Close your eyes for a moment and imagine yourself in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Early in the morning, the energy of the city is unmistakeable—there is no escaping the senses in a city like Hanoi—everything happens all at once. Traffic flies in every direction, and cafes quickly fill up as patrons sit on small stools, sipping jasmine tea and creamy Vietnamese coffee. Entire streets become food markets as circular bamboo trays spill onto the sidewalks, piled high with vegetables and herbs. The sidewalks also double as kitchens for vendors selling pho, fried tofu, bao buns or banh mi sandwiches. Motorcycles or bicycles piled precariously high with food stop by the vendors to drop off or pick up ingredients. Energy and greetings are constantly being exchanged as foods pass from one hand to another and get transported through the narrow and winding streets of the city center.
Everything feels utterly fresh and alive.
“This is the way so many of the great meals of my life have been enjoyed. Sitting in the street, eating something out of a bowl that I’m not exactly sure what it is. And scooters going by. So delicious. I feel like an animal. Where have you been all my life? Fellow travelers, this is what you want. This is what you need. This is the path to true happiness and wisdom.”
—Anthony Bourdain on eating in Vietnam
Smells of aromatic broths waft from the pho stalls and mingle with the more affronting scents of the meat and fish: every part of the animal is available—from the bones to the feet to the intestines—nothing is considered waste.
Rice noodles get piled onto scales into plastic bags, ready to be used later in the day. Rice is the staple grain in Vietnam and many Asian countries. Rice fields speckle the landscape of North Vietnam. In fact, millions of small-scale farmers in Vietnam rely on rice as their source of income. Vietnam is the third-largest exporter of rice in the world. Rice is livelihood, sustenance, and culture in Vietnam.
Is white rice “healthy”?
This is a good question to consider. In the West, white rice has been somewhat demonized for being a processed carbohydrate with a lower fiber content. On the other hand, white rice is incredibly easy to digest and has traditionally been used as a healing food for those with gut issues, nausea, or other illnesses. If you struggle with leaky gut, IBS, or bloating after meals, brown rice may be too fibrous for you and white rice would be a better option while you are healing your gut.
The important thing to understand is that white rice is stripped of more nutrients and fiber that balance blood sugar—i.e., it has a higher glycemic index than its unrefined counterpart (brown rice). Balancing blood sugar is important for weight management and consistent mood and energy. Thus, white rice should always be paired with other ingredients that have fat, protein, and fiber to reduce blood sugar spikes. Interestingly, white rice that has been cooked and left to cool develops more resistant starch, which slows down the uptake of glucose in the body.
In Vietnam, fresh rice noodles are made daily and brought to the markets. In terms of glycemic index, fresh rice noodles, like those traditionally eaten in Vietnam, have a lower GI than both white rice and dried rice noodles. Studies have shown that fresh rice noodles are lower in carbohydrates than white rice. It is interesting to think about how different processing techniques and ways of serving an ingredient, especially one that is one of the most consumed foods in the world, can change how our body interprets and processes the nutrients and energy of that product.
Pho is a staple food for many Vietnamese. Street stalls and restaurants alike offer the nourishing noodle soup at all times of day. It is a simple, aromatic broth filled with freshly made rice noodles. Typically, the options for pho are beef or chicken, although it is possible to find vegetarian versions in some restaurants. The soup is served with a very moderate portion of meat, almost as if the meat is part of the garnish. A few thin slices of beef or chicken are generally placed on top of the bowl of soup alongside fresh herbs.
The meat broth is made by slow cooking bones with bits of ginger, lemongrass, and star anise, which provide the distinct flavor of the dish. Bone broth is any incredibly healing and nutrient-dense food. Being filled with amino acids, collagen, and gelatin, amongst other nutrients, bone broth has become popular in recent years for it’s gut-healing potential.
Bone broth is medicine for those with leaky gut or other forms of dysbiosis (gut imbalance), and pho could be one way to include more bone broth in your diet.
It is common to see Vietnamese eating pho for breakfast. Starting the day with a warm meal is said to stimulate digestive fire in Traditional Chinese Medicine and strengthen the gut and immune system. In colder climates, eating warm foods for breakfast is recommended to maintain digestive strength.
Do you ever have soup for breakfast?
Would you try it?
Fresh vegetables and herbs are used in many aspects of Vietnamese cooking. Mint, cilantro, parsley, perilla, and basil are piled onto soups and crispy pancakes and stuffed into summer rolls. Herbs are nutritionally dense and work wonderfully to balance more rich, fatty meals.
Leafy greens, especially “morning glory” can be found on menus lightly steamed with soy or fish sauce and is often added to rice dishes. Other vegetables are used in soups or served as a side, although these are less commonly found on restaurant menus.
Huge jars of fermented spiced vegetables, from bamboo shoots to cabbages, can be found sold at highway rest stops, village shops, and local food markets.
Adding 1 tbsp of fermented foods to each meal stimulates bile production, improves digestion, and helps to cultivate a healthy microbiome.
In many Asian cuisines, it is typical that a condiment of pickles or fermented vegetables is served with meals.
Transporting foods via motorbike is extremely common in Vietnam and the produce and meat tend to come from local farms, passing hands from the farmers themselves to different transporters and street vendors.
Where does your food come from?
How many hands does it pass through between the farmer and your supermarket?
What are the farming conditions?
