Here in Australia we’re so blessed to have so many different nationalities living here and I’m so grateful for the Vietnamese people who have made Australia their home. It’s such a delicious, light and tasty cuisine but one that is easy to recreate in your own kitchen with a few basic pantry staples. Here’s how you can Vietnamese food easily at home.

How you can create Vietnamese food easily at home www.domesblissity.com

One of the most healthy cuisines around, Vietnamese cuisine relies a lot of fresh herbs and vegetables to flavour their food with the use of additional spices to achieve the five elements they try to achieve with every meal. They are spicy, sour, bitter, salty and sweet which correspond to five body organs. The gall bladder, small intestine, large intestine, stomach, and urinary bladder.

They also try to achieve 5 colours with every meal. They are white, green, yellow, red and black. These five elements also refer to the senses and nutrients. Very clever thinking and very simple to ensure a healthy diet.

Due to the economic hardship the country has had to endure over many decades, they have learnt very well how to not waste any food. A lot of foods are homegrown and animals farmed by families and every bit is used up. Definitely something Western culture has a lot to learn from.

They don’t have many baked sweets like Western culture which is probably why they have such a healthy diet.

Herbs

Fresh: Vietnamese hot chili peppers, coriander (cilantro), sawtooth coriander, spring onions (scallions), garlic, shallots, dill, lemongrass, spearmint, perilla (a combination of mint and basil leaves), Asian basil, betel leaves, garlic chives, Vietnamese lemon mint, water spinach, mustard leaves, banana flower, kohlrabi, galangal, parsley

Check your local Asian supermarket or farmer’s markets.

Spices

Ginger, garlic, cardamom, cloves, star anise, fennel seeds, cinnamon, chilli, turmeric

Protein

Seafood (including fish, prawns, crab, clams), chicken, pork, beef, eggs, tofu, duck, offal, Chinese sausage,

Fruit & Vegetables

Bamboo shoots, carrots, cabbage, spring onions, asparagus, bean sprouts, tomatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, papaya, mango (including green), limes, water spinach, lemons, jackfruit, radish, mung beans, banana, bok choy, cauliflower, cucumber, eggplant, watercress, coconut, custard apple, durian, guava, mangosteen, gooseberry, persimmon, dragonfruit, plum, pomello, rambutan, lychee, watermelon, star fruit, pumpkin (butternut squash)

Other Pantry Ingredients

Fish sauce, oyster sauce, shrimp paste, jasmine rice, pickled vegetables, rock sugar, sambal oelek, rice vermicelli noodles, fried shallots, rice spring roll wrapper, stock, coconut milk, rice flour, banana leaves, peanuts, kidney beans, condensed milk, yeast, vinegar, Hoisin sauce, soy sauce