Lonely Planet World Food Vietnam (Lonely Planet World Food Guides) (Paperback)

by Richard Sterling (Author) "Vietnamese cuisine is the sum of many parts..." (more)
Key Phrases: Lonely Planet, Nha Trang, Lac Thien (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

If cooking were painting, Vietnam would have on of the world's most colourful palettes. Practically anything can be grown in its diverse climate and, because the people have no culinary inhibitions, anything goes. Vietnam lays itself bare at the table and, with this unique guide, you are about to embark on an unforgettable culinary adventure.

• the essential guide to the culture of food & drink in Vietnam
• faces of gastronomy, profiles of the ordinary people and places that make Vietnamese cuisine unique
• an exploration of the regional influences that make up Vietnamese cuisine
• a special chapter on the bold palate of Vietnam
• the definitive culinary dictionary, a quick-reference glossary and useful phrases for every food & drink occasion
• tantalising photography & recipes

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications (March 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 186450028X
• ISBN-13: 978-1864500288
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #408,835 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #14 in	Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Regional & International > Asian > Vietnamese
  #34 in	Books > Travel > Asia > Vietnam

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good companion piece - but not a cookbook on its own, May 9, 2000

By	Jadepearl "geezer geek" (Wandering, USA) - See all my reviews

The book is well put together but it is a more chatty version of a food guide. In its tone and topic it humanizes the Vietnamese via the vehicle of food removing stereotypes. It covers topics that other Vietnamese cookbooks do not cover very much such as, etiquette and placement of items in a greater meal context. Which for the traveler and non traveler is a very good thing.

However it is NOT a cookbook though it has some recipes. It's main focus is to enable you, the traveler, to experience Vietnamese food on location. Which this book does very well.

I found things somewhat factually wrong - the dog meat section. Though it tries to make you feel better about eating dog meat by saying that the dogs' lives are happy until their quick death -- certain instances of this are not true. Look up Temple's book on modern Vietnam _Shadows and Wind_ in describing how the dogs were beaten to death for tenderizing purposes to celebrate a New Year meal. This method may disturb some people but the ancient Romans practiced similiar methods (see Plutarch's essay on vegetarianism). Anyway, it is a flaw of fact.

This book proves to be a wonderful companion to other books such as, Trang's _Authentic Vietnamese_. It provides, in its small pages,information on modern food, history, and background information on Vietnam in a compact way that is well written and succinct. The photographs and layout are very well done creating a very pretty book. In conjunction with _Lonely Planet Vietnam_ it is indispensable.

For the cookbook enthusiast it is a good item for a collection emphasizing southeast Asian cuisine. It is a good source for background information and gives a more modern slant on things. It is a companion piece but not the main stay of a Vietnamese cookbook collection which it was never intended.

A good book and MUCH better than the Food of _insert cuisine here_ Periplus series.

1) compact and succint; 2) highly informative; 3) maps and amusing anectdotes; 4) good layout and design; 5) few recipes but recipes are very sound;

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent information, March 30, 2000

By A Customer

Vietnam is an extremely food conscious culture. You should definately read this book before you go or just for all the information included. The etiquette pointers are great, but luckily the Vietnamese are a pretty laid back people and don't expect you to know all of their customs. I would trust the rest of the series based on this book.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fine fun book, June 3, 2000

By	Jennifer Brizzi "www.jenniferbrizzi.com" (Hudson Valley, N.Y., U.S.) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a food writer planning a trip to Vietnam (for personal, not food-related reasons), I found this book to be an excellent introduction to the culture and cuisine. I may never cook any of the recipes in it, but it's helped me know what to look for when I go, and to anticipate my trip even more. I thought it was very well-written. Sterling's sense of adventure and good living are apparent in the guide in an infectious, inviting way. He is judgemental about no one but the foreign young people who go to Vietnam to eat fake burgers and wiener schnitzel instead of the light, beautiful food. And the photographs are as compelling as the writing. Buy this book!