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Descriptive Viet Food Terms

Want to up your knowledge of Vietnamese food culture? Master the following words and use them the next time you're talking to a Vietnamese-language speaker. Try them out on a Viet foodie friend or at your favorite Viet restaurant.

(+) When you like something, say it's . . .

• Bui (boo-ee) if the food has a buttery, nutty, rich flavor (like a good shortbread)
• Dam da (duhm dahh) if the food is deeply flavored, well seasoned, and well crafted. It's stuff you want to keep chewing and savoring.
• Tuyet (tu-ert) when something is masterful and superior, this term is said with gusto!

(++) To pay a high compliment to the cook, tell the person that they're kheo (keh-o) -- they've demonstrated a wealth of culinary experience and crafted food with care, attention, and consideration.

(-) When you dislike something, these words may apply:

• Do (zuh) to describe food that's of poor, mediocre, half-done quality.
• Tanh* (tahn) when food is unpleasantly fishy in taste and odor, undeniably rank.
• Nhot* (n-yuht) when something is grossly slimy and mucilaginous.

  You may say these negative terms twice (i.e., tanh tanh, nhot nhot) for emphasis.

To see the Vietnamese terms with their diacritical marks, open this Word document.