Anyway, I was all set to report to you about the Vietnamese sandwich and realized that it's hard to describe one unless one understands the palate of herbs that you can find here in Vietnam. This lesson will pay dividends when I report to you on the best Pho in Vietnam, which is also accompanied by a heaping plate of greens.
After eating in Vietnam for almost three weeks, I've eaten at some crazy food stalls. Picture a glass enclosed sandwich stand in 90 degree heat, on the middle of a highway......yeah. So, inevitably, the food server has a big huge bowl of fresh greens that she divvies out to customers. Somehow, the greens are always fresh, crunchy, and popping with flavor. How? I'm not entirely sure. But I think it has something to do with the fact that Vietnam is so lush and fertile, that you can grow a papaya tree out of the asphalt on your driveway.
Vietnamese households love to gardens, but I have yet to see a garden for 'show'. No sir. Vietnamese grow food with every square acre they can find. The little rows of tender lettuce, basil, mint, cilantro are usually dead straight and completely devoid of weeks. Here is a photo of the herb garden that I visited before my cooking class....pretty typical.
The herbs are NOT just garnishing though. When you are served a bowl of soup, any self-respecting restaurant will serve you a heaping (like 7 inches high, at best) plate of herbs. The choice depends on what is available at the time, but you can usually count on basil, mint, bean sprout, and/or watercress. So, these herbs are an integral part of the flavoring.
Pitcure it: A hot, savory, comforting, fat-laden meal counteracted by cold, crisp, pungent greens. It's a winner every time.
And you thought the McDonalds invented that idea with the Mc DLT? Shame on you. So, here is a list of the herbs you may find in a typical Vietnamese meal. After reading this, you will be prepped (and hopefully amped) to hear about the Vietnamese sandwich....until next time.
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Thai basil, otherwise known as holly basil (Rau Quế) is almost always found next to a piping hot bowl of Pho. Anise/licorice lingers in your mouth if you eat this leaf raw.
Vietnamese basil (Rau Quế VietNam) tastes more like the basil one typically finds in the U.S. It has minty highlights however.
Bitter herb (Rau Dắng) doesnt have another common name reported. The leaves are small and tender and there really is a nice strong but tolerable bitter taste.
Cilantro. We all know and love this one. It is found in almost any plate of herbs.
Lemongrass (Xả) is a long, tough grass, of which the bottom 2/3 are typically eaten. The grass is sliced thinly or is shredded. There is an obvious lemony flavor, but also an earthy (dare I say grassy) flavor as well.
Sawtooth herb (Ngò Gai) is an elongated, thick, crunchy leaf that is undoubdtedly a good replacement for cilantro. I find that it is stronger than the cilantro leaf but less strong than the cilantro stem or root. This plant is orignially found in South America but has been cultivated in Asia.
Watercress (Xà Lách Son) is the same stuff we find in the U.S. It has small, round leaves, and typically gets tangled up together in the bunch. The leaves taste peppery and earthy.
Spearmint (Húng Lũi) is a tangy mint, baby.
Peppermint (Húng Cay) is a stronger taste than spearmint and tastes closer to toothpaste or a mint candy than spearmint.
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