The cuisine of Vietnam comes as a pleasant surprise to many visitors and is definitely a part of the Vietnam experience not to be missed. One of the characteristics of Vietnamese food is that it is always fresh; being bought the same morning straight from the market. Food is usually prepared with a minimal amount of oil and served with the ubiquitous fish sauce called nuoc mam.

Typical Vietnamese dishes you can expect to try include pho, a type of rice noodle soup eaten for breakfast; cha gio,  deep-fried spring rolls; and goi ngo sen, a delicious salad made with lotus stems, shrimp and peanuts. Due to the strong Buddhist influence in Vietnam, vegetarian food is widely available, however fish sauce is in nearly everything.

For those who have never used chopsticks, it might be a good idea to learn before you come to Vietnam - or you can bring your own fork. Not to worry though, spoons are offered at almost every restaurant.