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Vietnamese
Cookbooks
Annotated list of cookbooks in Vietnamese
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Many
of the books listed below do not have publication years because
of loose copyright laws in Vietnam. The first section of this listing
includes books that are generally available in the U.S. at Vietnamese
bookstores. They were written pre-reunification
(1975) and were brought to the United States, reprinted and
distributed by several publishers, mainly Xuan Thu in Los Alamnitos,
CA (714-828-9222) and Dainamco in Glendale, CA.
The
second section lists newer works (post 1975)
that I recently acquired on a trip to Vietnam in January 2003. Some
of these books are at Vietnamese-American bookstores. A large selection
is advertised at vinamall.com,
a virtual Vietnamese mall; unfortunately, I've never tried their
services and don't know what it's like. Sachviet.com
is sort of like an Amazon.com for Vietnamese books. Prices are cheap
because the books are shipped from the motherland!
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Pre-reunification
(1975) Cookbooks
Cach
Lam Nhung Mon An Dac Biet Ba Mien
(Methods of Preparing Special Dishes of the Three Regions)
Le Hoa
As Vietnamese cuisine evolves in its native soil and overseas, things
get blurred and people forget what dish came from what region. This book
helps to set things straight by organizing the recipes (from savories
to sweets) into three separate sections. All the recipes are Vietnamese;
there's no French stuff here. An index makes it easy to find your way
through the recipes. Even if you don't cook from this book, learning what's
a southern, central and northern dish is good enough reason to read this
work.
Lam
Bep Gioi
(Cooking Well)
Van Dai
This is the absolute classic of Vietnamese cookbooks—the 1940s Vietnamese
equivalent to America's Joy of Cooking. When we came to this country,
my mother relied on a photocopied version she got from a friend. She closely
guarded it in a 3-ring binder until she was able to buy a bound version
at a Little Saigon bookstore. Lam Bep Gioi is written from the perspective
of a northerner who offers thorough instructions on how to buy, prep and
prepare traditional foods, in addition to French dishes that were considered
de rigueur at the time. I often look to this book for insights when developing
recipes. The writing is not filled with precise measurements, but you
get a good sense of how to prepare things.
Nhung
Mon An Nau Loi Hue
(Dishes Prepared in the Hue Style)
Hoang Thi Kim Cuc
Set up as daily menus for the busy housewife, this book is pretty sophisticated.
The author first lists all the ingredients for the meal and then goes
into how to prepare each dish. With all this organization, you may be
inspired to regularly prepare five-course meals for your family! One of
the neat things in this book is a chart of cooking terms in southern and
northern dialects.
Nghe
Thuat Lam Cac Mon Nhau
(The Art of Preparing Foods for Celebrations)
Le Hoa
The lobsters on the cover sets the mouth watering mood for food and fun-the
subject of this book. Street foods, snacks for noshing, and hors d'oeuvre
for special meals are included.
Sach
Day Mon An Tay
(A How-to Book on French Dishes)
Nguyen Lan Chi
Written decades ago, this thick volume contains information on French
ingredients, cooking methods and cultural values. One chapter even prescribes
a diet that incorporates French foods (e.g., butter and cheese) for creating
happier and healthier Viet families. It's a fascinating read for understanding
the impact of French ideas on the Vietnamese consciousness and palate.
Post-reunification
(1975-present) Cookbooks
Ky Thuat
Nau An Toan Tap (2004)
(A Complete Work on Cooking Techniques)
Trieu Thi Choi, et al.
This encyclopedic collection of recipes comprises the largest Vietnamese
cookbook I own. It's about 3 inches thick and presents the dishes in a
modern, sophisticated way, with color photos and ingredient measurements.
When cooking from the recipes, things often don't turn out because of
differences in ingredients and a lack of instruction. Nonetheless, it's
a great reference book for most Viet foods.
Xoi CheViet
Nam (2003)
(Vietnamese Sticky Rice and Sweet Soups)
Quynh Huong
A very straightforward book that presents the myriad of Viet preparation
of sticky rice (savory and sweet) and sweet soup. In Viet culinary tradition,
sticky rice and sweet soups are a classic pairing. Sometimes they're served
together. Vendors who offer sticky rice are likely to sell sweet soups
too! This is a nice book that offers regional variations of the same dish
too.
Van
Hoa Am Thuc Viet Nam (3 volumes, 2002)
(The Culture and Foodways of Vietnam)
Several Authors
For those interested in cultural anthropology, these are three treasured
books. Each volume has a different colored cover and is dedicated one
of the three regions (north, central or south). The authors wax extensively
about the distinctive foods and eating practices of their respective region.
While some of the writing seem superfluous, the content serves a a reminder
of the importance of food to Vietnamese lives. The information in these
works is invaluable. Loosely sketched out recipes are included.
100
Mon An Ngay Thuong (2002)
(100 Everyday Dishes)
Nguyen Dzoan Cam Van
Here's a book to let you know what regular folks are eating at home in
today's Vietnam. It's pretty straightforward cooking presented by the
country's modern Julia Child.
Ky
Thuat Che Bien 60 Mon Tron Hon Hop (Goi) (2002)
(Techniques for Making 60 Special Event Salads)
Trieu Thi Choi & Nguyen Thi Phung
This small cookbook packs it in with recipes for unique Viet salads. Recipes
utilize a variety of ingredients from the mundane to the luxurious.
Ky
Thuat Nau An Moi (2001)
(Techniques of Modern Cooking)
Trieu Thi Choi & Nguyen Thi Phung
What is modern Vietnamese cooking? Well, it incorporates ideas and ingredients
from other parts of the world — such as satay sauces from Southeast
Asian neighbors and kimchi from Korea. Sometimes, the recipes are merely
twists on old Viet favorites.
Mon
Nuong Tuyen Chon Dac Sac (2001)
(Select Outstanding Grilled Dishes)
Tran Huynh Ngoc Phuong
A prime example of Modern Vietnamese cooking, this small cookbook is filled
with nice color images and straightforward instructions. Though the copy
is somewhat simplistic (so as to save space) this work highlights the
blending of current culinary ideas with Vietnamese traditions. For example,
images of seared tuna steak are reminders of trendy dishes in the West.
Nghe
Thuat Nau An (2001)
(The Art of Cooking)
Quoc Viet
One of the few Viet cookbooks in hardback, this is written by the well-known
cooking teacher, Mrs. Quoc Viet. It's comprehensive and includes recipes
for a full repertoire of Vietnamese, French and Chinese dishes. There
are chapters on folding eating napkins and carving vegetable garnishes
too!
Bi Quyet
Che Bien Banh, Mut, Keo, Ô Mai (2001)
(How to Make Banh, Sweetmeats, Candies, and O Mai Confections)
Nguyen Thu Haand Huynh Thi Dung
Some things are hard to translate but this small book packs a lot of information
into 200 pages on how to prepare a myriad of sweet and savory Viet treats.
Banh refers to any kind of food prepared with a flour, legume, or starch.
O mai are tart-sweet-salty-spicy confections often made with ginger and
tamarind. There are endless versions to tickle every fancy.
555 Món
An Viet Nam: Ky Thuat Che Bien va Gia Tri Dinh Duong (2000)
(555 Vietnamese Dishes: Culinary techniques and nutrition)
Truong Dai Hoc Thuong Mai Ha Noi
Despite the economic advances in Vietnam, nutrition remains a key issue.
This book has text that covers various basics of feeding a family a balanced
diet. The recipes, which come from a college in Hanoi, are well written.
It's one of the works that I often go to. There's a slight northern bent,
so be forewarned.
Nhung
Mong An Dai Tiec & Gia Dinh (1999)
(Dishes to Entertain Guests and Family)
Nguyen Dzoan Cam Van
The author is Vietnam's current answer to Julia Child. She's a cooking
celebrity whose face is on billboards selling Knorr products. I watched
her on Vietnamese TV and she's quite good. Her recipes in this book are
well written and full of insights on how to properly prepare and present
food. At the closing of some recipes, she provides notes on things that
you should pay attention to while preparing the dish. Very helpful guidance.
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