Vietnamese cuisine may not be as familar as Chinese or Thai food to most westerners so finding something familiar to order may sometimes be difficult for a first time visitor to Vietnam. As in most Asian countries rice (com) and noodles are the staples of most meals in Vietnam. The northern part of Vietnam has some Chinese influences in it's food while the south the has influences from Thailand and India.

Many travellers find that they often get hungry in Vietnam, as the portions are usually small, and the content is not as high in calories as most Western foods.

You will find a good variety of places to eat while in Vietnam. One such place are the street kitchens where most Vietnamese eat. These are simple shops that make a range of soups and steamed dishes at very cheap prices. Many foreign visitors will feel more comfortable in a regular restaurant with an English menu and cleanewr surroundings which can easily be found in the major cities.

Something very unique in the northern part of Vietnam for fast food are the mobile street vendors. They use a bamboo pole to carry a lit stove and soup pot on one side, and a collection of plates, cutlery and even small plastic chairs on the other.You can sit down wherever you are at and enjoy your meal. When you're finished your vendoeer washes your plates, packs up his stove and pots and moves on in search ofhis next customer.

Vietnam also offers a wide variety of delicious fruit incluidng lychees, mangosteens and durian. Durian (also known as the "king of fruit") is a delicacy that you shouldn't miss. It has a spiky exterior that is hard to remove, but once broached the pulpy flesh has an unforgettable flavour..

One Vietnamese meal that is very popular are spring rolls, in Vietnamese pronounced cha gio or cha nem. They can be filled with meat and/or vegetables, and are served with lettuce and a spicy dip. You can choose from the uncooked variety that you wrap yourself with fillings of prawns, pork, herbs and glass noodles or the ready made, fried variety, usually filled with pork and served hot.

Also very popular are soups called pho (pronounced more like 'fer') that contain noodles and different combinations of meat and vegetables. Pho Ga is chicken; Pho Bo is beef.

While in Ho Chi Minh, try Hu Tieu, also known as Saigon soup, made of crab meat, garlic, shrimp and beef stock. Very nutritious. If you are visiting Hanoi, try the bun cha, which are small hamburgers grilled and served on noodles and greens with a sweet sauce.

Bang chung is a traditional food made from rice, minced pork meat and green bean paste, tightly enclosed in a square of bamboo leaves. Bang chung is always served at Tet, although it can be found at other times of the year.

Seafood is available almost everywhere, and one particularly tasty delicacy is chao tom, shrimp fried on a stick of sugar cane.