Vietnamese cuisine: what is it like ?

As stated in the introduction, Vietnam is known to be a paradise for anyone following a gluten-free diet. Many Vietnamese dishes indeed consist of noodles or rice accompanied by vegetables, meat, sauce, and broth.

The country has an agriculture based on rice cultivation and imports wheat. This leads to a range of 100% rice noodles that is quite appreciated.
However, there’s a catch: the country was under Chinese domination for 1000 years. It’s during this period that the use of wheat starts to enter Vietnamese cuisine. The withdrawal of the Chinese from the territory and the absence of wheat cultivation in the country lead to the local cuisine using this cereal less and less. Nevertheless, there are still traces of this past, and some dishes maintain this Chinese touch with their wheat noodles and gluten-containing sauces.

These are those sauces that pose one of the biggest problems for following a gluten-free diet in Vietnam. Vietnamese cuisine uses various elaborated sauces, including soy sauce, oyster sauce, plum sauce, hoisin sauce, fish sauce, and nuoc mam sauce. Some of them may sometimes contain gluten, depending on the brand. They are used to marinate meat or to enhance the dish.
When it comes to dry dishes, the sauces are generally served separately from the main dish, and if in doubt, you can simply choose not to pour the precious sesame. When it comes to soup and marinade, unfortunately, you will have to manage to make yourself understood.

When it comes to soups and broths, it will also be necessary to pay attention to the use of stockcubes, a point of caution known in Western cuisine as well.

Finally, due to its history, at every street corner, whether in small or large cities, you will find bakeries or street stands selling « sandwiches » called Bánh mì. So don’t be surprised to see a significant culture of Western style breads and cakes. Just avoid those but still enjoy the aroma emanating from them.
As a side note, the baguette was introduced by the French colonists. At the time, this product was a luxury item because it required the importation of wheat. When this was disrupted, bakers began replacing some of the wheat flour with rice flour. This blend is still used, making the bread crust thinner and crispier. Like many words that have evolved from French, such as phô mai for cheese, ốp la for sunny-side-up eggs, it’s thought that Bánh mì could come from « pain de mie » (soft bread) but without certainty.

In the section « Some Vietnamese dishes detailed« , a non-exhaustive list of dishes that may be gluten-free is shared.

Their knowledge about gluten

Like many Asian countries, there is little knowledge of what gluten is, and there isn’t even a Vietnamese word for « gluten. » Few Vietnamese people follow a gluten-free diet: is this due to low detection or low occurrence of the disease in the population? The question remains open.

No matter the answer to this question, it means that the knowledge of gluten-free and what the diet entails must be provided by tourists or expatriates. The moderate influx of Western tourists in the country does not allow for the issue to be known by everyone, including and especially restaurateurs
In the most touristy cities, this is beginning to happen. It is certainly in Hoi An where I found that the staff had the most knowledge about gluten-free options.
When it comes to tourist activities related to cuisine (street food tours, cooking classes), the gluten-free option is offered in the majority of cases. The difficulty lies in finding a service that truly understands it. Sorting through is not simple and few opinions are left on this subject. I share in the section « my feedback« , the organizations I went through and with which I had no issues. This is only indicative and other providers must offer a serious service.

Communication with vietnamese

Due to this lack of knowledge, it is necessary to communicate well with the staff to educate them about what gluten is and to find out if you can eat at the establishment or not.
In my case, communication was difficult. The Vietnamese speak very little English. I had anticipated this issue by bringing an explanatory card, but it didn’t really help me.

I have not found a universal way to get my message across. At times, if not often, I took risks because I had a strong feeling that we did not understand each other. I discuss this in more details in the section « Preparing your communication with restaurants« .

Recipes, a well-kept secret

In addition to language issues with the Vietnamese, you will have to deal with the uncertainty around the secret ONthe recipe. At times, I had the impression that I wasn’t being told if certain ingredients were present simply to avoid giving me hints about the recipe.
This was somewhat confirmed by the guide we used for our street food tour. I had mentioned to him that I needed to follow a gluten-free diet and asked questions to make sure the dish was safe. He replied that he didn’t know the full list of ingredients and even if he asked, he wouldn’t know because the recipe is what makes the stand successful or not. It has been passed down from generation to generation, and that’s it.
Of course, some people will be more inclined than others to share, and I would even say that generally speaking, restaurants are more cooperative in this regard.

Street food culture

Everyone eats outside, including the locals. You will quickly see that either they sit with you on the small chairs at the stalls or they stop with their scooters for take away.

All of this means that supermarkets are not well developed, and for people following a gluten-free diet, it is often where they find a comfort area. We scan the labels, scrutinize them, and then take note of this product for the next cities. I haven’t done this much here simply because the products are expensive, the selection is limited, and the labeling is more approximate than back home, as I’ll detail in the paragraph below.

Raw materials such as vegetables or rice noodles are very accessible in the market (if you know the prices and negotiate) but you still need to have a kitchen in your accommodation which is not always easy as I detail it in « Looking for accommodations with a kitchen?« .

Product labeling

I have done a lot of research on this and I have not found anything very clear. I found many texts that mention good practices for labeling but I don’t think there is an obligation.

In the texts, gluten appears as one of the 8 necessary food ingredients to be shown on products containing it. But is this really followed? I don’t know, but I feel that when it comes to local products (i.e products that are neither exported to Western countries not imported from Western countries), it’s a bit up to each individual.

Regarding cross contamination during processes and traces, it’s a bit like playing the lottery: sometimes you’ll have it, sometimes not.

Learn some food related basic words

One extremely practical thing in Vietnam is that the name of their dish is very precise. Let me explain with the example below. While in the English version everything appears as « noodles », we can see that the Vietnamese name changes and these modifications indicate whether it is wheat, rice, or tapioca noodles! It’s so practical: no need to ask, no need to trust, everything is in the name or almost… In fact, there is at least one exception to the rule: Mì Quảng, whose name suggests wheat noodles while in the majority of cases it is actually rice noodles.

Be aware of hidden gluten sources

The main points of vigilance stands in the sauces, broths, marinades, and cross-contamination.

The main hidden sources of gluten are:

Soy sauce: It is mainly used to marinate meats in Vietnamese cuisine. It can also enhance sauces or broths as it is done in Cao Lau. In this case, it is simpler and you can request the soy sauce not to be added, and potentially ask for yours, if you have any, to be used. Most of the time, the staff does not know if they use gluten-free soy sauce, so do not hesitate to ask and you may be pleasantly surprised.
Also I read that the south tends to use more gluten-free soy sauce than the north. I cannot confirm this, but it seems to me that in the south, dishes more often contain soy sauce than in the north. For example, spring rolls are likely to be accompanied by Nuoc-mâm sauce in the north, while in the south they are more likely to be accompanied by soy sauce.

Oyster sauce: it is mainly used in stir-fried noodle dishes, marinades and soups. This lesser-known sauce has a brown color similar to soy sauce and is thick. This sauce, which was once only repared from oysters, is now made with oyster extract, soy sauce and usually cornstach. The contamination comes from soy sauce but also from the thickener which is not always cornstarch. Therefore, this sauce may or may not contain gluten

Plum Sauce: It is a sauce mainly used for dipping fried foods, but also as a marinade sauce. This sauce originally is gluten-free but some industrials will use wheat vinegar and/or wheat flour as a thickener for its preparation.

Hoisin sauce: it is a sauce mainly used for stir-fries, marinades and dipping. It is a dark and thick sauce that can be gluten-free. However some industrials will use a soya paste, which is the main ingredient of the sauce, prepared with wheat flour and/or wheat flour as a thickener for the sauce.

Stock cubes can be used in any soup depending on the restaurateur, as it is in Western countries. I prefer restaurants with few items on the menu: it’s oftren a guarantee of quality and homemade cooking. However, this rule is not unmistakable and Bun Cha Ta Hoi An, a restaurant specialized in Bun Cha, has used stock cubes. It remains to be seen if they will adapt their recipe to imitate the Hanoi branch, which doesn’t use stock cubes.

Rice Paper Wrappers used in spring rolls and many other dishes can sometimes be made from rice, or sometimes cut with wheat. I have come across them, but always in restaurants with endless menus. I have also taken part in cooking classes where I used completely yellow rice paper wrappers and was assured that they were indeed made of rice. Turmeric is often added to rice paper wrappers, giving them the yellow color, which does not necessarily mean wheat. This is a practice I have mostly found in the north.

Save some addresses than can help you before and during your trip

I share here the websites and people who helped me prepare my trip through their content:

• Legal Nomads: https://www.legalnomads.com/gluten-free/vietnam/. This a coeliac fellow who has lived in Vietnam so I think all her tips are super valuable.
• Gluten-free Hanoi: https://www.instagram.com/glutenfreehanoi/?hl=fr lives in Hanoï and regularly shares good addresses consistent with a gluten-free diet.
• Find me gluten-free: https://www.findmeglutenfree.com/ to find places shared by the community.

Get ready for your communication with the staff

Before my trip, I downloaded the opposite explanatory map made by Gluten-Free Gourmet, but to be honest, I am perplexed about its usefulness. I have the feeling that it was too long and the staff tended to either not read it in full or just skim through it.

After several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to use Google Translate to only type the key points. I made sure they understood my message by asking questions that couldn’t be answered with « yes » or « no. » Unfortunately, after asking what dish I could eat or what flour they used, I would still hear « yes » over and over again.

My last resort was to make gestures, for example taking the soy sauce on the table and making the sign of the cross. But even then, we couldn’t understand each other…

My experience was similar in Cambodia and Thailand. It was only when I was in Thailand that I decided to change my approach. I noticed that the term « wheat flour » didn’t resonate with them. When I went to grocery stores, I found that the terms used were more often « multi-purpose flour » or « cake flour« . I created a photomontage with the packaging of these flours and added a sentence asking if their products contained these ingredients, and finally, I felt that they understood what I was asking for!
As you have understood, I have not tested this approach in Vietnam, but I have the feeling that, just like in Thailand, it would help to make oneself understood. Therefore, I am sharing below a similar photomontage to the one I used in Thailand, which I recommend you to try if you face similar difficulties to mine.

Finally, learning more about the composition of dishes has greatly helped me and allowed me to target my requests as precisely as possible. In the section « Detailed Vietnamese dishes » I share with you the information I have learned on this subject.

Book accomodations with a kitchen ?

As mentioned earlier, there is a real eating out culture and finding accommodations with a kitchen can be more complicated than it seems.
If you are planning a short-term trip, I highly recommend trying to find accommodations with a kitchen: it will relieve you from stress, logistical issues, the risk of getting sick, and not being able to fully enjoy your stay. With a budget higher than what we had, meaning over $16/night, it is possible to find accommodations with a private kitchen. Don’t hesitate to ask your host whether the kitchen is shared or not. This happened to us several times to only get a shared space, and in the end, it was of limited use: it requires spending a lot of time cleaning each utensil. Regarding the ingredients, I recommend doing your shopping at the market, it will be much cheaper than at the supermarket. Pay close attention to how much the locals are paying, otherwise, you might end up with a personalized and higher price.
If you are traveling long-term and trying to limit your expenses, you will probably be less inclined to choose accommodations with kitchens. It is doable, and we have done it. However, it’s important to be aware that it involves taking risks.
I’ll let you make your choice based on your situation and, above all, your preferences.

Pack gluten-free food?

If you are travelling for a few weeks, I recommend bringing gluten-free snacks such as cookies, energy bars. These products can be found in some grocery stores, and street vendors offer snacks, however, this may cause you to lose time finding them or take additional risks.

Regarding sauces, I left without any and didn’t miss it. Vietnamese cuisine remains very flavorful despite the absence of sauce thanks to the numerous herbs they use.
I would tend to say that if you plan to mainly stay in the south, why not take your soy sauce. At the same time, southern cuisine tends to use more gluten-free soy sauce.
Another alternative is to adjust while you are in the country depending on your experience. In Hanoi or even in Ho Chi Minh, you can easily find gluten-free soy sauce at Annam Gourmet (all their current locations are tracked on the interactive map below). Gluten-free soy sauces can also be found in mini marts. I have provided alongside an example of gluten-free soy sauces that you can find there.

Stalls vs restaurants

Overall, once on site, you can find similar dishes between a food stall and a restaurant, with the former being known for delivering more flavorful dishes when the place is trustworthy.

The major issue with street vendors is that they aim to serve as many customers as possible. There’s no customer service here – they simply serve your dish and it’s all about productivity. During peak hours, they aim to have you served, fed, and over within 15 minutes. There’s no room for questions here. When I arrived in Hanoi, I wasn’t aware of this and several street food vendors didn’t bother to interact with me when showing tgem my card. Instead they redirect me elsewhere. I found the approach somewhat abrupt, initially thinking that they didn’t want to bother with understanding foreigners. The next day, I went on a guided street food tour and the guide explained that this is how they are with everyone. Once, he asked for a slight modification to his dish and was told to go to the supermarket. Another time, when he was hesitant in making a choice, he was asked if he was illiterate. In a nutshell, most of the time street food vendors are not there to joke around, and their motto is truly « time is money ».

For a good start in the country, I strongly advise you to first start with the restaurants where you will be very well received in the vast majority of cases. Here, they will take all the necessary time to answer your questions, understand the situation, read your menu, tell you which dish you can eat, and which one you cannot. The risk of cross-contamination remains present, however. It is best to go to Vietnamese restaurants that do not offer any Western food to limit the risk of cross-contamination and offer few à la carte dishes to hopefully get a home-made and traditional dish (i.e gluten-free). Also, vegetarian restaurants are another good alternative: they were often more patient and cautious to the card I presented to them. Several times, they took a photo of it to show to the chef and returned with a concrete answer. International hotels are another option. On the Find me gluten free app, many users report this type of establishment because the staff speaks better English and likely has a better understanding of gluten. The only drawbacks to this are higher prices (but you’ll say that health has no price) and, above all, a greater risk of cross-contamination, as these establishments often offer wheat-based products (pizzas, Italian pasta, burgers…) without having a separate kitchen.

Once you have gained some experience and knowledge about Vietnamese cuisine, you will be much less stressed to go to street stalls to get gluten-free dishes and sometimes even venture to dishes that may contain gluten or not depending on the sauces used. It is best to do this in large cities where they speak better English but small enough for the customer flow to be interrupted. You can also come at off-peak times, but in that case, you need to be more careful to ensure that the food is always fresh! Finally, most guided tours of street stalls in big cities offer adaptations of their tour based on each person’s dietary restrictions. Taking one of these tours is a good opportunity to learn about the street stalls you can visit and those you cannot. We did one in Hanoi Hanoi street food tour with local delicacies. The tour lasted 3 hours and we tried 7 street stalls, which allowed us to diversify our meals during our stay in the city. I will talk about it in more detail in my feedback.

Some vietnamese dishes detailed

Below you will find a list of dishes that may potentially be gluten-free, the points of attention should help you know on which point you should insist. This is, however, only a starting point to assist and guide you during your stay in Vietnam, but it by no means represents an absolute truth: everyone can have their own recipe and I am just sharing here what I was able to understand during my stay. The aim is to help you see more clearly, to ask the right questions, and to assess the levels of risk involved.

In the list below, the dishes are sorted in alphabetical order so that you can find your way more easily.

Finally, since Vietnamese cuisine is very rich, I have no doubt that there are many other dishes that are compatible with a gluten-free diet. Feel free to leave their names in the comments if you know any, it will make the article even more comprehensive.

Groceries

Overall, the prices in grocery stores and small supermarkets are much higher than the food you will find outside (whether in street stalls, restaurants, or on the market). As a result, we also did not do much grocery shopping, except to try to find some snacks.

In standard grocery stores, you won’t find certified gluten-free products, but you may come across a few emergency products such as dried fruits and yogurts. I also managed to find some rice crackers that do not contain gluten, although it’s harder to determine whether they may contain traces or not. I found them at Winmart and co.opmarket. It’s possible that these could also be available at other convenience stores.

Specialized but also more expensive supermarkets exist, such as Annam Gourmet located in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh. There, you will find a wide range of certified gluten-free products, which is a great opportunity to stock up on snacks for your trip.
The Suthera biscuits shown in the first photo are small cookies imported from Thailand. They are available in different flavors and are naturally gluten-free. There is no indication in regards to traces but personally, I did not get sick.
You will also find Schär products, rice cakes from Bjorg, and numerous alternatives for those with lactose intolerance. Additionally, you will also find flour, pasta, and chips.
There are no dedicated gluten-free shelves, so you will need to search for these products. It will be a pleasant surprise each time you come across a new item.

Activites and addresses I have personally tested

I present here some of the activities and restaurants that I particularly enjoyed during my trip.

Activites around food

Some addresses that I have tested sorted by city