Vietnam is home to countless types of vegetables, the main ingredient in most Vietnamese food. Localtravelidea would like to introduce you to a list of the top most popular & typical Vietnamese vegetables.
Morning glory
The appearance of the spinach kind can be easily recognized by its long structure with funnel-shaped leaves; it survives both in terrestrial and aquatic environments. In Vietnam, there are a total of 2 types of morning glory which are white morning glory and crimson morning glory.
Morning glory is one of the most common vegetables in Vietnam - Source: Internet
The white morning glory especially has a longer body and more green color. The easiest way to cook this vegetable is by boiling and dipping it into soil sauce or fish sauce. Moreover, we can use the remaining boiled water with lemon juice to create the water morning- glory soup. On the other hand, spinach can be cooked in many ways like salad, stir-frying with garlic or beef,... People who have gout, hypertensive, osteoarthropathy are not recommended to eat this type of vegetable.
Corchorus capsularis - top 10 popular Vietnamese vegetables
Corchorus capsularis - Source: Internet
Corchorus capsularis is an erect, annual shrub, with acute leaves, yellow five-petaled flowers, and growing to two or more meters in height. This kind of vegetable contains many nutrients such as Vitamin B, C, K... with the detox function and preventing constipation. In Vietnam, Corchorus capsularis is usually used to make Vietnamese iconic crab soup. This wonderful Vietnamese vegetable dish is really suitable for a family meal in the summertime and it is even tastier when combined with Solanum macrocarpon.
Malabar spinach
Malabar spinach - Source: Internet
Malabar spinach is a fast-growing, soft-stemmed vine, reaching 10 meters in length. The spinach leaves are heart-shaped and green. For some people, Malabar spinach is uneatable because it turns slimy after cooking. Some popular ways to cook Malabar spinach are soup, stir-frying with garlic,...
Amaranth - top vegetables in Vietnam
Amaranth - Source: Internet
There are 2 main types of amaranth: white and crimson. After being cooked, the color of the water will turn crimson like the color of the leaves. Amaranth is usually used as the main ingredient for soup dishes (shrimp, crab soup) in most Vietnamese meals. Those benefits from eating amaranth are antifebrile, preventing osteoporosis and diuretic since this vegetable has many compositions such as lipid, glucid, vitamin, and mineral,...
Cabbage
Cabbage - Source: Internet
Cabbage is grown throughout the year in Vietnam and is always on the list of Vietnamese vegetables that are loved by many local people. This kind of vegetable contains vitamin C, B6, K, magnesium,... The function of those elements is antioxidants, improving digestion and preventing hypertensive. Besides some basic recipes like stir-fried and boiled, cabbage is used to wrap meatballs or minced to pickle with carrots and coriander as the side dish.
Chinese cabbage (Spoon cabbage)
The reason why Chinese cabbage is called “spoon cabbage” in Vietnam is that it has a body shape exactly like a spoon.
Chinese cabbage - pictures of Vietnamese vegetables - Source: Internet
Chinese cabbage or spoon cabbage has a low rate of fat and high fiber. Thus, spoon cabbage is just the top food to support human digestion. Also, this cabbage contains a huge amount of calcium, vitamin C, magnesium, sodium, and iron. Which brings many health benefits for people who eat it. Some of the benefits are improving the immune system and digestive system. Many popular dishes for spoon cabbage are boiled cabbage, stir-frying with beef, soup,...
Prostrate knotweed - top common Vietnamese vegetables
Prostrate knotweed - Source: Internet
Common knotgrass or Bitter vegetable is an annual herb with a semi-erect stem that may grow from. The leaves are hairless and short-stalked. It lives mostly in the South and middle South of Vietnam. Bitter taste at first bite is the salient feature of knotweed to recognize. Because this vegetable is good for the digestive system, people use knotweed to cook many delicious foods such as fish soup, shrimp hot pot,... Things that you should pay attention to before giving prostrate knotweed a try are:
- Woman in pregnant period should not eat knotweed since there is a possibility of miscarriage
- Excessive consumption of knotweed can suffer digestive disorder
Wild celery
Wild celery is one of the typical vegetables in Vietnam - Source: Internet
Wild celery is an aquatic plant that has long leaves. The locals in the Mekong River Delta in Vietnam believe that wild celery is a gift from mother nature. Wild celery only appears once a year - the period of flooding season (from August to September). You can easily see many bushes of celery in the blooding season floating on every canal of the Mekong River Delta in Vietnam.
Wild celery is soft and spongy, with a distinct yet savory flavor, making it one of the most favored Vietnamese vegetable side dishes. The best way to enjoy wild celery is raw. The veggies are frequently picked up by the locals to be washed and dipped in fish sauce. Wild celery is quite popular in rural regions such as the Mekong River Delta, and it has become something that Mekong residents rely on during every flooding season.
Lettuce
Lettuce - Source: Internet
Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is commonly grown as a leaf vegetable, with the leaf being large, thin, and green. To clean, people usually remove each lettuce leaf and soak it in salty water. Lettuce can be eaten raw with toast or a spring roll. In the winter, Vietnamese people commonly consume lettuce with a unique sauce made of eggs, tomatoes, onions, and a variety of herbs. The meal appears basic, yet its flavor draws a large number of people.
Sauropus androgynus - top 10 vegetables in Vietnam
Sauropus androgynus - Source: Internet
The last veggie on the list is sauropus androgynus, it contains a variety of healthy compositions within the function of blood purification and detox. Sauropus androgynus is an erect plant with multiple upright stems that can reach 2.5 meters high and bear dark green oval leaves 5–6 cm long. This veggie is suitable for cooking with minced pork due to the nutrient it contains. Some people squeeze this veggie to drink as a febrifuge detox liquid which helps improve skin beauty. However, pregnant women, rickets and the elderly should not consume sauropus androgynus.
Here are some of the most common types of Vietnamese vegetables. So, what are you waiting for to visit Vietnam and enjoy some of these delectable vegetable dishes from various regions?
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— Giang Pham
