A guide to Vietnamese herbs and greens
This is something I've been meaning to do for ages - The Handy Hedgerow Guide - Sideplates of greens and herbs are so common and varied in Vietnam you need to be something of an amateur botanist to know your way around lunch at times. I for one am a bit lost about half the stuff I see on my hedgerow clippings plate. This is a start to rectifying that. I'll update with more hedgerow clippings as I nibble them. The first batch is from one of my all time fave dishes out here: Banh trang phoi suong. I'll keep updating this resource on Flickr. However, much like The Offal Quiz, I do need your help to fill in the blanks. Visit The Handy Hedgerow Guide. Click on the pictures and add comments if you know what it is, what it's used for and why. I've started with one of the more difficult ones.
Crikey, what a good way to start. That dish comes with like 50 different herbs and greens, most of which even us Vietnamese don't have much of a clue about. Or maybe it's just me, but TBH I don't know *anyone* who can name all the greens that come with that dish.
A bit suprised that it's your all time fave. Isn't it a bit too simple? It's just boiled pork, some herbs and fish sauce. You can't judge a cook by her Banh trang phoi suong.
Posted by: icecoffee | October 25, 2005 at 12:36 PM
R u a VIETNAMESE ? U seems to know lots about the food. Vietnam FOOD is superb. I enjoyed them when i was there for work during 1994 - 1998.
Posted by: foodcrazee | October 25, 2005 at 01:26 PM
U seems to know lots about the food. Vietnam FOOD is superb. I enjoyed them when i was there for work during 1994 - 1998.
Where did u learn all that?Graham
Posted by: foodcrazee | October 25, 2005 at 01:26 PM
U seems to know lots about the food. Vietnam FOOD is superb. I enjoyed them when i was there for work during 1994 - 1998.
Where did u learn all that?Graham
Posted by: foodcrazee | October 25, 2005 at 01:27 PM
Wow,
Groundhog Day already??
Where Punxsutawney Phil?
Posted by: Kieron | October 25, 2005 at 04:46 PM
I have to speak in defense of Banh trang phoi suong. Everything icecoffee says would rationally seem to be true. But when I think about my trip to Saigon that dish (which the Pieman was good enough to introduce me to) is the one I invariably find myself focusing on and craving. Something about its simplicity and freshness (and that massive basket of herbs) just sticks in my appetite nodes.
Posted by: BM | October 26, 2005 at 01:15 AM
I couldn't comment on the flicker page but I think the first herb might be amaranth
and the last on if it tasted stong it could be garlic chives hard to tell from the spring onions
Posted by: clare eats | October 26, 2005 at 09:35 AM
What a great idea pieman, sometimes it's a bit of a battle to work out what all the different herbs are called, there are just so many. It will come in handy as a reference.
Cheers
Sticky
Posted by: Sticky | October 27, 2005 at 07:37 AM
Noodlepie,
Thanks for yr blog, it did help me find good food while I was in HCMC recently.
unfortunately, Banh trang phoi suong doesn't seem for me. the strong tastes of some herbs are too much for me, especially the purple leave (hmm not seem in this pic), it's so bitter like medicinal herb, or perhaps it's indeed a medicinal herb ;P
I think it's have about 13 variety of herbs in that lot. I got 13 viet herbs names written on my note by the friendly folks there :)
Posted by: slurp! | October 28, 2005 at 12:11 PM