Vietnam food - Hanoi cuisine

If you have any opportunity to visit Vietnam, especially Hanoi, do not miss one of the following famous dishes:

Cold comfort (Banh troi, banh chay)
The Vietnamese often make two kinds of cakes: banh troi (floating cake) and banh chay (lean cake) on the third day of the third month of the Lunar year. This is known as the “Cold Food Festival”. In Vietnam, most people may have forgotten its origins but it’s still considered an important occasion for ancestral offerings. The cakes are popular desserts in both rural and urban areas.
Banh troi are small white balls made of brown sugar, wrapped in glutinous rice flour. The name floating cakes came about from the way it is actually cooked. Banh chay are also made of glutinous flour, however, they resemble boiled dumplings and are filled with mung bean paste, sprinkled with sesame seeds and served in bowls with syrups floured with grapefrui blossom.
Rice vermicelli soup
It is almost impossible to resist the temptation of tasting “Bun thang” soup when you see it dished up in a bowl put on a low bamboo table in the old Dong Xuan Market, even if you are not hungry.
Seeing a customer coming, the girl selling”bun thang” smiled, gently took a bowl to rinse it in a pot of boiling water, wiped it dry She put at the bottom of the bowl some polygonum. and coriandrum, filled the bowl up to the brim with vermicelli and then dished up all the other ingredients on the white surface of the vermicelli: you must have no less than 20 ingredients to make a good soup of “bun thang”
In the end, she poured a ladle of boiling broth over the bowl, them emptied it back to the pot, so as to make the vermicelli warmer, and finally, poured a sufficient quantity of broth into the bowl for the soup to be served hot.
According to the taste of each customer, some shrimp paste must be added to give the soup a particular smell.
Gio Cha
Gio cha (pork pie boiled or fired or grilled). Pounded meat, impregnated with fragrant ingredients, wrapped in banana leaves and stewed is called gio. If grilled, it is called cha. These two preparations may be viewed as cold food, to be eaten with glutinous or ordinary rice, bread, or banh day (pounded cooked glutinous rice).
They are convenient for a picnic and can be kept for three or four days in a cool and well-aired
place. They are available in all markets.
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12 things you should know before you visit Vietnam

Vietnam is a long-stretching, beautiful, historically and culturally rich and amazing country, and there are a few things that every person should know before they pack their bags and head to Vietnam.

Vietnam is a friendly and safe place to travel. With a sprinkling of common sense, your trip should be smooth and trouble free. Tourists usually complain about over-aggressive street vendors, tour operators with a bad attitude and dangerous driving. However, with a cool head and sensible planning, one can avoid these problems.

DO’S

1. Greetings are no different to western countries, there are no cultural formalities that as a foreginer you would be expected to know or practise.
2. Vietnamese dress conservatively. Despite the heat, it’s best not to show off too much skin. If you do, especially girls, you’ll only draw stares from the locals.
3. Dress well when visiting pagodas. No shorts or tatty beer t-shirts. Shoes are fine, and rarely will you have to remove them. If unsure, just follow what the locals do.
4. Drink plenty of bottled water, especially when walking around sightseeing. No need to carry huge bottles around with you, a vendor is never far away and no doubt they will find you before you find them.
5. Keep your cash, credit cards, airline tickets and other valuables in a safe place.
6. Travel with recommend tour agencies. Even if you plan to buy tickets when in country, research your journey a little first on the Internet. A good resource is Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree Forum, where fellow tourists discuss travel in Vietnam. This way you avoid unreliable tour agencies and badly run hotels.

DON’TS

1. Wear a lot of jewellery or take a bag with you. Violent crime is highly unusual in Vietnam, but petty crime is more apparant. If you have a bag, or tout a digital camera around your neck, you are a potential target.
2. When taking a ride by motorbike taxi (xe om) make sure your bag, if any, is not on display or easy to grab. Bag snatches, although still rare, are probably the most likely crime a tourist would encounter, and it raises the probability immensely if you are tailing a camera or a laptop in the wind.
3. Don’t wear singlets, shorts, skirts or dresses, or revealing clothes to temples or pagodas.
4. Physical displays of affection between lovers in public are frowned upon. That’s why you may come across couples holding hands but not hugging or kissing.
5. Losing your temper in Vietnam means a loss of face. Keep a cool head and remain polite, you’ll have a greater chance of getting what you want.
6. Remember, this is Vietnam, a devloping country, and things don’t quite work as you are maybe used to. Don’t be paranoid about your safety, just be aware of your surroundings.

Important things you should know before travel to Vietnam

Tips for Enjoying your Visit to Vietnam

Vietnam is rich in natural beauty like the Mekong Delta and green rice fields. It also offers a vibrant culture with ancient traditions. Vietnam offers many different attractions like the beautiful Ha Noi city, SaPa terraces, Hoi-An fishing village, Phu Quoc island and the Ha Long Bay. But before you travel to Vietnam there are certain factors you need to remember to have a good time.

Climate

Vietnam has a humid climate and it is likely to rain at some point during your visit. Be sure to carry  umbrellas and raincoats. You can also buy a Poncho for a minimal price in Vietnam. Many hotels lease umbrellas so you can check if your hotel provides this service. A lot of places in Vietnam are generally hot. It is a good idea to carry summer clothes. Keep yourself hydrated by drinking lots of water.

Commute

Many different public transport system can be found when you travel to Vietnam. You can travel by train to reach different cities. Taxis are also available. You can rent a car if you want travel on your own. Renting a Motor bike will make it easy to travel through narrow streets and you can get parking easily. You can also rent cycles and use them to travel somewhere close as they provide an easy way to move around traffic.  Always carry your passport and other important documents when you are travelling.  Always carry a good map when you are traveling.

Accommodation

You can get rooms easily as most hotels are not overbooked. If you have decided to travel to Vietnam in winter during the Tet festival (Vietnam New Year) then it is better top re-book your accommodation. Many tourists come to Vietnam during Tet and almost all of the good hotels are overbooked. Before you choose a hotel check out the different services they offer. Do they provide transport services? Do they provide tours and what kind of food is available?  Avoid secluded hotels located in backstreets.

Language

Knowing Vietnamese is an advantage. Try to learn basic words such as hotel, food and bathroom before you travel to Vietnam. Pronounce them correctly as some Vietnamese words have the same spelling but sound different. An audio tutorial of the Vietnamese language can  help you with the pronunciation of the words along with their meaning. Always take an English-Vietnamese dictionary with you. Also, carrying a picture chart of basic utilities like food, hospital and airport can help you a lot.

Food

Familiarize yourself with the local cuisine before you travel to Vietnam. If you are a vegetarian, check out popular vegetarian dishes made in Vietnam and try them. Learn to pronounce them correctly. Vietnamese cuisine mostly includes sea food like shrimp, fish, lobsters and crab. It is rich in natural flavors of herbs, vegetables and fruits. Some of the best known Vietnamese dishes are available on the street but it is better to eat in restaurants for good quality food.

Other than  above facts there are always the beautiful and famous places you can visit when visit Vietnam.