Viet Nam food
Today Viet Nam is a thrilling place to be. Resplendent with colour, exotic smells, and delicious tastes, it has risen from the ruins with its spirit intact. From the border with China in the north to the rice mills of the Mekong Delta in the south, this land of rivers and lush, emerald green paddy fields hums with activity. There are unspoiled beaches, peaceful lagoons, dense jungles and rugged mountains with roaring waterfalls. Visitors are graciously accepted and the Vietnamese people, in spite of their history of hardship and suffering, are always smiling and friendly.

Banh chung, banh day - Traditional glutinous rice cake
Banh chung (square glutinous rice cake) and banh day (round glutinous rice cake) are the most traditional cakes in Vietnamese food culture. Banh chung and banh day is said to be first made by Lang Lieu prince thousands year ago during the Hung's dynasty. The prince later became the country's king for inventing such a meaningful cake which symbolized people's perception of sky and ground during their time: the sky is round (symbolized by banh day) and the ground is square (symbolized by banh chung).