Vietnam’s Exotic Fruits

                            

                                    Vietnam's fruit opens a whole new world for food-lovers

Vietnam is replete with exceptional tropical fruits.  These fruits are a strong part of the nation's culinary profile.  For example, there are as many street food vendors selling fruit as there are serving the country's signature soup dish, Pho.  Fruit is so popular that carving it has become an art-form.  Moreover, no meal in a Vietnamese home is served without some type of fruit.

Most of these exotic fruits are unknown to Americans and Europeans.  However, due to the large population of Vietnamese in California many of the delectable fruits are now showing up in Cali grocery stores.  Not only are they insanely delicious, but they present beguiling opportunities for the foodie to experiment with new products.  

Jackfruit

Jackfruit is the largest tree-borne fruit in the world

I simply can't get enough of jackfruit.  I loved this fruit so much that when we moved to San Diego ten years ago I attempted to have a tree planted---until I learned that it took 20 years for the tree to bare the first fruit.  Thankfully, I was able to find an Asian market that carried it.  Last year my local grocer began selling jackfruit, so it appears that I'm not the only one wowed by this seductive fruit.

Jackfruit's taste is somewhere between a pineapple and a banana.  It's distinctive.  It's also addictive.  When cooked, the fruit has a texture similar to pulled pork, thus it has become popular in vegetarian cooking.  (Trader Joe's sells a frozen jackfruit curry that is subline!)  My favorite way, nonetheless, is the raw fruit.

Durian

 

 Durian's taste is delectable

I was introduced to this fruit on my first trip to Vietnam years ago by a Vietnamese friend living in California.  She and I went to Vietnam to retrace her roots from living there as a child.  She made certain to warn me that this fruit was like a horribly stinky cheese in France.  She was right:  just get past the smell and you find a mouth-watering fruit.

Durian's taste, an almost indescribable cacophony of flavors, is a combination of sweet and savory.  The texture is super creamy.  Unfortunately, durian is very expensive due to its short period of ripeness.  Don't miss it if you see it.

Rambutan

Rambutan are harvested twice a year in Vietnam

Rambutan, which belongs to the lychee family, is an absolutely visually stunning fruit.  The first time I saw it I thought it was a flower.  Its Vietnamese name actually translates to "messy hair."  Once peeled, the interior reveals a white fleshy fruit which is a little like a grape in texture and taste.

Longan

Longan is eaten raw or dried like a date

Longan is another member of the same family as rambutan and lychee.  Its name means "dragon's eye" for when the fruit is peeled it resembles a large eye.  The fruit's musky sweet taste is similar to that of lychee with gentle flowery notes.  While eaten raw, it is also popular in desserts.

Dragon Fruit

Dragon fruit is a feast for the eyes & taste buds

While this fruit is actually native to Central America, it is widely grown throughout Vietnam.  Its bright red shell decorated with green scales resembles a dragon, thus, its name in Asia.  Inside is a white fruit studded with tiny black seeds.  Personally, I don't find much taste at all in the fruit, however, others feel its taste is a cross between a kiwi and a pear.

Star Apple

Star apple's interior is very creamy

The star apple is a gorgeous purple-tinged fruit when fully ripe.  Measuring only 2-3 inches in diameter, the small found fruit gets its name from the star pattern seen when the fruit is cut in half.  A spoon is necessary to scoop out the sweet interior as its delicate jelly-like pulp is juicy.  The Vietnamese call star apple "milk fruit" because of the rich milky liquid that oozes from its center.

Mangosteen

The inside of the hard-shelled exterior is a big surprise

Native to Southeast Asia, the mangosteen is one of the best tasting fruits in all of Vietnam.  It's tough exterior resembles an acorn but a soft and sweet interior tastes like a melange of orange, banana and peach.  The fruit's segmented flesh is similar to than of an orange, however, the flesh is white.

Those coming with us to Vietnam in February 2020 will be able to sample most of these fruits on the foodie's tour of Saigon's exciting central market.  There are two seats remaining on this trip:    http://www.wineknowstravel.com/itinerary-vietnam/

World’s Best Banh Mi Sandwich?

I order mine with "the works"

Anthony Bourdain said this sandwich shop was the best in Vietnam….I say it just might be the best in the world.   Google banh mi and in a nano second you’ll get >36 million hits.  Bahn mi has become an international culinary hit.  There are now banh mi cookbooks, YouTube videos on tapas of banh mi, recipes for banh mi burgers and even banh mi pizza.  So, listen up when I say I know where the best banh mi on the planet is.

                    My fave spot has become so famous that it sells 3,000-4,000 banh mi daily

Let’s start at the beginning.  Banh mi actually means bread.  The French brought their beloved baguettes to Vietnam in the late 19^th century.  The baguettes, made from expensive imported wheat, were affordable only to the French.  Once the French were kicked out of Vietnam, the Vietnamese began adding rice flour to the baguette, making it more reasonable in price.   The defeated French left behind warehouses filled with pâté, cheese, mayonnaise and expensive cold cuts which were all sold at rock-bottom prices in the local markets.  The Vietnamese, out of disdain for the French, began to eat these once forbidden products.  Out of spite and to flaunt their independence, the Vietnamese then began experimenting with local products as ingredients for the baguette.

                        There's a mind-boggling array of fillings...all prepared fresh daily

The actual banh mi, however, wasn’t birthed until the late 1950’s in Saigon.  Long before plastic and Styrofoam made everything portable, an ingenious couple who had fled north Vietnam to the southern capital, thought of making individual baguettes and filling them with a the Vietnamese version of pate, mayo and pickled vegetables.  They revolutionalized eating on the go in busy Saigon with their new sandwich as it could be carried away by customers in their hands.

  This place is so popular that the city's best bakery moved its location next door to the banh mi shop

Dove-tailing with the banh mi’s invention in Saigon during the mid 20th centry, the Americans also helped the success of banh mi.  During this period the US began sending wheat shipments which allowed the baguette industry to flourish.  By this time, the Vietnamese were also changing---they had become adept at making pâté from pork, adapting the Chinese version of BBQ to a local recipe, and were even making their own mayonnaise.

                                        Hoi An is also famous for its gorgeous silk lanterns

So, where is the world’s best banh mi?  It’s located in the UNESCO (United Nations World Heritage Site) seaside town of Hoi An.  There are at least ten ingredients, all of them working in total harmony:  a thin layer of aioli, a splash of the au jus left over from the roasting of the meats, a spreadable house-made pâté, BBQ pork, sliced tomatoes, pickled carrots and daikon, thinly sliced cucumbers, fresh cilantro, and finally a dab of fish sauce mixed with chili for the perfect kick.

      Wine-Knows will visit Hoi An's marketplace where all the bahn mi ingredients are purchased

If you’re coming with Wine-Knows in February 2020 to Vietnam you’ll be eating the Holy Grail of banh mi at this little dive of gastronomy.  There is one or possibly two spots remaining on this trip. http://www.wineknowstravel.com/itinerary-vietnam/.  If you’re not coming, the name of the place is Banh Mi Phuong….expect a line out the door, and be sure to order “the works.”

Vietnam's Best

                                  Nirvana for the country's best banh mi sandwich

Anthony Bourdain is to blame.  He spoiled me.  I keep wanting to prove him wrong, but I've not been able to do so after attempting many times.   Indeed, the best banh mi sandwich in Vietnam is in the seaside UNESCO village of Hoi Ann at Banh mi Phuong.  Believe me when I say their rendition of this sandwich is the bomb.   I’ve eaten there three times and I’m already dreaming of my return in 2020 with the next group of Wine-Knows.

Banh mi actually means bread.  France controlled Vietnam for nearly 80 years and settlers brought to the colony their love for baguettes.  Although the French were driven out in the 1950’s, the baguette remained.   A baguette is the basis for the banh mi, however, the Vietnamese version is always a single serving baguette. Rice flour is often used in conjunction with wheat flour making the Vietnamese adaptation more airy with a thinner crust.  It’s super crunchy and crispy. 

                                A sampling of some of the ingredients at Banh mi Phuong

The baguette is a critical component for the Banh mi but the inside ingredients also can make or break it.   The version I order at Banh mi Phuong has > 10 ingredients, all elements working in totally harmony.  First, there’s a thin layer of aioli, then a splash of the au jus left over from the roasting of the poultry and meats that will follow later on the sandwich. Then, a spreadable house-made pate. Last, there are tomatoes, pickled carrots and daikon, thinly sliced cucumbers, fresh cilantro, and finally a dab of fish sauce mixed with chili for the perfect kick.

                             The owner's daughter warms the scrumptious baguettes

At Banh mi Phuong huge baskets of baguettes are delivered every hour by bicycle from the local bakery.  They are warm on arrival, but this sandwich shop warms the baguettes in a small oven briefly before preparation…making the bread even crunchier. Hundreds of baguettes are served hourly here as there’s a constant parade of hungry folks night and day. 

Now for the bad news:  there’s always a line.   The coveted ten or so tables inside are always crawling with locals and tourists jockeying in concert for one of the few spots to sit.   Because of this, the small sandwich shop is surrounded by a swarm of parked motorcycles whose riders devour their banh mi atop their motorbikes.

Check out the few minute clip from Bourdain’s visit to Banh mi Phuong:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUMlwNHNXp0

Foodie Gifts to Bring Home from Vietnam

Wine-Knows is going to Vietnam for the second time in February 2016.  Several clients have inquired about what kinds of gifts are best to bring back for foodie friends at home.  All require little space and have relatively small weight when compared to other gift items that may tempt you.

Coffee:

                 Coffee is an art-form in Vietnam...they even have their own drip maker.

Some of you may be scratching your head on this one----coffee from Vietnam?   Trust me when I say, "trust me" on this one. Vietnam is one of the world's largest coffee producers (second only to Brazil).   Like French Roast?  You'll enjoy the Vietnamese version...no doubt strongly influenced by the French occupation of the country for nearly 100 years.  And, I know just the place to buy it.

Lotus tea:

                                                         One sip and you'll be hooked!                                               

A dear Vietnamese friend from California  (born in Saigon) came on my last trip to Vietnam.  One of her favorite things as a child was lotus tea.  It was love at first sip for me.  Actually, it was love at first smell.  This tea has an intense but delicate floral aroma and taste.  The petals of the lotus plant are picked in the early morning and dried for this tea.  It's a culinary masterpiece.

5 spice powder:

                      With just a tablespoon or so, these packets are easy for packing.

Some of the dishes prepared in cooking classes on our first trip were made with this intoxicating mixture.  Yes, one can buy 5 spice in the USA, but the Vietnamese version is more aromatic and complex in flavor.  I plan to bring home double the amount I did on the last trip.

Dried strawberries:

                  While there are many dried fruits in Vietnam, the strawberries were special.

Yes, you can occasionally find these in the USA, but they are not as intense as those in Vietnam.  These are a scrumptious delicacy that are sure to please even the most discerning gourmet.

Dried snow mushrooms:

              I rushed to the market to buy these immediately following our cooking class.

I fell in love with these in northern Vietnam's mountains where tea is grown on hillside terraces against a breathtaking backdrop of rural villages and lush landscapes.  These delectable edibles grow on trunks of trees and are used in a variety of salads and main dishes.   I intend to fill my suitcase with bags of them as they are nearly weightless.

We have two spots left in the upcoming trip to Vietnam in February 2016.    The trip is showcased at www.WineKnowsTravel.com.

Vietnam’s Scrumptious Street Food

                                               This street vendor is out just after the sun rises.

Street food in Vietnam is an institution.  It’s a way of life.  The poor and the rich do it.  The young and the elderly.  Families and singles.  Locals and tourists.  Each stand has its specialty and it’s not unusual for a vendor to only offer one item.  Delving into the Vietnamese culture doesn’t get any better than at a street food spot where you see all strata of life converging into one delicious spot.

                                             If your lucky, there will be seating.

Seating (if there is any) is very rudimentary---often nothing more than the types of tiny plastic chairs often seen in Kindergartens. (You haven’t lived until you’ve tried to pry yourself out of one of these munchkin size seats.)  It’s not about comfort.  It’s about comfort food.  Service?  The server is the chef---service includes handing you your food.

Two years ago I was taken by a foodie in Saigon on a tour of her favorite street spots.  In Hanoi, I hired a gourmet cooking company to take me to their hidden street gems.  I still dream about both of those evenings.  Very different experiences, but both equally compelling for this die-hard foodie.

One of the most unforgettable places was deep in a residential district of Saigon.  The streets were so small that no cars could enter…only motorcycles or pedestrians.  It was like opening day at Yankee stadium.  The streets were mobbed, there was a palpable excitement in the air.  All bases were loaded at the vendor who specialized in Banh Xeo…a crispy omelette/pancake filled with fresh veggies.  In a hall of fame, this version of Banh Xeo would be served.

                                                     Banh Xeo heaven

The duck Pho soup in Hanoi had me at hello.  This vendor offered small wooden crates for street-side “dining.”  The dishes were washed in front of you right on the street…with the water tossed in the gutter.  I adored every sip and morsel of this extremely complex broth laced with star anise… and the perfectly cooked duck.  Definitely duck nirvana.

                                  I went back 2 days in a row for this duck Pho

Coming on the February 2016 tour to Vietnam?  You’ll visit both of these vendors and several more as we graze through the street foods of these two mouthwatering cities.

Vietnam’s Five Spice

                                 A pungent melange of spices with star anise leading the show

I’m a lover of Vietnamese food.  Prior to moving to San Diego, every week in the Bay Area I would treat to an ethereal grilled chicken lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant near my office.  I never could figure out this dish’s spices, but when I went to Vietnam last year it finally hit me during a cooking class:  five spice powder!  While this mixture is used in Chinese restaurants, it is not used in households in China for daily cooking.   In contrast, it’s a standard in Vietnamese homes. 

Google “Vietnamese chicken with 5 spice” and you’ll be served up in a nano-second more than 1 million articles.  While chicken and five spice is a marriage made in heaven, the Vietnamese use this mélange of flavor to add zest and pungency to everything from their signature Pho soup, to noodles, or stir-fries, as well as a variety of sauces. 

What are the five spices?   While ingredients and proportions  may vary among producers (and from country to country), star anise creates the backbone for most Vietnamese preparations.  Cloves is the next note, followed by cinnamon, Sichuan peppers and finally fennel seeds.  Occasionally, ginger, nutmeg, turmeric, coriander or cardamom may be added to the blend in lieu of one of the other ingredients.

In Vietnam, every household seems to have a recipe for chicken cooked with five spices where is used in a marinade, or even as a rub.  

Christine Ha, MasterChef’s winner in 2013, stunned the television audience throughout the competition.  First, she was blind; second she was Vietnamese. Her masterpieces put Vietnam on the culinary map of many Americans who had not tasted this cuisine.  In her first book after the show, Recipes From My Home Kitchen, Christine uses homemade five spice in her “Mama’s chicken noodle soup.”  Her spice mixture was roasted star anise, coriander and cloves, along with charred ginger (“coaxing every bit of sweetness and flavor from the ingredients which translates to a more flavorful stock.”)

Here is my favorite recipe using five spice--- a tribute to the first Vietnamese dish I fell in love with in the Bay Area.  It can be used for any type of poultry or meat.

VIETNAMESE MARINADE FOR POULTRY OR MEAT

Mix all of the following together:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large shallot finely chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons minced ginger
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons of fish sauce (3 Crabs brand is the best!)
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 heaping teaspoon five-spice powder
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
4 whole star anise, lightly toasted for about 3 minutes and then pounded into a fine powder
Freshly ground black pepper

Put the meat or poultry into baggie with the marinate.  Refrigerate, turning it occasionally to ensure full coverage.  

Note:  it's critical to marinate chicken or meat for at least 8 hours. For the best results, do 24 hrs.

Jack Fruit---the Yummiest Fruit I've Had

                                      Exotic jack fruits are seen in every Vietnamese market

Five years ago two of my clients of Vietnamese heritage visited us for a weekend at our home near San Diego.  They came baring gifts of strange looking fruit with wonderfully exotic aromas.  One of them was jack fruit…and it was love at first bite.  The two women friends intermingled stories of their families’ escape during the Vietnam War with heart-warming accounts of eating jack fruit back in Vietnam as small children.  While not yet available in traditional supermarkets in California, this fruit is sold in many Vietnamese food stores in California’s urban centers with large Asian populations.

So what is jack fruit?  The flavor is an addictively delicious symphony of pineapple, banana, mango and apple.  While the fruit is used in Vietnamese desserts such as puddings and cakes, I prefer the raw version where I can taste every one of its special notes.  Perfectly ripe jack fruit is like no other fruit you will ever taste.  The texture is also unusual---somewhat fibrous, it is an excellent source of dietary fiber ( as well as high in protein, potassium and vitamin B). Jack fruit is also the largest tree-borne fruit in the world growing up to a ginormous 80 lbs, and as much as a yard in length. 

Although Vietnam is one of the largest producers of jack fruit, this delectable edible is widely cultivated throughout Southeast Asia.  Archaeological findings indicate that it was cultivated in India as long as 3,000 to 6,000 years ago.  Jack fruit is also grown in Brazil.

The inside of the jack fruit is very unusual.  It looks to me like something from another planet...somewhat alien.  The first time I saw it sliced open I was shocked.  There's no way to actually describe it.

                         Hard to imagine that something this strange could be so yummy

Those of you who are coming with us on next February’s culinary tour of Vietnam will see jack fruit throughout the country---I even saw a tree growing in the downtown of Hanoi.  Every outdoor market we visited on the 2014 tour had them.  In Saigon there was a woman selling bite-size morsels of jack fruit in a handy take-out container…luckily her small stand was stationed just outside my uber-modern spa hotel located in the heart of the city.  I was a BIG customer of her products for the several days I spent in this fascinating French-inspired metropolis. 

                                           Jack fruit morsels ready for plucking                                             

For more information about the 2016 foodie’s tour of Vietnam check out the upcoming trip:   http://www.wineknowstravel.com/Vietnam_itinerary.htm

For a slideshow of the much-loved 2014 Vietnamese tour with Wine-Knows, don’t miss this slideshow of how we ate and drank our way across this mesmerizing country:

http://play.smilebox.com/SpreadMoreHappy/4e4441334d5441774f44453d0d0a

Menu on a Fan

One of my most memorable meals in Vietnam (and there were many!) was in the countryside outside of the former colonial capital, Hue.  The city of Hue is well known to Americans of my generation due to the Tet Offensive that took place within the royal palace walls during the Vietnam War.  The magnificent home in which I dined was the former villa of the Governor of the region.  Taken over by the North Vietnamese government after the war, this beautiful estate had only recently been returned to the descendants of the Governor. 

Our bus driver had a difficult time finding the property.  The interpreter I had hired assured me, however, that we had arrived at the correct location.  I was hesitant as we were dropped off in an alley of a small, rural settlement.  “It’s just 50 meters down the small path---follow me,” the translator beckoned.  Sure enough about 50 yards down the cobblestone passageway I spotted a young elegantly coiffed woman in a long purple silk gown awaiting us.  “Welcome” she said in perfect English with a Vietnamese accent.

                                 An enchanting oasis awaited us beyond the entrance

We followed her through an ancient doorway that was surrounded by a 15 foot stone wall.  In my wildest dreams I could not have imagined such a place of beauty in this rural setting.  Formal gardens abounded with fountains, statues, and flowers in every color of the rainbow. 

                                         The gardens would have made the perfect Zen retreat.

At the end of the garden the owner stood summoning us warmly into his home.  It was all like a magical fairy-tale.

                                     The great-grandson of the former Governor of Vietnam

The proprietor, a successful  architect, proceeded to show us a few of his family’s most cherished pieces---his great-grandfather’s elaborately carved ivory opium pipe caught my eye.  

                                       The exquisite opium pipe...a priceless family heirloom

Then, he escorted us into the antique-filled dining room where our private lunch was to be served.  After we were seated he presented each of us with a fan on papyarus that he had personally created.  On each fan he had hand-written in calligraphy the 10 course menu.

                                          My most beloved souvenir from the trip

This heavenly salad mélange was one of the first courses...

                            Exotic ingredients such as shredded banana leaf flowers 

Next came a complex, satin-textured pumpkin soup...

                                         The gourd was cleverly used as a tureen

The entire afternoon was unforgettable on so many levels…an extraordinary setting, a slice of history from the largest military operation conducted up to 1968 by either side in the war, a scrumptious meal of remarkably prepared food, and a fan which is now sitting on my desk to commemorate this once in a lifetime moment.  

To the American men & women who lost their lives in this distant part of the world, I send my resounding thanks for fighting a war in which they received little gratitude at the time.