What To Buy In Vietnam 2019: The Top 12 List (Part 1)

After spending your vacation traversing the land of Vietnam, enjoying its pristine beaches, serene villages and bustling cities, you’ll definitely find it hard to leave. How about bringing home some Vietnamese food and knick-knacks to ease the bittersweet ending? As much as you’re tempted to bring back one of the country’s iconic conical hats that’s a farmer’s best friend, it is not quite the practical gift. Here are 12 things to buy from Vietnam that you and your loved ones will actually use:

1. Vietnamese instant noodles

It’s no secret that Asians love their instant noodles. Although instant noodles are associated with typical Japanese and Taiwanese brands, don’t underestimate their Vietnamese counterparts! Vietnamese instant noodles come in a multitude of unique flavours which you can’t find anywhere else. They also offer instant rice vermicelli noodles, which are quintessentially Vietnamese. Some of the popular choices you have to bring home are Acecook Oh! Ricey Pork Flavour, Vifon Viet Cuisine Bun Rieu Cua Sour Crab Soup Instant Rice Vermicelli and MAMA Pho Bo Rice Noodles With Artificial Beef Flavour.

2. Handmade Vietnamese rice papers

Although you can easily get rice papers at the Asian section of any supermarkets back home, the traditional handmade rice paper in Vietnam undeniably tastes better! Making these humble Vietnamese staple is no easy feat. First, rice is ground until it forms a thick batter. Then, the batter is thinly spread on a cloth and steamed for about half a minute. Finally, the cooked rice sheet is transferred to a bamboo rack and left to dry under the hot sun for about a day.

Pro tip: Wrap up some meat and veggies in the rice paper and ta-dah, you have a delicious and healthy snack. Rice papers are also light, so it won’t take up much of your baggage weight!

3. Nuoc Cham sauce

Eating Vietnamese rice paper rolls without Nuoc Cham sauce should be a crime! Nuoc Cham is a dipping sauce for many Vietnamese dishes. There are many variations of Nuoc Cham sauce, but most are usually made with the base ingredients of lime, sugar, garlic, chilli and fish sauce. You can easily find bottled Nuoc Cham sauce at any market in Vietnam. Pair a bottle of Nuoc Cham sauce with the Vietnamese rice papers and you have a perfect souvenir set for your foodie friends.

4. Handmade shopper bags

Now that it’s almost the musical festival season, these colourful hand-woven shopper bags are perfect to chuck your festival essentials in while still looking fabulous. Even outside the festival season, these shopper bags makes a practical souvenir for carrying your groceries or bringing snacks to the beach. Most of the bags found in Vietnam markets are made of bamboo and lined with a waterproof material. This makes it sturdier and is much easier to clean than cloth bags. With a variety of colours and patterns to choose from, there will definitely be a perfect bag even for your most picky fashionista friends!

5. Do paper products

Before the modern paper made its way to Vietnam, the traditional Do paper was used. Do you know what Do is? Do paper is made from the bark of the Rhamnoneuron balansae plant, more commonly known as the Do tree. The Do tree can be found on the riverbanks of northern Vietnam. Do paper is thicker and more durable than the paper we normally use in our daily lives. A bamboo-bound notebook made out of Do paper makes a lovely souvenir for your stationary obsessed or scrapbook-making pal.

6. Green rice cakes

Green rice cakes, locally known as banh com, is a simple but tasty treat in Vietnam. The bright green bites are glutinous rice with a sugary mung bean paste or sweet coconut filling. Traditionally, the green rice cakes are eaten and sold by roving vendors during fall. However, nowadays you can easily find green rice cakes in many shops in Hanoi and other cities in Vietnam. The green rice cakes have been conveniently packaged in boxes so that the delicate treats won’t be damaged during your flight home.

Source: tripzilla.com

CONTACT INFORMATION:

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Address: 1st floor, Packsimex Building, 52 Dong Du Street, District 1, HCMC, Vietnam