Bicycling Central Vietnam – Hue to HoiAn

Bicycling Around Hue

Biking through Viet Nam’s central coastal provinces on back roads is an interesting way to explore beautiful landscapes and traditional life during the summer holidays.
It’s a fascinating and enjoyable tour program, which allows tourists to free themselves from crowds and traffic and wind through the villages along more isolated routes.

“We want to create a trip that highlights the natural landscapes of Viet Nam. Foreign tourists can take their time and really experience country life, since they can stop as often as they like on the quiet back roads,” said Ngo Quang Nam, manager of Viet Nam Cycling.

“Tourists feel more carefree on cycling vacations because they don’t have to worry about traffic, which is nerve wrecking for other foreigners who try to drive,” Nam said.

He designed the routes for the tours, and said that a trip from Hue to Hoi An would take at least five days with different stages. He suggested that a team of 15 travelers was a comfortable number.

Starting point

Nam has selected King Khai Dinh Tomb and Duc Son Pagoda near the Huong River as the departure points for the bike tour.

Wheeling and dealing: Cycling has become a favorite for foreign tourists. – Photos Courtesy of Viet Nam Cycling Vacation

Travelers can stop to snap photos of farmers planting vegetables near Huong Canh Village.
After visiting Thien Mu Pagoda, tourists will cruise on the Huong River and tour the royal palaces. A lunch in Hue will help the group refresh themselves after a 30km ride in the morning.

“We also have a van and a truck to carry passengers and bicycles if they need help. If someone on the team is exhausted from biking, they can get in the van,” Nam explained.

The travel agent said he sometimes guides the tours as well.

In the afternoon, the cyclists travel 20km from the Hue suburbs along the Nhu Y River and wind through Thanh Thuy Village, the most-visited fishing village in the area.

The second day from Hue to Lang Co will be a coastal trip as riders cycle along pristine beach of Thuan An, home to fishermen and dotted with aquaculture centers.

Fresh seafood will be on the menu for lunch in Lang Co Town, and tourists will be invited to join in the cooking and preparation with their hosts.

“It’s very interesting because tourists are excited by new cuisine that they have never seen before. Yet they also feel like they are at home,” said tour guide Nguyen Van Quan.

A night stay in the beach town will ease a full day of riding, before they take on the next challenge.

The third day will test their skills and power as they cross the 24km Hai Van mountain pass that links Hue and Da Nang.

The climb is made worth it by the sweeping vistas at the top, where riders can gaze down at a train snaking past the foot of the mountain.

During the 30-minute break on the top of the mountain, tourists can touch clouds and breath fresh air for an unforgettable experience.

Nam O Village in the suburbs of Da Nang will be the second stop for lunch.

Travelers will keep riding from Da Nang to Hoi An where they will spend the night.

The fourth and fifth days of the tour are left open for travelers to explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hoi An.

“We arrange a 50-km route for each individual group, depending on their desires and fitness level. Hoi An is the most popular destination for domestic and foreign visitors because of its historic architecture and culture,” Quan explained.

He said the cycling agency also organized routes in other provinces such as Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Nha Trang and the Mekong Delta region.

HUE FESTIVAL

Hue Festival 2012 -

26 countries to participate in the arts and entertainment festival. April 7-15, 2012

26 countries will send 36 art troupes to entertain visitors to the 2012 Hue Festival.

America and Europe will send 14 groups, Asia 11, and the rest will come from other continents, according to the Hue Festival organizers.

France continues its roll as the traditional and special partner in the 2012 festival, making the journey will be the Smooth band (hiphop , funk and jazz), Carabosse troupe from Poitou Charentes region, street band Jazz Combo Box, and artist Francois Audrain.

The Piatnisky Song and Dance Ensemble, specialising in Russian folk music, and the Raduga dancing group will represent Russia at the festival.

Participants from the UK, Belgium, Argentina, Cuba, Mexico, Australia, Poland, Japan and the Republic of Korea are expected to give entertaining performances at the festival, said organisers.

More than 300 media representatives have registered to cover the event. There will be 17 official government information sponsors, including Vietnam Television (VTV), Voice of Vietnam (VOV), and Vietnam News Agency (VNA).

The festival will take place from April 7-15, 2012, to mark the National Tourism Year in the north-central coastal region of Vietnam.  If you’re traveling to Vietnam doing this time period, you should include the Hue Festival in your plans

THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN DALAT, VIETNAM

Scenes taken during the principal photography for the film Bay Cap 3 on the way to Da Lat, Viet Nam.

Dalat Vietnam – The City Of Love, Romance And Flowers

Author: Allison

Dalat is a famous tourist destination in the Central Vietnam with natural beauty and pleasant climate throughout the year. The city is located in the South Central Highlands of Vietnam, praised by the former French colonial as the “valley of love”.

The mild weather in this city is extremely famous. Average temperature is of 18 -20 Celsius degree, capped at 30 and 5 Celsius degree. This favorable clime creates two different seasons, one rainy and one sunny. From May to October, the weather is wet and rainy for days. From November to April the sun shines everyday with a cool, clear weather. Sudden rains during sunny season should be expected, however tourists have no fear for storms as it’s impossible to catch one here.

Choosing an initial visiting place in Dalat can be a difficult task as its beauty spreading wide through the whole town. Generally speaking, Dalat gives tourists the impression of a mix between Vietnam and the French Alps. Most Dalat hotels and houses were built in French style as back then when Vietnam was French colony; this place is considered the relaxing capital for the French officials.

Visitors to Dalat are drawn by rugged sceneries, vivid blue skies, the fresh air, flower-filled parks and the local tasty treatments. It is an ideal destination for weekend outings, family get-away as well as honeymoons.

Another charm of this romantic city is the favorable weather (mild and extremely pleasant), the rugged beauty of nature (with lots of lakes and waterfalls) and the diversity of flowers (roses, hydrangeas, dandelions, orchids,…).

Some unforgettable attractions in Dalat include XuanHuong lake, Dalat flower park, valley of love, Tuyen Lam lake, Prenn and Pongour waterfalls…Tourists can also enjoy the French architecture, the set of flower gardens, the hill-top pagoda or a joyful ride in a land rover up to the top of Lang Biang mountain.

Hotels in Dalat are available at affordable prices for all type of traveling budget, ranging from cheap to luxury ones. A few famous names can be mentioned are Ana Mandara Dalat, Sofitel Dalat Palace, Blue Moon hotel, Novotel Dalat and Dalat Hotel Du Parc.

Let’s spend some times to travel to Dalat to experience the highland coldness in the evening, to take a stroll in the morning under the pine tree forests. The peaceful and charming environment of Dalat will surely dissolve all the troubles and tensions the bustling life and work can bring.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/dalat-vietnam-the-city-of-love-romance-and-flowers-4738591.html

About the Author

Allison works for a travel company in Vietnam specialized in providing tourists with services for Vietnam visa, Vietnam hotel, Vietnam tour and other travel services. She writes articles about traveling in Vietnam with insightful knowledge of a local as well as a professional in the field.

Lang Co Bay’s Beauty

Lang Co Bay

VietNamNet Bridge – Admiring the bay from the Hai Van Pass, going fishing in the bay or swimming in the blue water are among pleasures of tourists at the Lang Co Bay in the central province of Thua Thien – Hue, one of the most beautiful bays in the world.

Lying between Da Nang and Hue cities, Lang Co is the third bay in Vietnam being admitted to the World’s Most Beautiful Bays Club (Worldbays Club) following Ha Long Bay and Nha Trang Bay.

The bay was selected for its preserved natural beauty, which harmonizes with local people and attracts a lot of tourists.

Lang Co Bay has a 13-kilometer long beach with white sand and blue water. It has Lap An lagoon, a brackish water lagoon extended to 1,500 hectares with rich natural resources.

The bay adjacent to Hai Van Pass lies in the central area, where visitors can reach four world cultural heritages in Vietnam, namely Hue relics, royal court music, Hoi An ancient town and My Son relics, within a radius of 70 kilometers.

The bay is also included in many travel tours and is the nucleus of four national tourism complexes as well as one of the three main points of Thua Thien-Hue Province’s tourism.

 Lang Co Bay Video

via  Lang Co Bay’s beauty.

Essential information when you go to South of Da Lat

Author: Kien Nguyen Ba

As you leave town to the south on Highway 20, a slip road to the right leads to the top of Robin Hill, crowned by a huge cable-car terminus. Cable-car rides (daily 7.30–11.30am & 1.30–5pm; 75,000đ return, children 50,000đ) are available here, and offer fantastic views over the pine-clad slopes around the city. The trip takes about twelve minutes to cover the 2km down to Lake Tuyen Lam, a placid and attractive expanse of water. There are a few refreshment kiosks on the shore of the lake, and boat trips ($10–20 per boat) round the lake are also possible. Just beside the cable-car terminal at the lake is Truc Lam Pagoda, a modern, Chinese-style temple that houses a meditation centre. The lake can also be approached by road; look for a turning to the right off Highway 20 about 5km from the centre of Da Lat as you go down the hill.

Just a couple of hundred metres further south is a turning for Datanla Falls (daily 7am–5pm; small entrance fee), signposted on the right of the road as “Thac Datanla”. In Koho, datanla means “water under leaves”, and that pretty much sums up the place: from the car park, it’s a steep fifteen-minute clamber down to the falls, probing some splendidly lush forest. The falls themselves are unthrilling, their muddy waters cascading onto a plateau spanned by a wooden footbridge that provides a hackneyed photo opportunity.

The Prenn Waterfall (daily 6.30am–5.30pm; small entrance fee) is about another 6km down Highway 20 on the left. A major attraction for Vietnamese tourists, the fall sees a convoy of buses roll into its car park, harried by a stampede of cigarette and chewing-gum vendors. Unlike Datanla, the attraction here is the waterfall itself, which thunders (or trickles, depending on the season) over a wide overhang and into a broad pool below. By following the path that circles the pool, you can walk right behind the fall. Surrounding Prenn Waterfall are a host of tacky diversions: mock-up rope bridges and tree houses, souvenir shops and the chance to take a photo with an elephant or camel. If you’re too lazy to walk down the few steps to the base of the falls, you can hop in a cable car for 5000đ. Back up at the car park, the Prenn Restaurant is on hand to cater for hungry visitors, overlooked by a modern, octagonal pagoda.

Chicken Village (ask for Lang Con Ga), 18km south of Da Lat and just west of Highway 20, is just like any other Vietnamese village, apart from the bizarre, five-metre-high cement cockerel that stands proudly on a plinth in the centre, its mouth open in mid-squawk. The local Koho women can be found weaving in many makeshift stalls around. Whether you’re a potential buyer of textiles or not, it’s interesting to take a look at the rudimentary looms that the women need to strap themselves into to operate. It’s also possible to go rambling through the nearby fields and foothills without a permit.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-tips-articles/essential-information-when-you-go-to-south-of-da-lat-4945419.html

About the Author

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Ba Na Hills Cable Car

Ba Na is located on Chua Mountain in the Truong Son Mountains, around 1,487m above the sea, in Hoa Vang District, 30km from the center of Danang City.
Ba Na is popular as a one day tour or even a overnight stay for travelers from nearby Hue, Danang and Hoi An.

The French colonists began to develop Ba Na in the early 20th Century. It soon become a popular destination for colonists and foreign visitors. By 1919 a “Hill Station” had been established by the French.

Recently, the resort has been rebuilt with hotels and guesthouses. Flower gardens are popular settings for hotels and guesthouses.

Modern cable cars help the visitors get a great view of the surrounding area all the way to the South China Sea on a clear day.

Ba Na resort is part of the Ba Na-Nui Chua nature reserve, with a total area of 8,838 hectres. The nature reserve has two types of natural vegetation: lowland evergreen forest and lower mountain evergreen forest. Up to 543 species of plant life have been recorded at the nature reserve, 61 mammal species, 178 bird species and 17 reptile species, 6 amphibian species, 33 fish species and 126 butterfly species.

BA NA HILLS VIDEO – FOGGY MORNING

(Vietnamese Language)

CLICK BELOW FOR MAPS TO BA NA

HUE TO BA NA

DANANG BEACHES (CHINA BEACH) TO BA NA

HOI AN TO BA NA

Captain Dan’s Tour Boat

Danh Van Nguyen, known as Captain Dan to travelers, is the Captain and sole crew member of a small tour boat in the ancient town of Hoian. He provides excellent river tours of the woodcrafter’s and pottery villages, as well as the nearby islands where local Vietnamese live and work, and the Cham ruins at My Son.

CAPTAIN DAN AND HIS TOUR BOAT

Ask for Captain Dan on the river front in Hoian.  He has a great deal of knowledge of the Hoian area and is a cheerful fellow.

or send him an email at:

danhvannguyen2000@yahoo.com

Mangrove forest draws travelers to Hoi An.

About three kilometers east of the ancient town of Hoi An, the Dua Nuoc (mangrove palm) forest in Cam Thanh Commune in the central province of Quang Nam has become a very popular tourist destination.

The forest rests at the convergence of Thu Bon and Truong Giang Rivers before they flow into the South China Sea. The Hoi An mangrove palm forest plays an important role by forming a natural filtration system before the river currents merge into the South China Sea.

The year-round green forest grows along the river and canal banks. On islets and areas around the forest, there is a particular ecosystem, which is home to many species of fish and shrimp.

Local residents are well aware of the value of the mangrove palm forests to the environment and for tourism and are cooperating with organizations and tourist companies to exploit the tourist potential, annually broadening and preserving the forest area.

Visitors to the forest can take a leisurely bicycle ride through the forest. Crossing the various paths there, visitors will see local farmers picking mangrove palm leaves, which they use as roofing material and for handicraft items.

Boats are always available to carry visitors along the canals to pick mangrove palm nuts and enjoy a cool coconut drink.

Vietnam Mangrove

For those who want to relax in a fresh atmosphere, they can bring fishing rods, choose a suitable place and enjoy the sunset as it lazes over the Thu Bon River. People prefer wide-open spaces, they can row a boat out to the river or cast a net with the help of local anglers.

via VietNamNet – Mangrove palm forest draws tourists in Hoi An | Mangrove palm forest draws tourists in Hoi An.

Secrets of Hoi An: Vietnam’s Historic Port
by: Carol Howland
publisher: The Gioi Publishers, published: 2011
ASIN: 6047702287
EAN: 9786047702282
price: $29.99 (used)

For the past 13 years, travel writer Carol Howland has returned to Hoi An again and again. In her third travel book on Vietnam (apart from a guidebook), she explores the tangled history of this old port town that saw its heydays in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, contemporary with Malacca and Macao – a town that has been a seaport for more than two thousand years hosting three distinct civilisations. Interwoven with Hoi An residents, who relate the tales of their ancestors.

Chan May Port, Vietnam

Chan May Port

Cruise ships anchor at Chan May Port on the coast of Central Vietnam.

Chan May is about 60 kilometers / 42 miles south of Hue, the Capital of  Imperial Vietnam, 45 kilometers / 28 miles north of Da Nang and 75 kilometers / 47 miles north of the Ancient Town of Hoi An.

Here is an account of an Australian lady’s first stop in Vietnam while on a cruise.

Chan May Port, Vietnam – Between Hue and Da Nang, Vietnam

Vietnam Crystal Symphony Cruise Journal from Southeast Asia Cruise

By Linda Garrison, About.com Guide

“Vietnam Countryside near Chan May, Vietnam”

Chan May and Vietnam Countryside

Our first landing in Vietnam on the Crystal Symphony was at Chan May, a port about half way between Da Nang and Hue, the two cities where most of the shore excursions went. Mom and I were on a 5-hour excursion to Da Nang and China Beach, but most people did the full day tour to Hue. Both cities were about an hour from the dock.

We gathered in one of the lounges at 8 am and left soon afterwards. Everyone had to have Vietnam landing cards along with our room card to exit/enter the ship. (Our passports and visas were held by the purser). Mom and I had a dockside view from our balcony, and dozens of vendors were camped out, waiting to pounce on the passengers as we entered the pier area. We quickly walked by them on the way to the bus, planning to shop when we returned in the afternoon. As soon as we left the pier, we saw what I consider a “true” Asian/Chinese/Vietnamese scene — rice paddies filled with workers in traditional bamboo conical (“coolie”) hats and surrounded by water buffalo.

We rode along the beach, marveling at the huge light golden sand dunes on the beach side of the road and lush green hills on the other. The dunes were so high, we only got glimpses of the ocean until we got nearer Da Nang. Vietnam is a big exporter of sand and silica, and the pier was piled high with brilliant white silica awaiting loading. The drive to Da Nang was relatively scenic, with a couple of small villages along the way before we reached the suburbs of Da Nang, the fourth largest city in Vietnam (about 1 million residents). One thing was immediately clear–everyone must have a scooter/motorcycle/motorbike in this country. They are everywhere! The bus passed through one long tunnel (about 4 miles long) through the mountains, and our guide said that the motorbikes are not allowed to go through the tunnel. They either have to go over the mountain, which is evidently a scenic, but very dangerous road, or pay a truck to haul their bikes through the tunnel, while they ride in the truck. We also saw many traffic policemen, and the guide said it was one of the most lucrative jobs in Vietnam since bribes are accepted.

On the lunar calendar Vietnam uses, the day we were in Da Nang was the 28th, which is considered a very lucky day for weddings. A young engaged couple’s parents select the “lucky” wedding day by consulting with a fortune teller. Eight is a lucky number (our guide got married on August 8). So, we saw about a dozen huge restaurants filled with wedding parties. According to our guide, it is not unusual to have 500 people at a wedding party. Everyone rides their motorbikes to the restaurant and hundreds filled some of the parking lots outside. The doors of the restaurants were decorated with flowers, and we saw one wedding party walking single file down the street. The bride was already at the restaurant, and the groom (who looked about 14 and was wearing a white suit and carrying a large bouquet) and his family were walking single file down the sidewalk on the way to meet the bride and her family. We were glad we returned to the ship by 2:30 pm, because evidently the streets get pretty wild following the weddings. Just picture this–hundreds of drunk wedding revelers riding their motorbikes home after the wedding! Our guide said that motorbike accidents were a major killer in the country, and I believe him.

Read the rest of this article at:  http://cruises.about.com/od/southeastasiacruise1/a/exotic_asia_cruise_3.htm

Anchored Cruise Ship - Chan May

via Chan May, Vietnam – Crystal Symphony Cruise Journal – Southeast Asia Cruise on the Crystal Symphony.

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TRAVEL VIETNAM – 2011

Travel Vietnam 2011 Illustrated Guide, Phrasebook & Maps. Includes Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Sapa, Dalat, Hoi An, the Imperial City in Hue, Ha Long Bay … Moonstone” by Wilkie Collins (Mobi Travel)
by: MobileReference
publisher: MobileReference, published: 2011-02-23
ASIN: B004P8JQKS
sales rank: 39476

This illustrated Travel Guide is designed for optimal navigation on Kindle and other electronic devices. It is indexed alphabetically and by category, making it easier to access individual articles. Articles feature information about attractions, landmarks, districts, transportation, cultural venues, dining, history and much more. Addresses, telephones, hours of operation and admissions information are included. The guide is complimented by clearly marked maps that are linked to city attractions. An interlinked general phrasebook as well as a pronunciation guide are also included.

Table of Contents:

Essentials: Phrasebook | Eat | Drink | Sleep | Contact | Stay Healthy | Stay Safe

1. General: History | Geography | Government & Politics | Economy | Culture | Demographics

2. Maps: Vietnam | Regions | Hanoi | Ho Chi Minh City

3. Transport: Get In | Get Around

4. By Area: Regions | Cities | Other Destinations

5. Attractions: Top 10 | Itinerary | Buy | Holidays6. Hanoi: Tourist Center | Eat | Drink | Sleep | Contact | Stay Safe

6.1 General: History | Economy | Education

6.2 Transport: Get In | Get Around
6.3 Attractions: See | Do | Buy | Get Out7. Other Cities: Haiphong | Dalat | Ho Chi Minh City | Hoi An | Hue | Nha Trang | Phan Thiet | Vinh

8. Other Destinations: Con Dao | Cuc Phuong National Park | DMZ | Ha Long Bay | Kontum | My Son | Tay Ninh | Tam Coc | Bach Ma National Park

Taking time out to enjoy a Vietnamese Cooking Class while in HoiAn will let you enjoy a classic Vietnamese meal and learn a bit about healthy cooking in general.  Here are two examples of travelers’ experiences taking a Vietnamese Cooking Class:

Hoi An’s Red Bridge Cooking School

By Sandra Scott

Written on 18 June 2008

Cooking lesson in Hoi An includes market tour, boat ride, lesson, and a meal all for $18. (Editor’s note – as of June 2008)

I visited Vietnam ten years ago and the images of the beautiful scenery and friendly people have stayed with me. Many things have changed in the past ten years. Tourism has grown by leaps and bounds but the country is still beautiful and the people still friendly. The city Hoi An is great for exploring, shopping, dining – and learning how to cook. On my first trip to Vietnam I developed a love for Vietnamese food. There are many places that offered Vietnamese cooking lessons but the Red Bridge Cooking School had received rave reviews – now I know why.

A group of 20 wannabe chefs met at the Hai Café at 8:15 in the morning and got acquainted over a cup of ginger tea. With Het as the guide for my group of six, we walked to the morning market where she showed us all the ingredients we would use in our recipes. She pointed out that ginger and turmeric may look alike but the turmeric is orange on the inside. She introduced us to fruits and vegetables I had never seen before such as banana flowers, dragon fruit, and bitter melon. As professional as an infomercial reporter, she showed us how to use some very unique, essential, and inexpensive Vietnamese cooking utensils, which of course, I just had to buy.

After the market tour, we boarded a boat for the 25-minute ride on the Hoi An River to the cooking school. The ride was worth the price. I loved watching the fishermen cast their nets and seeing life along the river. We arrived at a small town and walked to the cooking school. I was impressed with the pastel-colored homes that looked freshly painted. At the school, Het continued our education by explaining about the various herbs growing in the school’s garden.

The lesson started in an open-air pavilion next to the river. We were given clipboards, the recipes, and a pen to take notes. Chef Thanh pointed to the mirror strategically placed about his table, “Vietnamese TV. You can see everything. If you pay good attention you will make a good lunch. If not you have do it again – but at home!”

We watched as Chef Thanh deftly sliced the papaya, mango, lotus root, banana flower, carrots, cucumber, and onions for the Seafood Salad while telling us what can be substituted if we can not get the traditional ingredients. He added the sliced shallots, shrimp, squid, crushed ginger, and black pepper. In the end everything was tossed together. “Ok, Now you try! Go to your cooking stations.”

Each cooking station had a gas hotplate with all the ingredients and utensils laid out for us. The lesson continued in that manner. Chef Thanh demonstrated, then we cooked. We made Vietnamese Eggplant in Clay Pot. “Back to your seats. Watching a clay pot is very boring.” The hardest thing of all to master was the art of making Fresh Rice Paper. I love Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls, but I doubt I will ever be able to make the rice paper from scratch. It isn’t just preparing the rice batter that is the problem. A scoop of batter is placed on a piece of thin white cotton above a pot of boiling water, then covered. The trick is knowing exactly when the rice paper was ready. Only a few of us ended up with a perfect one! The kitchen helpers made sure we all had one perfect one even if they had to make it for us. I filled mine with the veggie and shrimp mix but could not roll it so it looked professional. Takes practice for sure!

The Hoi An Pancakes were much easier. It was back to our frying pans at our cooking stations. We started with two capfuls of oil, “Vietnamese teaspoon,” Chef Thanh quipped. “It is hot enough when you can smell it. If it smokes it is too hot and you will be a human pancake!”

The last lesson dealt with food decorations. I will need more practice for this, too. Try as I might I had trouble slicing the cucumber thin enough to curl into a Vietnamese Fan. When one would break because it was too thick, Thanh said, “Eat your mistakes!” I ate quite a few!

We watched, we cooked, we sampled, and then, to my amazement we went to the dining area and had Vietnamese Eggplant in Clay Pot, which I had forgotten all about! It was finally ready but by that time we were all quite full!

It was a wonderful morning. Sated and relaxed I enjoy the boat ride back to Hoi An with a new appreciation for the Vietnamese food and the skill it takes to prepare.

via Everywhere: Articles: Hoi An’s Red Bridge Cooking School.

ANOTHER FINE VIETNAMESE COOK BOOK FROM AMAZON

Into the Vietnamese Kitchen: Treasured Foodways, Modern Flavors by: Andrea Nguyen publisher: Ten Speed Press, published: 2006-10-01 ASIN: 1580086659 EAN: 9781580086653 sales rank: 15548 price: $20.99 (new), $20.99 (used)

When author Andrea Nguyen’s family was airlifted out of Saigon in 1975, one of the few belongings that her mother hurriedly packed for the journey was her small orange notebook of recipes. Thirty years later, Nguyen has written her own intimate collection of recipes, INTO THE VIETNAMESE KITCHEN, an ambitious debut cookbook that chronicles the food traditions of her native country. Robustly flavored yet delicate, sophisticated yet simple, the recipes include steamy pho noodle soups infused with the aromas of fresh herbs and lime; rich clay-pot preparations of catfish, chicken, and pork; classic bánh mì sandwiches; and an array of Vietnamese charcuterie. Nguyen helps readers shop for essential ingredients, master core cooking techniques, and prepare and serve satisfying meals, whether for two on a weeknight or 12 on a weekend.Reviews “Andrea Nguyen may be to Vietnamese food what Julia Child was to French fare and Barbara Tropp to Chinese cuisine.”—Chicago Tribune“Best for: Anyone who wants to fall in love—truly, madly, deeply—with Vietnamese food.”—San Jose Mercury News“[A] smart, soulful collection of Vietnamese recipes.”—Saveur“A comprehensive take on a delicate yet dynamic cuisine.”—Philadelphia Inquirer“No other author has presented such a detailed account of the culinary abilities of Vietnamese home cooks, and subjects like the role of pickled vegetables and the techniques of charcuterie have never been so clearly explained for a wide audience.”—New York Times”Only now is Vietnamese food culture getting the attention it deserves, and a book of this beauty and seriousness will do much to explain the origins, traditions, and refinement of the country’s cuisine.”—John Mariani’s Virtual Gourmet“Nguyen makes Vietnamese cuisine accessible with this extensive cookbook, which stretches from soup to charcuterie.”—Houston Chronicle“An impressive, carefully researched, and thoroughly readable guide to Vietnamese food and culinary tradition.”—Library Journal

Enjoy taking a Vietnamese cooking class at home or while traveling in Vietnam!