Food Culture

Eating in Vietnam is just like in the U.S. (before the Health Dept. showed up and took all the fun out of it).  Seriously.  If you want it, you can get it here.  Unfortunately, that applies to all types of bacteria too.  I haven't been sick yet, aside from some minor problems.  Cats and dogs are seen frequently in restaurants - but not on the menu.  Fans serve a dual purpose: to keep one cool and to keep the flies away from the food.  It will be a miracle if I can stay well.  Don't believe me?  Check out these photos and see for yourself.  The water pots are where they rinse the dishes.  Vegetables are often kept outside and chopsticks are not wrapped in pairs - just in a stand, like toothpicks.

Of course, one can easily worry themselves sick over sanitation issues.  You have to eat, so hope for the best.  However, use some caution and common sense.  There is an amazing variety of food and quality of restaurants in Vietnam.  Most of it is fresh, healthy, and incredibly cheap.  Sweets are hard to find.  Surprisingly, Vietnamese take a lot of pride in food preparation.  It's the same way we did in the U.S. before we started serving every meal from the freezer, a can, or out of the microwave.  That isn't done here.  They must be doing something right because obesity is NOT an problem in Vietnam. 

Here are my thoughts...  When wages are low and living conditions are poor, people in developing countries (such as Vietnam) put much effort in the simple pleasures of life - food is one example.  In contrast, our standard of living in the U.S. is much higher, and the value we place on food (prepared at home) is much lower - generally speaking.  Many of us regard it as a necessary evil.  Meanwhile, eating in Vietnam is fun because people actually sit down and have a decent conversation at the dinner table.  The television is not on and no one is reading the newspaper.  On three separate occasions, while I was eating by myself, total stangers (Vietnamese) have sat down at my table and started a conversation.  It happened again tonight.  There is no way in the world that any American would eat dinner with a Vietnamese, or any other Asian for that matter, in the U.S.  Now that's some food for thought.