Vietnam is a narrow country stretching for thousands of km from North to South. In terms of culinary, it is divided into 3 main regions: The North, the Central and the South featuring distinctive flavours.
Due to colder climate, people in the North tend to use less spice than in the Central and the South but black pepper is used instead of chilli as the most popular ingredient to create hot flavour. Northern Vietnam cuisine is not biased toward any particular flavour. Overall, the cuisine reflects brilliant balance of aromatics, sweetness, sourness, and fish-sauciness. Pork, chicken, beef, prawn, crabs, shrimps are frequently used. The favourite main dishes of Southern people include Pho, Bun rieu cua, Bun cha, Banh cuon…
Central cuisine is characterized by its hot and spicy flavour. The food is spicier with less Chinese influence than the North but still retaining some French flavours that are popular in the South. This region’s cuisine is also well known for its sophisticated meals containing complex dishes served in relatively small portions. Some special dishes in the Central regions are Bun Bo Hue, Cao Lau, Mi Quang, Com Hen, Banh Beo…
Hot climate in Southern Vietnam makes this region always abundant fruits and vegetables. Thus, they utilize vegetables and spices in the local kitchen. Dishes in the South are often vibrant and flavorful with uses of garlic, shallots and fresh herbs. The food in Southern Vietnam is typically sweet. The preference for sugar can be seen through the widespread use of coconut milk in many dishes. Popular dishes in this region are banh xeo, banh khot, canh chua, claypot…
Source: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/travel-tips-and-articles/76575
