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Viet Herb Primer

TIPS ON DECIPHERING A NUOC MAM BOTTLE LABEL

Nhi indicates nuoc mam from the first extraction.

Hon Phan Thiet advertised product produced on Phu Quy island in Phan Thiet province.

25 Dam signals the proportion of nuoc mam to other ingredients in the bottle

Nguyen chat ca com tuoi touts the use of fresh high quality ca com anchovies.

The Basic Vietnamese Kitchen

What do you need to get going? Very little as it turns out. Vietnamese refugees to America started with little in their kitchens to recreate the flavors of their homeland. You don't need to stretch too far either. To make delicious Vietnamese food, you should first understand and acquire these fundamental components:

• Fish Sauce (nuoc mam)
• Rice (gao)
• Chinese Steamer and Sharp Knives

For further investments in your kitchen, consider a mortar and pestle, mandolin and rice cooker. Below is practical information on finding and purchasing these essentials.

Fish Sauce: A cornerstone of Vietnamese cooking

If you want to stock your kitchen with the bare minimum for preparing Vietnamese food, start with good quality fish sauce (nuoc mam).  How do you judge fish sauce?  Look for a light amber color and the words nhi or thuong hang on the label (see image on left).

These terms indicate that the condiment came from the first extraction of liquid from the fermented fish, and is of the highest quality.  Grades of fish sauces are similar to that of olive oils.  That is, extra virgin olive oil is more flavorful and costlier than virgin olive oil.  This same rule applies to judging different fish sauces. 

Also keep in mind that fish sauce is also used in Thai and Filipino cooking, where it tends to be saltier and heavier in flavor.  So, even though Thailand produces most of the fish sauce sold in the U.S., you need to make sure that the condiment you’re buying is made in the ‘Vietnamese’ style.  How to do this?  Look for Vietnamese lettering alongside the Thai script.  Sometimes, the terms Phu Quoc and Phan Thiet are included on the label to signal a connection with these two famous fish sauce-producing areas in Vietnam.  Fish sauce from Vietnam now sometimes use "Hon Phu Quoc" or "Hon Phan Thiet" (see image on left) to indicate that their product came from islands in those regions; hon means islands, and communicates a more authentic Viet condiment (versus a Thai product, which may not be clued in on such linguistic subtleties).

One Pigeon brand offers different grades of fish sauce, using degrees on its labels to reflect how much the nuoc mam has been diluted with water before bottling. For example, "25° dam" means there's 25% fish sauce in the bottle. According to the producer, most fish sauces are 20%. One Pigeon comes in several intensities. The higher the degree, the more you pay.

If ca com is one of the ingredients, that's an indication that the end product was made from a high quality anchovy native to the waters surrounding the island of Phu Quoc. Though I like Viet Huong’s "Three Crab" brand for its consistently delicate flavor, aroma and color, I often try newer brands.

Some are saltier while others are sweeter. Let your palate be your guide. One Pigeon brand from Vietnam is pretty good too, but not yet widely distributed at the time of this writing; I found it only in Little Saigon in Southern California.

Depending on where you shop, there may be as many as a dozen brands to choose from.  As price is often a reliable indicator of quality among Asian groceries, select a mid to high priced fish sauce (about $2-3 per bottle!).

Rice: Selecting and buying

As for rice, there are many varieties to choose from.  For daily meals, long-grain jasmine rice from Thailand is among the best for its aroma, flavor, and slightly chewy texture.  Within my own family, we argue about which brand is best.  At this writing, I like “Three Ladies” whereas my parents swear by “Flying Goose” and “Happy Man.” 

Most Chinese and Vietnamese markets carry several brands at one time, reflecting their shoppers’ preferences—which is fickle and finicky; this is because many producers of Asian food ingredients have yet to get a handle on quality assurance, not to mention that environmental factors may vary rice production from season to season. Years ago, everyone bought "Big Buddha" but nowadays, we’re pledging our allegiances to other brands. If you find yourself standing clueless in front of a wall of rice bags, ask another shopper or someone who works at the market for their opinion. 

Expect to have to buy at least ten pounds of rice at any Asian market. Ten pounds of anything is a lot but you'll be surprised at how quickly rice goes. If you’re lucky, an Asian market may be hip to your needs and will have pre-packaged rice up in 5-pound plastic bags. Health food stores and mainstream supermarkets sell jasmine rice in smaller quantities but at higher prices. They cook up just fine. I've bought and eaten through several bags of Pacific International rice, which comes from the Sacramento Valley in California.

However you select your rice, just remember that if you have good rice and high quality fish sauce, the combination may be addictive!

Equipment: Chinese steamer and sharp knives

You probably have most of the necessary equipment to prepare Vietnamese food. When we first got to America, a few nonstick 8- and 10-inch skillets and some deep saucepans in various sizes were all we had and needed.  However, my Mom bought an aluminum Chinese steamer as soon as she could because a Vietnamese kitchen isn't well stocked without one.  When my sisters left home for college, my parents sent them off with Chinese steamers.  They're used to cook many dishes such as xoi (sticky rice) and to reheat food in a flash.

Steamers come with two compartments and are sold in Asian markets.  I prefer a steamer made from stainless steel, which lasts longer; some come with a handy see-through glass lid for you to monitor the cooking process. 

Whatever you settle on, please select a steamer with at least one compartment that has holes about one centimeter in diameter. If the holes are bigger, your food may fall through. If the holes are smaller (about 1/2 centimeter wide, not enough steam will reach your food. The middle width is the most practical to have. Often I’m lured by the beauty of traditional bamboo steamer trays, but stop short of buying them as I remember that they are not as easy to clean as aluminum or stainless steel. 

You can create a steamer by crossing two wooden chopsticks and placing them inside a wok containing some water.  Food is placed on a dish and cooked on top of the well-balanced chopsticks with a lid covering the wok.  However, I find this method cumbersome and think that $25 isn't too much to spend on a piece of crucial kitchen equipment. 

Because Vietnamese food can require a lot of prepping, it is important to have reliable knives.  A chef's knife, paring knife and cleaver are essential.  Keep them sharp with a steel or electric knife sharpener.  Good knives make cooking easier and faster.  Besides, I've had too many accidents from using dull knives.  Other time savers to have are a food processor, mini-chopper and spice grinder (or electric coffee grinder kept exclusively for cooking) used for blending ingredients. 

Going a Step Further: Mortar and pestle, mandolin, and electric rice cooker

If you want to get more serious, invest in a mortar and pestle.  They're great for breaking down fibers in food or mixing ingredients without risking total pulverization.  I've found that the best ones are made of cast cement or stone.  You can buy large ones inexpensively at Chinese, Vietnamese or Thai markets.  However, I’ve found that most often, I reach for my small marble mortar (4½ inches wide at the top) to take care of my needs; these are widely available at cookware stores. 

Mandolin
Another piece of equipment that you may consider purchasing is a mandolin, which has razor sharp blades to beautifully shred and slice vegetables for Vietnamese salads and pickles.  You can buy the true French mandolin, an expensive but impressive hunk of metal (about $150), or its less expensive Japanese plastic version, the Benriner (about $35), at some cookware stores, Asian restaurant supply stores, Japanese markets (e.g., Mitsuwa markets), or through mail order from Uwajimaya (1-800-889-1928, www.uwajimaya.com). 

Remember, an ever-sharp knife works well too!

Rice Cookers vs. Reliable Saucepan
If rice is a major part of your diet, an electric rice cooker is wonderful to have.  It cooks rice to perfection, occupies little counter space, and frees up a burner on your stove.  Like other modern appliances, rice cookers are now available in different colors to match you kitchen, and can perform miraculous tasks like keeping your rice warm for hours.  Their high prices reflect these improvements too!  Note that my mother used her basic black and white National brand rice cooker daily for over 15 years before having to replace it when it finally broke down.  Rice cookers are sold at Asian supermarkets and home/kitchen appliance stores.  There are online sources too.

On the other hand, a reliable heavy bottomed saucepan also makes cooking rice a snap! For our family of two adults, I regularly use a trusty 1 1/2 quart saucepan. I know how to gauge the rice and water levels in that pot. For more people, I select a bigger pan, avoiding ones that have low sides as steamed rice just doesn't cook evenly in them. If you don't want to invest in an electric rice cooker, select a saucepan (with lid) that can accomodate your regular rice cooking needs. The amount of rice that your generally eat should fill about 1/3 of the saucepan. This ensures the right balance of space needed to cook the rice to fluffy perfection. (If you cram too much rice into a pot, the grains don't expand properly because there's not enough space!)

There you have it—the basic necessities for preparing Vietnamese food.  You'll find that these items can be used to make foods of any country.  (I once made a chocolate cake using a bowl, a wooden rice paddle and a pair of chopsticks!)  This ability to easily cross cultural borderlines is what I love most about food, cooking and eating.  Food brings people together and serves as a channel through which ideas flow.