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One of the big draw cards of Vietnam is the food and Vietnamese cuisine is a journey from the sublime to the bizarre. Ingredients are almost always fresh and the results invariably superb - it really is one of the highlights of travelling around Vietnam - mealtimes are always something to look forward to.
There are a number of ingredients that are key to Vietnamese cooking such as ginger, coriander, lime, ginger, fish sauce (hold your nose), galangal, garlic and star anise. Rice is the staple and fish is often eaten.
The closest to a national dish is probably Pho (pronounced "Fer"), a simple rice noodle dish in a scented broth. It is ubiquitous in Vietnam and can be found on any street side stall and in the most upmarket restaurants.
Spring rolls are probably Vietnam's most famous export and they are absolutely delicious, fresh out of the wok and served on the plate still sizzling.
At the table, food is eaten with chopsticks and condiments such as fish sauce and chilli flakes are added to the food according to taste.
For those with more adventurous palattes, Vietnam is a great place to experiment with everything from fried scorpion and field rat, to snake wine.
And finally….to wash it all down why not try Hanoi's coffee connoisseur's favourite brew - weasel coffee? This heady tipple is brewed from beans which have been fed to (and "evacuated" by) weasels. According to those in the know, the stomach juices give the beans their distinctively rich aroma. Not for everyone maybe, but whilst in Vietnam, why not do what the Vietnamese do?
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