Christmas Trees and Vietnamese Egg Rolls; Makes A Perfect Combination, Right?
Christmastime is hands down my favorite holiday. For some, the holiday season may mean the crisp fragrance of wintergreen pine or the instant coziness when sipping a warm cup of hot cocoa. For me, the holiday season has always brought rich and nuanced memories. Conventional American traditions live side by side with the Vietnamese American heritage of my childhood. Please join me as I share what Christmas means to me through the memories of the fine Vietnamese food my mother often made during the holiday season.
Vietnamese Egg Rolls, Chả Giò
Chả giò is a scene stealer. For its relatively small size, it packs a tasty punch and no matter the occasion, everyone ends up talking about how scrumptious the chả giò tastes. As far back as I can remember, every Christmas means that I end up trailing my mother at an overly crowded Asian supermarket, filling up our grocery cart with fresh ingredients to make this indelible dish. If you have not made this dish at home, I urge you to try it this holiday season! Here is a video to help those adventurist foodies! Enjoy!
Choux à la Crème or Bánh Sữa
Another showstopper, albeit seldom, that has made an appearance at our family Christmas table, is a French pastry that made its way into Vietnamese cuisine as a result of French colonization of Vietnam. Also referred to as Choux à la Crème, the Vietnamese call this fine pastry Bánh Sữa or Bánh Sữa Nhân Kem, which translates into milk pastry/cake.
Medicated white chocolate, Vietnamese coffee cream puffs by Jonathan Proville pic.twitter.com/5mt0hW0kVI
— TRICHOME (@TrichomeSeattle) May 4, 2014
Phở
Phở is a classic, Vietnamese noodle soup dish that is essentially the equivalent to America’s chicken noodle soup, and yet has its own distinct identity. During the holiday season, phở comes to the rescue several times over as it makes an incredibly satisfying meal after a long day of Christmas shopping.
PHO noodle soup from anton fannes on Vimeo.
These Vietnamese dishes represent just the tip of the iceberg of my list. I hope you have enjoyed reading this post.