THE FLAVOR OF HOMELAND
hương vị quê nhà
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Some flavors that remind me,
how I'm proud to be a Vietnamese.
Cơm tấm Long Xuyên - Long Xuyen broken rice
Com tam is so popular in Vietnam! However, Long Xuyen broken rice is something I only have had chances to eat twice! "Cơm tấm" is a Vietnamese dish made from rice with fractured rice grains. In Vietnam, while a dish of "Com tam" basically has the same ingredients between regions (fried egg, pickle, grilled pork chop, pork pie and shredded pork skin), each region has its own style of making the dish different. Long Xuyen broken rice is among the most famous "com tam" in Vietnam, due to the rice being much more squished, making the rice melt in your mouth pretty soon. They also use braised, sliced egg instead of fried egg. 
Bún mắm Châu Đốc - Chau Doc noodle soup cooked with fermented fish.
Another favorite dish in my list is Bún mắm. "Bún mắm"(a noodle soup cooked with fermented fish), is one of the Mekong Delta’s specialties that originated from Cambodia. Therefore, many kinds of fish found in the Mekong Delta can be used for the dish, mostly basa fish in Vietnam. Also in Vietnam, Châu Đốc is a region being famous for its variety of "mắm" (fish sauce) that makes its name for "bún mắm Châu Đốc". A Vietnam version of "bún mắm" uses moustached danio or snakeskin gourami instead of prahok (a Cambodian kind of fish sauce). A Vietnamese noodle is often served with water spinach, banana flower and some other herbs, which I find them too hard to translate. I pretty like sliced roasted pork and seafood, and this dish has them all. While the smell is maybe a little bit too much for someone who doesn't like fish sauce, it tastes beyond good!
Bánh cuốn Thanh Trì - Thanh Tri rice rolls
In Vietnam, we often have this dish for breakfast. "Bánh cuốn", or steamed rice roll, is made from rice flour that is later thinly steamed and rolled and filled with vegetables, mushrooms or mostly minced meat. I had an opportunity to eat Thanh Tri rice rolls in 2014 when I went to Ha Noi (Northern Vietnam). One feature that reminds me, is that it isn't stuffed with meat, unlike the way many other regions do rice rolls. The main focus here is the rice roll itself. The texture is silky, thinner and has more feel of sweet, rice aroma. We ate Thanh Tri rice rolls with roasted cinnamon pork and tofu and dipping sauce.
Bánh tằm bì Đồng Tháp - Dong Thap noodles with coconut cream
"Bánh tằm bì" is a mixture of tapioca noodles with rich coconut cream, shredded pork skin and pork meat, and fish sauce. I've always been a fan of coconut cream that I'm so into every food that goes with it. Coconut makes the dish much sweeter, softer and creamier. The salty shredded pork skin and dipping fish sauce helps you stay with the dish, as the coconut flavor is sometimes too strong.
Bánh xèo Phan Thiết - Phan Thiet pancake
"Bánh xèo", or so-called Vietnamese crepe, is stuffed rice pancake. "Xèo" refers to the loud sound the rice batter makes on the hot skillet. Turmeric powder is used to create yellow texture. The pancake is stuffed with shrimp, pork, squid, mung bean sprouts. This dish is one of of the most popular dishes in Vietnam. Phan Thiet pancake, unlike other pancakes in other regions, is very small that it's equivalent to the length of an adult hand. Therefore, for one dish of Phan Thiet pancake, we usually have from 5 to 10 pancakes, instead of just 1 or 2 big pancakes.
Hủ tiếu Mỹ Tho - My Tho noodles soup
"Hủ tiếu" is very popular in Vietnam although it originates from China. Nam Vang noodles soup from Cambodia is also very popular too in my country. Fortunately, we Vietnamese came up with our own noodles soup, Mỹ Tho noodles soup is among the best three prominent local noodles dishes in Southern Vietnam (Mỹ Tho, Sa Đéc, Nam Vang). Actually I find them quite similar in terms of ingredients that contain slices of pig liver and pork, shrimps, fried onions, chives, noodles and different kinds of herbs. It is not until you eat that you get to tell the difference. My Tho noodles is kind of chewy and has a more specific flavor.
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Try them,
they're worth your time!
