Northern Vietnam

🍳Cooking Style

Delicate, balanced flavors. Less sugar, less chili. Emphasis on freshness and subtle seasonings. Pho originated here.

📜Historical Context

Chinese influence over millennia shaped northern Vietnamese cuisine, while the colder climate limited ingredient availability.

🌟Signature Dishes

Vietnam·Medium·7-9 hours

Phở Bò

A deeply aromatic and comforting Vietnamese beef noodle soup, featuring a rich, slow-simmered broth, tender rice noodles, thinly sliced rare beef that cooks in the hot broth, and a vibrant array of fresh herbs and garnishes.

Vietnam·Medium·2 hours 30 minutes (including marinating)

Bún Chả

Hanoi's iconic grilled pork dish, featuring smoky, caramelized pork patties and belly served in a sweet, savory, and tangy dipping sauce (nuoc cham) alongside fresh rice vermicelli noodles and a generous assortment of fresh herbs.

Vietnam·Medium·4 hours 30 minutes (including marinating)

Chả Cá Thăng Long

A classic Hanoi street food, Chả Cá Thăng Long features tender white fish marinated in turmeric and spices, pan-fried until golden, and then finished tableside with generous amounts of fresh dill and scallions. It's traditionally served with rice vermicelli, peanuts, and a pungent shrimp paste dipping sauce.

Vietnam·Medium·1 hour 15 minutes

Bánh Cuốn

Delicate, paper-thin steamed rice sheets rolled around a savory filling of ground pork and wood ear mushrooms. Traditionally served as a light breakfast or snack, accompanied by thinly sliced pork sausage (cha lua), crispy fried shallots, and a side of sweet and savory dipping sauce (nuoc cham).

🍽️More from Northern Vietnam

Vietnam·Hard·20-24 hours (minimum)

Bánh Chưng

A traditional Northern Vietnamese square sticky rice cake, essential for Lunar New Year (Tết). It features layers of glutinous rice, savory mung bean paste, and seasoned pork belly, all wrapped in dong leaves and boiled for an extended period. The square shape symbolizes the Earth.

Vietnam·Medium·2 hours 45 minutes

Bánh Bao

Fluffy, cloud-like steamed buns filled with a savory mixture of seasoned ground pork, Chinese sausage, wood ear mushrooms, and a whole hard-boiled quail egg. A beloved Vietnamese street food with Chinese culinary influences.

Vietnam·Medium·2 hours 30 minutes (including rising and cooling)

Bánh Bò

A delightful Vietnamese steamed cake known for its distinctive, airy honeycomb-like interior texture. It's wonderfully chewy, sweet, and often infused with pandan for a fragrant aroma.

Vietnam·Medium·1 hour 5 minutes

Bánh Cam

Bánh Cam are delightful Vietnamese deep-fried glutinous rice balls, traditionally filled with a sweet mung bean paste and coated in sesame seeds. They are known for their crispy exterior, chewy interior, and satisfyingly hollow center when fried correctly. A perfect sweet treat for any occasion.

Vietnam·Medium-Advanced·2 hours 15 minutes

Bánh Canh Cua

A comforting and flavorful Vietnamese thick noodle soup, featuring chewy tapioca noodles swimming in a rich, savory crab and pork bone broth, generously topped with sweet crab meat. A beloved specialty from Central Vietnam.

Vietnam·Medium·2 hours

Bánh Đa Cua

A signature dish from Hai Phong, this vibrant noodle soup features chewy red rice noodles bathed in a rich, savory broth made from field crabs and pork ribs, topped with flavorful crab cakes and fresh herbs. It's a true taste of Hai Phong city's culinary heritage.