Vietnam

Culture:
 Heavily influenced by Chinese culture, gained independence
from China is 10th century
 French colonization brought Catholicism and Latin alphabet
 20% of Vietnamese families have at least 5 members
o Not uncommon for 3-5 generations living under one roof
 The Family unit is highly emphasized throughout the life cycle
o The individual is not alone, but the product of his
or her generations.
o Ancestors highly respected and honored
 Not encouraged to express how they are feeling
o “the nail that sticks up will be pounded down”
 Arranged marriages in the past, used to build alliances
between families, now youth have more freedom in choosing
partner
o Weddings held with elaborate rituals and ceremonies
 Funeral ceremonies in Vietnam also very elaborate, lasting up to 2 years

Health statistics

94,569,00
Total population (2016) 0

Gross national income per capita (PPP international $, 2013) 5,030

Life expectancy at birth m/f (years, 2016) 72/81

Probability of dying under five (per 1 000 live births, 2017) 21

Probability of dying between 15 and 60 years m/f (per 1 000

population, 2016) 182/66

Indicator Year Value

Degree training in nutrition exists 2016-2017 Yes

Nutrition is part of medical curricula 2016-2017 Yes

Indicator Year Value

Households consuming adequately iodized 2010-

salt (15 parts per million or more) (%) 2011 60.9

Population below minimum level of dietary 2014-

energy requirement (undernourishment) (%) 2016 11.0

Population below the international poverty

line (%) 2014 3.1
Food Habits:
Geography and Food:
 The geography of Vietnam plays an important role in the country's food culture
 Rice is the staple of the Vietnamese diet
 Vietnam has a long coast and many inland waterways provide fish and other
aquatic species that are staples in the Vietnamese diet.
 Vietnamese cuisine varies by region,
o Chinese influences (stir fries, noodles, and use of chopsticks) in the north
o Cambodian (Khmer) and French influences in the south.
Historical Influence on Food:
 Mongolia attacked Vietnam from the north in the tenth century and brought beef
with them and this is how beef became part of the Vietnamese diet.
o Common Vietnamese beef dishes are pho bo (Beef Noodle Soup) and bo
bay mon (Beef Cooked Seven Ways).
 The Chinese who ruled Vietnam for 1,000 years taught the Vietnamese people
certain cooking techniques such as: stir frying, deep frying as well as how to use
chopsticks.
 South of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand introduced foods like
Cambodian style egg noodles, spices, chili, and coconut milk.
 Beginning in the 16th century, explorers and traders introduced foods such as
potatoes, tomatoes, and snow peas.
 When the French colonized Vietnam they introduced foods such as baguettes
(French bread), pâté, coffee with cream, milk, butter, custards, and cakes.
 In the 1960s and 1970s, during the time of the Vietnam War, the U.S. military
introduced ice cream to Vietnam when it contracted with two U.S. dairies to
build dozens of ice cream factories.
Common Foods
 Vietnamese prefer long-grain white rice, opposed to the short-grain rice found in
Chinese cooking.
o They also use rice to make other common ingredients such as: rice wine,
rice vinegar, rice noodles, and rice paper wrappers for spring rolls
 Four main types of rice noodles are used in Vietnamese cooking. Banh pho are
the wide white noodles used in the Vietnamese soup, pho .
 Bun noodles (also called rice vermicelli).
 Banh hoi are a thinner version of bun noodles.
 Nuoc mam is another staple, which is a salty fish sauce that is used in most
Vietnamese recipes and is the most common condiment
o Equivalent to salt or ketchup in Western culture
o Anchovies and salt are layered in wooden barrels and then allowed to
ferment for about six months.
 Bowls filled with nuoc mam are present at practically every meal, and people dip
everything from spring rolls to meatballs into it.

 Squid and eel, are bug parts of the Vietnamese diet.

 Beef, pork, and chicken are eaten in smaller amounts
 Common Veggies: water spinach, cabbage, bamboo shoots, bitter melon,
cucumber, Chinese broccoli

 Vietnamese use many spices and herbs: mint leaves, parsley, coriander, lemon
grass, shrimp, fish sauces ( nuoc nam and nuoc cham ), peanuts, star anise, black
pepper, garlic, shallots, basil, rice vinegar, sugar, green onions, and lime juice.

o Sometimes raw veggies added to meals like cucumbers and bean sprouts
for texture

 Traditional Vietnamese meal includes meat with vegetables, eaten with

chopsticks and rice, or rolled into rice paper or red leaf lettuce and dipped into
an accompanying sauce.
 Dessert is not very common in Vietnam as it is in North America, except perhaps
for a piece of fresh fruit.
o One exception is sweet coconut custard, which might be consumed as
part of a celebratory meal
References:
1. http://www.foodbycountry.com/Spain-to-Zimbabwe-Cumulative-
Index/Vietnam.html#ixzz5k90v023w
2. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-culture-of-vietnam.html
3. http://apps.who.int/nutrition/landscape/report.aspx?iso=vnm