Chinese spices in Saigon
The Chinese in Saigon are divided into 4 main groups: Cantonese, Teochew, Hakka and Fujianese. Each group has its own custom, adding to the diversity of the urban culture. They all have famous street chefs, making Saigon not only “beautiful” but also “del
WHEN I CAN’T TRAVEL FAR FROM SAIGON ON WEEKENDS, I JUST DRIVE TO DISTRICT 5, DISTRICT 6, DISTRICT 11... AND IMAGINE MYSELF AS A TOURIST SLOWLY EXPLORING EVERY STREET CORNER AND EVERY DISH FOR THE UNIQUE CULTURE OF CHINESE PEOPLE.
AS DEBONAIR AS THE CANTONESE
Well-versed in business and generous in personality is the best description of the Cantonese. This is also evident in their cuisine, the most famous element being dim sum, which means “brunch”, usually served in the morning. Every time I have a dim sum, I have to bring at least two more friends because the meal is quite “hearty” and a bit “expensive” when eating alone (and actually, you can’t finish all the dishes when eating alone).
There is an interesting story behind the name “dim sum”. Legend has it that in the Eastern Jin dynasty, to show soldiers gratitude after battles, a general had civilians make buns and cakes to send to the front lines. In this context, dim sum means “touching heart”.
Today, dim sum has a very broad range of flavors, textures, cooking styles and ingredients such as shrimp, scallops, crab, pork, etc. As the demand has increased, many dim sum restaurants have opened all day. When visiting Saigon, you should definitely try the Cantonese dim sum at least for once!
Other dishes: jiaozi, ching bo leung, deep fried shrimp
AS THRIFTY AS THE TEOCHEW
The Teochew people, also known as Chaozhou people, come from Guangdong province but they communicate with each other in their own language called the Teochew dialect. The Teochew people are diligent, hard-working and very economical and perhaps their impoverished, drifting life has trained them to endure hardships. Teochew dishes are usually light and frugal.
Many times, when I take my friends to eat a Teochew meal, they are surprised because the dishes don’t look as eye-catching as other Chinese dishes, but are very delicious. The recipe for these dishes is thought to be simple, but in fact, in addition to the main spices, the chefs add their own secret flavors. long time until it can be softly melted in the diners’ mouth, and thanks to its unique sour taste, the fatty dishes are easier to eat. I remember the roasted pork served with fermented Chinese mustard greens of some Vietnamese families in Saigon and the neighboring Western region. The leftovers of a roasted pork are chopped down, put in a pot and stewed with fermented Chinese mustard greens. Perhaps, Vietnamese people learn this economical way of cooking from Teochew people after many years living together.
Other dishes: satay venison noodle soup, thick noodle soup
Fermented Chinese mustard green is probably the soul of Teochew dishes. They stew fermented Chinese mustard green for a THE CHO RAY HOSPITAL, OR BINH TAY MARKET (CHO LON) WERE ALL BUILT BY THE TEOCHEW PEOPLE, EVEN THOUGH THEY STARTED THEIR BUSINESSES FROM SCRATCH. THE TEOCHEW PEOPLE ARE TRULY AN EXAMPLE WORTH LEARNING FROM.
AS TALENTED AS THE HAKKA
The Hakka is probably the group with the least number of people in the Chinese community in Vietnam in general and Saigon in particular. It is commonly held that the Hakka is a subgroup of the Han Chinese. However, this is disputed by many scholars and the Hakka origins remain unclear.
The Hakka have a uniquely good cooking skill. During the French colonial period, the chefs chosen to cook for the French officials were mostly Hakkas. They know how
In present day Saigon, there is still a Hakka restaurant that has existed for nearly 80 years in a tiny alley on Ly Thuong Kiet Street. The restaurant serves diners on the first floor, while the ground floor is the owner’s residence and kitchen area. When I
IF YOU READ MORE ABOUT THE HAKKA, YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT NOTABLE PEOPLE SUCH AS SUN YAT-SEN, DENG XIAOPING AND LEE KUAN YEW. THEY ARE THE PRIDE OF HAKKA PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD. to perfectly combine Western and Chinese cuisine with ingredients such as onions, bell peppers, etc. that other Chinese subgroups cannot do.
first came here, I ordered a plate of kiu nyuk (“nyuk” is stewing until soft, “kiu” is meat), a plate of Dongjiang tofu and a plate of salt-baked chicken on the owner’s recommendation. The kiu nyuk was extremely impressive, the pork was so soft, served with thick sliced taro pieces.
Other dishes: flushing fat chicken rice, stir-fried beef pasta, stir-fried beef noodles
THE CHINESE ARE KIND, DILLIGENT, HARD-WORKING AND VERY UNITED. IN EARLIER TIMES, FAMILIES GATHERED TO FORM CLUSTERS LIVING AND DOING BUSINESS TOGETHER. UNTIL NOW, MANY SUCH RESIDENCES STILL EXIST, TYPICALLY “HAO SY PHUONG” WHERE YOUNG SAIGONESE OFTEN COME TO TAKE PICTURES.
AS FAMOUS AS THE FUJIANESE
The Fujianese are often considered a people who worship Tianhou (the Queen of Heaven). From Meizhou Island, the Fujianese sailed on the great seas, bringing their culture to countries around the world and the unique culture is recognized by UNESCO.
The Fujianese have a dish that I think every Saigonese knows: Fujianese noodles. The Fujianese noodles are thicker, chewier and fatter than other kinds of noodles, which can be stir-fried or served with broth. Every time my family has a death day anniversary, my father runs up to Cho Lon to buy the Fujianese noodles to put on our home altar.
In addition, Fujian cuisine is also famous for its “Buddha Jumps Over the Wall”. This dish is a delicacy, containing a lot of ingredients such as scallops, abalone, shark’s fin, ginseng and other. A legend is that after the dish is cooked, the aroma lingers, and once, upon detecting the smell, a Buddhist monk forgot his vow to be a vegetarian and leapt over a wall to taste the dish.
Other dishes: Fujianese duck stew, popiah
The Chinese culture and cuisine in Saigon are so diverse and rich that it cannot be fully explained in a few pages. You have to not only eat and taste the unique dishes, you also have to see the old Chinese houses and shops decorated in pastel colors, then exchange one or two greetings to them to feel their simplicity - that’s when your meal is really complete.