Hue-27/06/06 There is no question -one of the truely greatest things in coming to Vietnam has been the cuisine-around 500 National dishes.Eating is such an integral part of the culture- Indeed a Vietnamese proverb says- that people should learn to eat before they learn to speak. God only knows what the Pommy proverb would be- drink beer and get fat belly before learn to crawl-- If cooking were a painting, Vietnam would have one of the worlds most colourful palettes-- scuse pun - not me I think it was in Lonely Planet.. They got Rice from the land -along with numerous wriggly crawly things which they are quite happy to incorporate into the cuisine.They got fish from the sea and these are the bedrock of Vietnamese cuisine. PHO -Rice noodle soup= made with beef stock and rice noodlesl are a cult in Hanoi,although eaten everywhere- a bowl costs 10,000 VD-approx 50 cents! COM-Rice is the staff of life and can be made into almost anything- wrappers, noodles, pancakes,wine NEM-spring Rolls NUOC MAM-Quintessential-Love that word- in Vietnamese food lending the distinct character to the food. The sauce is made by fermeting highly salted fish in a large ceramic vat for between 4-12 months.The highter the grade rocket fuel has a milder aroma than the cheaper variety.So DO NOT BUY CHEAP FISH SAUCE -or else you may need to adjust your address book as friends never want to come round anymore! Mixed with garlic ,chili,sugar,vinegar and lime juice -it becomes NUOC CHAM- a great dipping sauce for everything!! The Vietnamese are fiercley omnivorous-eating insects,algae,offal,fish bladders,dog,clockadile c*** testicles(I lie not!)duck embryos,field mice, crickets,snake and anything else that crawls. BEFORE ANY OF YOU DEMAND WHAT I HAVE TASTED- only snake upto now that I know of!!! Whilst they truly love their veggies a VEGAnN may have a slight dilemna coming here- sufficing with rather a limited tofu and veg menu.Even in the veg soups they put fish or pork stock so the Vegan would be right stonkered! Met a mild, proud Kiwi (A national NOT a bird) 6 foot high and thin as a washing line- she was a VEGAN- dining with her was a bunch of laughs---not! In the kitchen the essentials consist of a strong flame,clean water,utensils that look like they could feature in a horror movie,mortar & pestle(ONLY WOOD)and a well blackened pot. The rest is up to the cookie and what goodies she /he gets at the market. Am on my way to Hue- so will let you know what its like once I have had a wonder.