Vietnam Food & Dining

Drinking

Green tea is the most common drink, and is offered as a courtesy to guests or visitors. The two most popular local beers are Saigon Export and Saigon Lager, but imported beers are available, at roughly double the price. Vietnam produces several varieties of rice wine - known as Ruou. However, bottles of Ruou commonly contain a pickled snake, the inclusion of which is thought to impart health-giving elements.

There are also numerous varieties of locally distilled spirits, which do not include the reptilian element - even if they may taste as if they do. Fruit wines, such as apricot, orange or lemon, are also common, and Soft drinks are processed from the many varieties of tropical fruits. Bottled drinking water should be checked to ensure that the cap or seal is original and intact.

Eating

Vietnam's elaborate cuisine has achieved international recognition, with such dishes as pho (noodle soup) gio lua (pork sausage) nem ran (spring rolls) and cha ca (fish balls), and cooking is itself seen as something of an artform. Most meals consist of a number of side dishes served with one of a variety of rices.

Some of the best Vietnamese food can be sampled at the proliferation of pavement food stalls around towns and cities.

Mon canh consists of a soup made with pork or spare-ribs, crab meat, and fish, while Mon an kho consists of dishes of pork, fish, shrimp, and vegetable stirred in fat, and served with vegetable pickles among other condiments.