What to eat in Vietnam

Spicy red soup of beef and pork leg with thick rice noodles, lemongrass and shrimp paste. Imperial Hue in one bowl.

Pride of Hoi An. Dense yellow noodles (legend has it — on water from old Ba Le well), marinated pork, crispy crackers, fresh herbs. Almost no broth.

Turmeric wide noodles from Quang Nam province with shrimp, pork, egg, peanuts and rice cracker. Broth at the bottom — only a couple of spoonfuls.

Crispy rice flour and turmeric pancake with shrimp and pork. In the Center — small and very crispy, wrapped in lettuce leaves with herbs.

"White rose" dumplings from Hoi An: translucent rice dough with shrimp filling, fried onions on top. Made only in a couple of family workshops.

Simple Hue home dish: cold rice with small river clams, sprouts, peanuts, pork skin and hot broth on top.

Crispy baguette — French heritage — with pate, pork, pickled carrots and daikon, cilantro and chili. In the north more modest, in the south spicier and richer.

Fresh spring rolls in rice paper: shrimp, pork, vermicelli, lettuce, mint. Dipped in peanut sauce or nuoc cham. Light, not fried.

Fried rolls with filling of pork, shrimp, wood mushrooms and vermicelli. In the north — nem, in the south — cha gio. Different wrappers, same meaning.

Strong filter robusta coffee with condensed milk on ice. Standard morning dose in Vietnam. In summer replaces both breakfast and energy drink.

Fish sauce — the basis of everything. Almost never eaten pure; on the table — nuoc cham sauce: diluted, with sugar, lime, garlic and chili. Dip everything.

Mangosteens, rambutans, dragon fruit, durian, pomelo, sapodilla. In the south — year-round, in the north — seasonal. Best dessert replacement in the heat.