian), saw-tooth herb on top.

9. Cá kho tộ (fish stew in clay pot )

The name says it all.

Now we go to another world of rice.

10. Cơm hến (baby basket clam rice)

What in it: dry white rice, cooked baby basket clams, roasted peanuts, fried pork skin, Indian taro, sour starfruit, banana blossom, mung bean sprout, lettuce, herbs.

What it is served with: shrimp paste, a bowl of clam broth (in which the clams are cooked).

How you eat it: pour one or two tablespoons of clam broth over the rice, mix everything up and enjoy!

11. Cơm tấm (broken rice)

What in it: broken rice, grilled cutlet, egg meatloaf, shredded pork and shredded pork skin.

What it is served with: cucumber, tomatoes, pickled radish and carrot, fish sauce with garlic and chili.

How you eat it: pour fish sauce over everything and enjoy!

12. Xôi mặn (medley sticky rice)

What in it: sticky rice, thin-sliced pork roll, Chinese sausage, rousong, and dried shrimp.

How you eat it: pick up the spoon and cram a bit of everything to your mouth!

13. This is a Momordica cochinchinensis. (Don't worry, we don't eat the whole thing.)

It is also known as gac, baby jackfruit or red melon. And when the seeds are added to sticky rice before steaming, the result is...

Xôi gấc (Gac sticky rice)

Look at that beautiful orange color!

This sticky rice is eaten alone. No meat or sauce included.

Note: the seeds are inedible! Remember to spit them out!

Now you are going to know 1001 kinds of cake!

In Vietnamese, bánh means cake, no matter how it looks.

* It may look like noodles (bánh canh - tapioca noodles).

* It may be a square (bánh chưng - square sticky rice cake).

* It may be a cylinder (bánh tét - cylindrical sticky rice cake).

* It may be a sheet (bánh ướt - steamed rice pancake).

* It may be something you can't even describe!

14. Bánh bèo

Literally translated to: water fern cake

What it is: steamed smooth rice cake in small bowls with dried shrimp and mung bean paste on top.

What it is served with: sweet fish sauce and chili slices.

How you eat it: add a teaspoon of fish sauce in the bowl and shove everything to your mouth. Or scoop it with a small spoon if the cake is bigger than your mouth.

15. Bánh bột lọc (tapioca dumpling)

What it is: shrimp in a tapioca wrap that will turn transparent when cooked.

What it is served with: fish sauce.

How you eat it: dip the dumpling in fish sauce and put it in your mouth!

Note:

* Chew it well!

* The tapioca wrap is sticky, it may choke you.

* Be careful of the shrimp shells, it may scratch you.

16. Bánh chưng (square sticky rice cake)

Literally translated to: boiling cake

Important fact: it is cooked in boiling water for more than 12 hours!

What it is: a layer of sticky rice, then cooked mung beans, then raw pork belly, then mung beans again, then a layer of sticky rice. All is wrapped by giang strings in lá dong (phrynium leaves).

What it is served with: pickled papaya, kohlrabi, carrot, etc. in fish sauce, and/or salted cabbage.

How you eat it:

* If you have many people eating: unwrap the whole cake, use the string to cut it to 8 pieces (or more, depends on how many people eating) and enjoy!

* If you have a few people: cut the cake in half as in the picture, unwrap one half, wrap the other one in plastic wrap and save it in the fridge. Then repeat the instructions above.

* Note: the situation of you being the only person cooking it, and/or you being the only one eating will never happen, as Vietnamese families give bánh chưng as a new year present, and the whole family eats it.

17. Bánh tét (cylindrical form of bánh chưng)

Literally translated to: splitting cake (?!)

What it is: basically same things in bánh chưng, but for bánh tét, it can be more variable. The beans and meat can be replaced with banana. The rice can be replaced by violet sticky rice.

What it is served with: same things with bánh chưng except when it contains banana. Because nobody eats pickles with cooked bananas.

How you eat it: cut it horizontally to round slices and enjoy!

18. Bánh giầy (chewy rice cake)

Also called bánh dày, bánh or bánh dầy.

Literally translated to: thick cake (as in bánh dày).

What it is: cooked and beaten sticky rice, shaped like a circle.

What it is served with: nothing, or a slice of pork roll

Note: be careful when you eat, it can choke you!

19. Bánh ướt (steamed rice cake)

Literally translated to: wet cake.

What in it: steamed thin rice sheets, pork roll, cucumber, mung bean sprout, herbs (optional).

What it is served with: sweet fish sauce with garlic and chili.

How you eat it: pour fish sauce over everything, mix it up and enjoy!

OK, let's wrap it up here!

20. Bánh xèo (Vietnamese pancake)

Literally translated to: sizzling cake.

What in it: a thin crispy rice cake base, pork belly, shrimp, mung bean sprout inside.

What it is served with: (lots of) lettuce, variety of herbs, sweet and sour fish sauce, pickled radish and carrot.

How you eat it:

* Cut the cake to 5 pieces, wrap 1 piece in lettuce along with herbs and enjoy!

* If you're not good with wrapping lettuce, a piece of wet rice paper should help.

21. Bánh khọt (smaller version of bánh xèo)

22. Bánh cuốn (rice roll)

Literally translated to: roll cake

What it is: stir-fried meat with onion and wood ear mushrooms, wrapped in steamed rice sheets.

What it is served with: pork roll, mung bean sprout, fried shallots and cilantro on top, sweet fish sauce.

How you eat it: pour fish sauce on top and enjoy!

Note: don't mix it up because the rolls will fall apart. It will be easier if you eat with a spoon than chopsticks.

23. Gỏi cuốn

Literally translated to: wrapped salad or rolled salad

What it is: shrimps, lean meat, rice vermicelli, different types of veggies, all wrapped in rice paper.

What it is served with:

* Hoisin sauce, chopped peanuts, pickled radish and carrot, chili (as in the picture).

* Or, sweet and sour fish sauce with garlic and chili (not common).

How you eat it: dip the roll in the sauce and eat it!

Note: it will smear your lipstick, so be careful!

24. Chả giò (fried spring rolls)

Important fact: it is not related to chả giò above!

What it is: a mixture of ground meat, cellophane noodles, wood ear mushrooms, eggs, taro and carrot, wrapped in rice paper or spring roll wrappers and fried.

What it is served with: (lots of) lettuce, herbs, sweet and sour fish sauce.

How you eat it: wrap the roll in lettuce and herbs, dip it in fish sauce, cram the thing in your mouth and enjoy!

Hope you are full and drooling looking at these photos!

wifflegif / Via tumblr.com