Have you ever wondered why Vietnamese foodis so delicious? There are more and more people who are becoming interested in trying out Vietnamese food in Singapore. Most of them even switch to a Vietnam diet. The benefits in eating Vietnamese foods are becoming a trend. The healthy benefits of Vietnamese food is just one reason that makes Vietnamese cuisine good. The delicious taste is what attracts most people to eating Vietnamese dishes. One thing that makes Vietnamese dishes so delicious is the herbs. You can see that herbs and vegetables are always served on the side of so many dishes. From the very famous Pho to the world’s well-known sandwich BanhMi, a heaping basket of different types of herbs is always served together with your ordered dish. The herbs are what make Vietnamese cuisine unique from all the others. Here are the herbs that are usually served with your Vietnamese dishes:
Cilantro
Cilantro is the most common herb that they use in Vietnamese dishes. They use this herb with spring rolls, fish dishes, soups and many others. Cilantro is fragrant and it’s abundant in Vietnam. Garnishing dishes with cilantro brings an invigorating taste to the dish. They use cilantro in a wide variety of dishes that both Vietnamese and foreign people love.
Sweet Potato Leaves
These leaves are used in soups. Sweet potato leaves is very healthy. It is a good source of iron. Both leaves and stem are used in soup dishes.
Amaranth
While all the other herbs are green, Amaranth gives an attractive purplish-reddish shade. A sautéed or boiled amaranth is often served with a dipping sauce.
Bitter Herb
Rau Dang is what Vietnamese call the bitter herb. This herb is commonly used in stews. It is often used in hot pot dishes and soups. This herb is what its bane suggests, bitter.
Asian Basil
Asian Basil is also known as Rau Que. This basil is slightly spicier than the ones found in Italy. Asian basil is used in wrapped pancakes, mixed in soups or garnish in most of Vietnamese dishes. Asian basil is plentiful in Vietnam as well.
Mint
The herb basket or plates served on the side of Vietnamese dishes always have mint in them. It is a refreshing herb that is often used in soups, BanhMi sandwich and spring rolls. They give flavor distinguishable by your taste buds. A very unique yet flavorful herb that is taking the dish to the next level.
Lemon Grass
This slightly pungent, sweet crusty herb adds layers of density to whatever dish you cook it with. It isadded to many types of Vietnamese soups. A stalk of lemon grass can also be added to a steaming cup of tea with honey. Although lemon grass is added just to add flavor to your dish, they don’t usually put it on the dish when they serve it.
Water Spinach
Water spinach is also known as Morning Glory. Mostly you would find water spinach being served stir fried with garlic and spices. It is also served in most side dish of soups and other dishes. Many love to eat the light yet delicious taste of a water spinach.
Dill
This herb is commonly found in the North of Vietnam. Dill is an essential herb in cooking Cha Ca. Cha Ca is a fish dish with scallions, dill and fish. This herb adds a really good and strong flavor to the dish that is why they love to add it specially with the fish dishes.
You can find these herbs being served in most Vietnamese dishes or on the side. A basket of fresh vegetables and herbs is served in all tables in a Vietnamese restaurant and you won’t miss it. the Vietnamese are very serious in using their herbs in their dishes. It is one part that makes their food unique. Other cuisines use herbs in their food but not as much as the Vietnamese. They experiment in blending herbs to make different flavors and aroma in the food. These herbs are also one of the reasons why eating Vietnamese food in Singapore is healthy for you. It is a source of a lot of Vitamins.
