11 Best Vietnamese Spices Used in Recipes

In every country, there are multiple herbs and spices being used in their cuisines. One of the most interesting countries that uses different spices in their recipes is Vietnam. Vietnamese cuisine offers an explosion of sour, sweet, spicy, salty and bitter flavor.

Vietnamese cuisine uses different kinds of herbs and spices, and those 5 flavors that you will taste on Vietnamese food are the fusion of those Vietnamese spices. Vietnamese cooking also has some techniques to create some traditional Vietnamese recipes.

Vietnamese chefs also use traditional Vietnamese cooking in many Vietnamese dishes to create some authentic dishes. Some of the best Vietnamese spices and Vietnamese herbs can be found in Northern Vietnam region and Southern Vietnam region. 

Though Vietnam has been isolated and has not been exposed to commercial trades during the early period, they’re able to use the herbs and spices found in the region and incorporate it on the Vietnamese food. 

Most Vietnamese dishes use common ingredients such as salt, sugar, pepper, onion and garlic. They would level up the flavors by adding fresh aromatic ingredients, soy sauce, fish sauce, fresh herbs and dried spices.

Let us check some of these Vietnamese spices and what they are or what typical Vietnamese food they have been incorporated to. If you want to buy some of these spices, there is a link on each name that you can click. 

Different Vietnamese Spices Used in Recipes

Coriander 

Also known as Chinese parsley, dhania or cilantro, Coriander is a fresh herb. Though all parts of the plants are edible, only the fresh leaves and the coriander seeds that are most traditionally used in cooking. Coriander is mainly used due to its warm, spicy and nutty, with a hint of citrus aroma. It tastes warmer, spicy and nutty.

Laksa Soup with Vietnamese Coriander is a must-try Vietnamese food. It uses the fresh coriander leaves as a main component. Aside from that,  Vietnamese cuisine like banh mi (bánh mì) sandwiches,  pho (phở) and some salads uses coriander as well. 

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Thai Basil

Originated from the Southeast Asian region, Thai basil is a common ingredient among the cuisines of this region, particularly in Vietnam. Thai basil has an anise and licorice-like taste  with a slightly spicy flavor. 

When it comes to the Vietnamese food, Pho uses the Thai basil to add an extra flavor. It is usually used as a topping together with bean sprouts, chilies, lime, and onion.

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Spring Onions 

Spring onions are also known as green onion or scallions. They are from the very young onions and harvested before the bulb has had a chance to bloom. The long, slender green tops and the small white bulb are edible. They are also eaten cooked or raw due to their milder taste when compared to the onions. 

Green onions are considered as Vietnamese herbs and there is a recipe in Vietnam called Mỡ Hành, which is a Vietnamese Scallions & Oil Garnish Recipe and it goes very well with grilled meats, fried rice, or rice noodle dishes.

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Black Pepper

Black pepper comes from a flowering vine and its fruit called peppercorn are being cultivated. It is then used as a spice on different dishes. The peppercorn taste is spicy, woody, warm, terpy and herbaceous, which is the reason it is dubbed as the king of spices. 

In Vietnamese cuisine, black pepper is commonly used as a sprinkle on top of brothy canh soups, stir-fries, and noodle soups like pho. It adds a burst of flavor to those dishes and its pungent heat can elevate the taste of dumpling fillings and banh mi.

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Rice Paddy Herb (Ngo-Om)

Rice Paddy Herb or Ngo-Om is native to Southeast Asia, grows most often in watery environments, particularly in flooded rice fields and thrives in hot temperatures. Though rice paddy is commonly used as a medicinal herb, it also found its place in culinary dishes. 

The Vietnamese beef pho uses Ngo-om as one of its main ingredients, together with Thai basil and bean sprouts. It has a flavour with a hint of citrus and a taste similar to cumin.

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Shallots

A common spice that looks like onions, shallots are also an important ingredient in the pantry. Its flavor is milder and more delicate than that of a regular onion. But they can be used as a substitute if you don’t have any onions left. 

When it comes to Vietnamese foods, many of them incorporate shallots as one of their key ingredients. That includes rice dishes such as hủ tiếu, vermicelli bún bowls with grilled pork, bánh cuốn, and bánh bèo. You can see some crispy fried shallots being used as a garnish on these dishes. 

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Mung Bean Sprouts

Mung Bean Sprouts is a type of herb that’s grown by placing and watering the sprouted mung beans in the shade until the hypocotyls grow long. They taste like fresh green peas and have a delicate flavor when harvested at the right time. 

Though bean sprouts are typically used in Chinese cuisine, Vietnamese have found their own twist to use this on their own. They have created a Vietnamese bean sprout salad, Vietnamese fresh rolls, pickled bean sprouts, and the crispy rice and mung bean pancakes. 

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Vietnamese Hot Chili Peppers

Vietnamese hot chili peppers are the Capsicum Annuum type of peppers from Vietnam. This pepper is extremely hot with an exceptionally strong pungent pepper taste. The plants that grow to heights of 1 1/2 – 3 feet tall can be covered with hundreds of peppers that are about 1/8 inch in diameter and 1′ 2 inches long.

Since most of the foods in Vietnam are spicy, these chili peppers can be a common spice. It is especially popular in soups and stews. Chili peppers are also made into hoisin sauce and can be added on fish sa. 

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Cumin

Cumin is the dried seed of the herb Cuminum cyminum, which is a member of the parsley family. It has a slightly sweet, warming flavour with a nutty element, and that makes it a very good alternative for cinnamon. 

In Vietnamese cuisine, the Vietnamese people use its leaves called dill more often to add to seafood hotpot due to its unique aromatic smell and sweet taste. It is also found on the famous food in Vietnam, which is Pho. 

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Star Anise

Star anise is a spice named for the star-shaped pods of the fruit of the Chinese evergreen tree Illicium verum. If you have tasted licorice before, their taste is identical. Star anise has a  very sweet and mildly spicy flavor which makes a great addition to sweet dishes and desserts, such as baked fruit, pies, quick bread and muffins.

Vietnamese Pho soup can be enhanced by adding star anise into it. Also, meat dishes like stir fried beef or shaking beef can be incorporated with star anise and oyster sauce. Some Vietnamese restaurant would add it whole to sweet and sour soup, rice noodles, stews and braising broths, rice cakes to which it adds a combination of sweet-licorice-peppery flavor.

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Cassia Bark

It is also called as Chinese Cinnamon as it comes from an evergreen tree originating in southern China.  It is used primarily for their aromatic bark, which is used as a spice. Cassia bark also has a sweet, aromatic, and pungent flavor.

The Saigon cinnamon bark is an important ingredient in the broth used to make phở, a popular noodle soup dish in Vietnam. It is also used as a flavoring agent for confectionery, desserts, pastries, and meat.

There are still other fresh herbs and spices that you can find on Vietnamese cooking, such as Vietnamese mint and fried onions. They can be incorporated on any dish and ingredients like fish sauce, soy sauce, shrimp paste, rice paper rolls, stir fry, pork dishes, shrimp sauce, boiled chicken and other Vietnamese dish. They can be spotted in Northern Vietnam and Southern Vietnam region.

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