Interesting facts about recent eating habits in Vietnam – Features that Westerners will never understand. The culture of most countries in the world and their inhabitants is largely determined by the norms of behavior that people must observe while sitting at the table. So, what are the important features of recent eating habits in Vietnam ? Asian traditions do not always correspond to our ideas about etiquette and culture. Having lived for a long time in Vietnam and often attending the feasts of local friends, I hasten to share with you my impressions of the peculiarities of their behavior at the evening meal.
Interesting facts about recent eating habits in Vietnam
Forget about a relaxing family dinner. Unlike us, Vietnamese people do not need to have a reason to gather at one table. Therefore, daily cheerful feasts accompanied by lively conversations and laughter are the norm for our Asian friends.
We’ll have to learn to eat with chopsticks. In the culture of Vietnam, there is no place for such concepts as “fork” and “knife”. Absolutely all solid food is captured with traditional wooden or plastic chopsticks, and the soup can be eaten with chopsticks, too. Most home sets simply do not have forks, and if a Vietnamese family has a foreign guest, even in response to his request, they will not be able to satisfy it.
Forget about a la carte meals. When serving dinner, the Vietnamese place small bowls in front of each person. All cooked dishes – rice, chicken, meat, fish, herbs, are placed in large tray in the center of the table. Each person puts in his bowl as much food as he needs, choosing dishes from the presented assortment.
Get ready to drink a lot of beer. This is especially true of the male company. Vietnamese consumes beer, without exaggeration, in boxes. Almost every sip is accompanied by the traditional toast “mot, hi, bah, yo!”, Which means “one, two, three, cheers!” The merrier the louder the screams.
Wondering where to put leftovers, napkins and empty beer cans? Don’t even think about it – just throw everything under the table or on the floor behind your back. In some families, the owners have special baskets next to the table, but this is rather the exception than the rule.
Don’t like karaoke? So you would not like to join Vietnamese dinner. Every average Vietnamese family has a large TV, amplifier, speakers and microphones. A feast rarely ends without the traditional Vietnamese chant. Nobody cares about how loud the music is and the guest or the host’s talent in singing – complexes are unnecessary here – the main thing is to relax and sing with everyone.
However, in general, despite the oddities, the Vietnamese feast will not leave anyone indifferent – the guests “crawl away” to their homes well-fed, drunk and satisfied. The Vietnamese are a very hospitable and positive nation and they will surely be happy to see you again and again.
Interesting facts about Vietnamese food
In addition to the oddities in etiquette about recent eating habits in Vietnam, every foreigner notices the peculiarities of cooking and the range of dishes offered to guests.
It is difficult to find our traditional potatoes, vegetable slices or pasta on the Vietnamese table. Each family has rice – the most important thing on the table.
Do you love fillets? Unfortunately, your preferences do not match those of most Vietnamese. Take chicken dishes, for example. Those parts of the chicken that we throw away – heads, paws, are abundant in the traditional dishes of our Asian friends. But finding tender pieces of chicken breast is already more difficult. The same goes for pork – juicy medallions are almost always replaced by bony ribs.
Do you prefer steaks with blood? Again, they did not fall for the tastes of the Vietnamese, who love to fry every piece of meat until crisp, so that, at times, they have to be gnawed.
We’ll have to come to terms with the lack of classic ketchup and mayonnaise. One of the few condiments that Vietnamese adore is fish sauce, and hot chili peppers are often added to it. In general, the Vietnamese, like many Southeast Asians, prefer spicy dishes. Therefore, if your stomach is not used to the “pepper attack”, it is better to warn the owners about this in advance.
Yes, there are many differences between us and Vietnamese, and not every Westerner will understand all the delights of an Asian feast. However, the distance in geography, as well as the different paths of development of the two people, undoubtedly determine the peculiarities of the culture. This means that being with the Vietnamese at the same table in their country, you will have to come to terms with many incomprehensible things. But on the other hand, we have a chance to invite them to our countries and conduct a “baptism of fire” with borsch, dumplings, herring and strong drinks.
Interesting facts about recent eating habits in Vietnam
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