Vietnamese vegetarian food (Photo: lovinghutaulac.com)_Hanoi (VNA/VNS) - Vegetarian food, mostly vegan, has become increasinglypopular in Vietnam over the last few years. All major cities, including thecapital, have many restaurants that serve vegan food, and their number isincreasing.
There are many reasons that more and more peopleare turning vegan, even in Vietnam, where daily meals, breakfast, lunch anddinner, invariably contain meat. In fact, all iconic dishes in the nationalcuisine, whether it is Pho or Bun or Banh my, are meat-based.
For many Vietnamese, a vegan diet istraditionally confined to two sacred Buddhist days a month, an observance ofcompassion for all sentient beings.
There are many reasons that more and more peopleare turning vegan, even in Vietnam, where daily meals, breakfast, lunch anddinner, invariably contain meat. In fact, all iconic dishes in the nationalcuisine, whether it is Pho or Bun or Banh my, are meat-based.
For many Vietnamese, a vegan diet istraditionally confined to two sacred Buddhist days a month, an observance ofcompassion for all sentient beings.
But increasing numbers of people are alsoturning to a plant-based diet for health reasons, and are strengthened in theirresolve by environmental considerations.
With its abundance of delicious vegetables,fruits and roots, Vietnam has all the conditions to cater to vegans.
Vegans can find in Vietnam a variety of vegetariandishes. However, the most common vegan dishes are made of soybeans. Apart fromtofu, steamed and fried, soybeans lend themselves to soya paste, fermentedtofu, veggie Vietnamese ham and a wide variety of other dips and dishes.
Since soybeans are nutritious, rich in proteinand calcium, and non-fattening, they are a good replacement for animal meat.They are also said to be useful in treating several illnesses, including heartdisease and cancer.
Vegans can also find in Vietnam many dishes thatlook like they’re made with real meat. For example, chicken legs are made ofcitronella stems with a special tofu wrapping that even has the texture ofmeat. Barbecued pork chops, beef wrapped in la lot leaves, stewed chicken,steamed fish – the list goes on and on.
The faux meat dishes are consumed more in theSouth than in the North, says Pham Tuan Hai, a judge in the Masterchef Vietnamreality television show.
Veggie histories
Although vegetarian and vegan food has becomemore popular nationwide, the importance of vegetarian food differs from regionto region.
Severaldecades ago, any mention of vegetarian food evoked Hue City in central Vietnam.
“The art of vegetarian food first appeared inthe central provinces of Vietnam, and Hue was one of the first cities in thecountry where vegetarian meals appeared. Vegetarian meals are very important tothe people of Hue,” says Hai.
Historically, vegetarian food first becamepopular during the reign of the Ly Dynasty in 11th century. However, it reachedits zenith as a important part of royal cuisine during the long rule of theNguyen Dynasty since early 19th century, when Hue emerged as a Buddhist centre.
“There were strict rules on picking the rightingredients, cooking and offering vegetarian food to royalty during the reignof the Nguyen Dynasty,” says vegetarian food expert Ho Dac Thieu Anh of Hue.
She explains that the team of chefs servingroyalty had to offer the King the finest food as part of a royal ritual, aprayer for peace and prosperity in the kingdom. During this special ritual, theKing kept himself clean and his mind tranquil. The cooks also had to be cleanand extremely selective of the food they chose to make the offerings. Aboveall, the vegetarian feast had to be presented beautifully, with ornatedecorations.
Since then, eating vegetarian food has become atradition in Hue.
In all pagodas in Hue, every month, on the firstand full moon days of the month, monks and nuns make vegetarian meals to feedthe devotees.
Restaurants that normally sell non-vegetarianfood used to close on these two days or change their menu to serve vegetarianfood.
Most Hue residents turn vegetarian during thefirst and full moon days of the month and on other festive days. The first dayof the New Lunar Year, for instance, is a day of vegetarian meals for manyfamilies in the city.
“I started to eat vegetarian food when Iwas very small, with other members of my family, so this has become a habit.Twice a month, mother always cooked vegetarian dishes from vegetables, or tofuand told us not to eat onion and garlic.
Now, I want to stay healthy. And I also want tocleanse my body,” says Nguyen Ngoc Lan, explaining her vegetarianism.
Not as important
According to Hai, vegetarian food does not carrythe same importance as in Hue in terms of the royal history and Buddhistleanings, but its popularity has been increasing nevertheless.
Some restaurants in HCM City have begun to closeon first and full moon days, but these are very few in number. The number ofstreet restaurants serving vegetarian food, however, has exploded. In fact, itis in HCM City that the whole range of vegetarian eateries can be found withease, from the most humble street side stall to the most luxurious, up marketplaces.
Also particular to HCM City are whole stretchesof a street or alley that exclusively serve vegetarian food. The Chay Xom Gia,for instance, is located on a 100m long alley on Hong Bang Street in District 11.Sixteen stalls sell vegetarian food at cheap prices, and these are frequentedby low-income workers.
The late entrant
In comparison to Hue and HCM City, vegetarianfood has been late in coming to Hanoi, but even here, the difference from a fewyears ago is apparent. Like other provinces in the north, vegetarian food wasmostly served in pagodas, but there are now several dozen places in the capitalcity that serve just vegan food. These places, like in other cities, oftencarry photographs and/or quotes from world-famous people, including scientistslike Albert Einstein and Hollywood celebrities like Justin Timberlake and KateWinslet, to promote a vegetarian or vegan diet.
As Hai observes, contrary to HCM City and Hue,people in Hanoi cannot find vegetarian food in street-side stalls. Astreet-side stall that sells only vegetarian or vegan food is a rarity here,but that looks set to change soon.—VNA
With its abundance of delicious vegetables,fruits and roots, Vietnam has all the conditions to cater to vegans.
Vegans can find in Vietnam a variety of vegetariandishes. However, the most common vegan dishes are made of soybeans. Apart fromtofu, steamed and fried, soybeans lend themselves to soya paste, fermentedtofu, veggie Vietnamese ham and a wide variety of other dips and dishes.
Since soybeans are nutritious, rich in proteinand calcium, and non-fattening, they are a good replacement for animal meat.They are also said to be useful in treating several illnesses, including heartdisease and cancer.
Vegans can also find in Vietnam many dishes thatlook like they’re made with real meat. For example, chicken legs are made ofcitronella stems with a special tofu wrapping that even has the texture ofmeat. Barbecued pork chops, beef wrapped in la lot leaves, stewed chicken,steamed fish – the list goes on and on.
The faux meat dishes are consumed more in theSouth than in the North, says Pham Tuan Hai, a judge in the Masterchef Vietnamreality television show.
Veggie histories
Although vegetarian and vegan food has becomemore popular nationwide, the importance of vegetarian food differs from regionto region.
Severaldecades ago, any mention of vegetarian food evoked Hue City in central Vietnam.
“The art of vegetarian food first appeared inthe central provinces of Vietnam, and Hue was one of the first cities in thecountry where vegetarian meals appeared. Vegetarian meals are very important tothe people of Hue,” says Hai.
Historically, vegetarian food first becamepopular during the reign of the Ly Dynasty in 11th century. However, it reachedits zenith as a important part of royal cuisine during the long rule of theNguyen Dynasty since early 19th century, when Hue emerged as a Buddhist centre.
“There were strict rules on picking the rightingredients, cooking and offering vegetarian food to royalty during the reignof the Nguyen Dynasty,” says vegetarian food expert Ho Dac Thieu Anh of Hue.
She explains that the team of chefs servingroyalty had to offer the King the finest food as part of a royal ritual, aprayer for peace and prosperity in the kingdom. During this special ritual, theKing kept himself clean and his mind tranquil. The cooks also had to be cleanand extremely selective of the food they chose to make the offerings. Aboveall, the vegetarian feast had to be presented beautifully, with ornatedecorations.
Since then, eating vegetarian food has become atradition in Hue.
In all pagodas in Hue, every month, on the firstand full moon days of the month, monks and nuns make vegetarian meals to feedthe devotees.
Restaurants that normally sell non-vegetarianfood used to close on these two days or change their menu to serve vegetarianfood.
Most Hue residents turn vegetarian during thefirst and full moon days of the month and on other festive days. The first dayof the New Lunar Year, for instance, is a day of vegetarian meals for manyfamilies in the city.
“I started to eat vegetarian food when Iwas very small, with other members of my family, so this has become a habit.Twice a month, mother always cooked vegetarian dishes from vegetables, or tofuand told us not to eat onion and garlic.
Now, I want to stay healthy. And I also want tocleanse my body,” says Nguyen Ngoc Lan, explaining her vegetarianism.
Not as important
According to Hai, vegetarian food does not carrythe same importance as in Hue in terms of the royal history and Buddhistleanings, but its popularity has been increasing nevertheless.
Some restaurants in HCM City have begun to closeon first and full moon days, but these are very few in number. The number ofstreet restaurants serving vegetarian food, however, has exploded. In fact, itis in HCM City that the whole range of vegetarian eateries can be found withease, from the most humble street side stall to the most luxurious, up marketplaces.
Also particular to HCM City are whole stretchesof a street or alley that exclusively serve vegetarian food. The Chay Xom Gia,for instance, is located on a 100m long alley on Hong Bang Street in District 11.Sixteen stalls sell vegetarian food at cheap prices, and these are frequentedby low-income workers.
The late entrant
In comparison to Hue and HCM City, vegetarianfood has been late in coming to Hanoi, but even here, the difference from a fewyears ago is apparent. Like other provinces in the north, vegetarian food wasmostly served in pagodas, but there are now several dozen places in the capitalcity that serve just vegan food. These places, like in other cities, oftencarry photographs and/or quotes from world-famous people, including scientistslike Albert Einstein and Hollywood celebrities like Justin Timberlake and KateWinslet, to promote a vegetarian or vegan diet.
As Hai observes, contrary to HCM City and Hue,people in Hanoi cannot find vegetarian food in street-side stalls. Astreet-side stall that sells only vegetarian or vegan food is a rarity here,but that looks set to change soon.—VNA
VNA
