This is a section that, a few years ago, would have been an unusual addition. Many know that my wife Diem is Vietnamese. I have had the fortunate pleasure of spending the better part of two years now exploring Vietnam. The pandemic, and Vietnam’s incredible response in controlling the virus, has created an interesting situation. We couldn’t leave the country, but internally the country was only on lockdown for 6 to 12 weeks. Depending on where you were. We were in the unfortunate 12 week area. But even so it has given us 5 months to do nothing but explore the country.
We had already spent many months exploring Vietnam prior to the pandemic. But the global nature of the situation gave us a unique opportunity to explore the country, and do it with relative ease. We have been able to explore historical sights and areas usually choked with tourists. For instance, we toured the famous Cu Chi tunnel complex from the war with just my wife Diem, her brother and a tour guide. There was no one else in the park. It really has given us a wonderful chance to enjoy many places across the country almost void of tourists. Of course it goes without saying that we have spent much time enjoying the food as well.
Even before the pandemic I was learning much about the cuisine. From just hanging out with my mother in law in her outdoor kitchen in An Lao, helping my wife prepare some of her favorite dishes, and generally exploring the tastes and smells this beautiful country has to offer. I have learned that Vietnamese cuisine is far less complicated than one might think. Mostly requiring time in the preparation of the cuisines elegant and flavorful broths that are the cornerstone of Vietnamese cooking. I know somethings may not always be available in the US, so I will either offer links to get something close, or provide suitable substitutes that the average American grocer should carry. So strap in and come along for an accessible culinary journey through the city streets and country roads of Vietnam.
