IN THE KITCHEN by Faith Bahadurian: Reflecting the country’s many rivers and 1,600 miles of coastline, dishes emphasize aquatic life and seafood, with an abundance of rice, fresh vegetables and herbs (including countless varieties of basil, mint and cilantro).
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I was shocked the first time I heard someone talk about vacationing in Vietnam, a country many of us associate with an unpopular war of which we are being reminded by current events. And that’s a shame, because after opening to the global market in the 1980s, Vietnam is now a country of strong economic growth (the literacy rate is 85 percent), of great natural beauty and natural resources, of vibrant culture and a highly regarded cuisine.
You can sample much of Vietnam’s culture and cuisine at Vietnam: Journeys of Body, Mind & Spirit, the first comprehensive exhibition on Vietnamese life to be presented in the United States, which has just opened at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. This landmark exhibition, which examines Vietnamese culture today, was organized in collaboration with the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, where it will move after its New York run.
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Periplus Editions
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| From "The Food of Vietnam" by Trieu Thi Choi and Marcel Isaak, traditional servings of Goi Cuon (shrimp rolls), top, and Bi Cuon (pork rolls), bottom, with fish sauce and peanut sauce.
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The exhibit celebrates, through colorful displays, videos and recordings, a broad range of cultural beliefs and practices, reflecting Vietnam’s diverse population of 54 ethnic groups. Items on view include everyday ceramics and textiles, a ceremonial altar set up in the home for Tet (New Year) and colorful votive paper household goods, including pots and pans, which are burnt to accompany the dead to their new existence.
After viewing the exhibits, stroll through the Marketplace, reminiscent of the bamboo stands and street vendors found throughout Vietnam. There are indigenous crafts and books (including many cookbooks) for sale, and a few more steps bring you to Café Pho, selling Vietnamese dishes in a "street food" setting.
The café serves up its namesake ubiquitous noodle soup in beef, chicken and tofu versions, all garnished with slivers of fresh vegetables, basil, cilantro and fried shallot slices. I also enjoyed delicate steamed shrimp and chive dumplings and flavorful shrimp mousse grilled on sugar cane sticks.
Vietnam’s cuisine is similar to nearby Thailand’s but reflects the country’s many rivers and 1,600 miles of coastline with more emphasis on aquatic life and seafood. Fertile inland areas mean an abundance of rice, fresh vegetables and herbs, with countless varieties of basil, mint and cilantro.
After my visit to the museum, I felt like I’d had my own little vacation in Vietnam, giving truth to the Vietnamese proverb, "A day of traveling will bring a basketful of learning."
GOI CUON (Shrimp Rolls)
adapted from The Food of Vietnam: Authentic Recipes from the Heart of Indochina
by Trieu Thi Choi and Marcel Isaak
Makes 20 rolls.
½ cup water
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon rice wine
½ teaspoon salt
1 pound shrimp, with shells on
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 ounces pork loin
20 pieces dried rice paper wrappers (square ones are best to hold the filling in; if you use round ones, fold over the sides before rolling)
1 medium head butter lettuce, leaves separated and ribs removed
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup fresh mint leaves
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
2 small, hot red chilies, thinly sliced
1 cup bean sprouts
1 bunch chives, cut in 3-inch to 4-inch lengths
In a frying pan, combine water, vinegar, rice wine and salt. Bring to a boil. Add shrimp; simmer until just done. Cool and peel shrimp, and slice each in half lengthwise. Heat oil in a separate pan; sear pork in pan for about 2 minutes or until lightly browned all over. Add liquid from cooking shrimp to the pan; simmer pork for 15 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat, drain and cut into long thin strips.
One at a time, gently rub rice paper wrapper with a moist towel until paper is soft and flexible. Place a lettuce leaf, then some basil, mint and cilantro on side of wrapper closest to you. On top of that arrange some pork strips and a few shrimp. Sprinkle on a few slices of chili and a few bean sprouts. Lay several strands of chive in the same direction as the pork strips, then roll the wrapper away from you, firmly around the filling. Cut each wrapper into three sections on an angle, and serve with peanut or Nuoc Cham sauce (see below).
If preparing ahead of time, cover rolls with a damp paper towel and plastic wrap.
CHAO TOM (Shrimp Mousse on Sugar Cane)
adapted from The Food of Vietnam
Makes 8 pieces.
Note: Fresh sugar cane is occasionally seen at area markets, but you can count on canned at the Asian Food Market in Plainsboro. Either way, you will have to cut the stalks into narrower sticks.
10 ounces (1¼ cups) raw shrimp, chopped
1 teaspoon fish sauce
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 sugar cane sticks, 4 inches long
1 red chili, seeded and sliced
½ cup cilantro leaves
Process shrimp with salt, sugar, and pepper to make a rough paste. Divide the mixture into 8 portions. Coat your palms with oil to keep the mixture from sticking and form the paste around the sugar canes until tight. Grill on oiled grill over medium heat, turning once, until crisp and slightly browned, about 5-7 minutes. (Alternatively, bake at 375-degrees for about 20 minutes.) Serve with the Nuoc Cham sauce (below), garnishing with cilantro. If the sugar cane is soft enough to chew on, you will find it infused with the flavor of the shrimp.
PEANUT SAUCE
from Asian Noodles by Nina Simonds
Makes about ¾ cup
¼ cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1½ teaspoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon safflower or corn oil
1½ teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
In a small bowl, combine the hoisin sauce, peanut butter, tomato paste, sugar, and water and stir until smooth. Heat a small heavy saucepan over high heat. Add the oil and heat until hot, about 20 seconds. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and stir-fry for about 5 seconds, until fragrant. Stir in the peanut butter mixture and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
NUOC CHAM (Spicy sweet-and-sour dipping sauce)
from Asian Noodles
Make about 2/3 cup
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Juice of 3 limes or two lemons
¼ cup fish sauce (Thai is fine)
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons grated carrots
In a medium bowl, soak the crushed red pepper in the lime juice for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the fish sauce, sugar, and garlic and stir to dissolve the sugar. Just before serving, add the carrots.
Vietnam: Journeys of Body, Mind & Spirit runs through Jan. 4 at The American Museum of Natural History. For more information, visit www.amnh.org or call (212) 769-5100. The Food of Vietnam: Authentic Recipes from the Heart of Indochina by Trieu Thi Choi and Marcel Isaak, Periplus Editions, ISBN 962-593-394-8.