Vietnam’s food culture is a very important point of interest for me. As most of my family are either chefs or owners of some food-related business, I’ve grown up surrounded by the various Vietnamese food cultures. My mother’s side of the family are Vietnamese while my father’s side of the family are Canto-Vietnamese, meaning that while my mother’s side of the family is primarily Vietnamese, my father’s side of the family are first or second generation Vietnamese-Chinese. Both sides are very big on food with my father's family being mostly head chefs and my mother’s family owning a lot of food-related businesses. However, the way they cook, what they cook, and what they generally eat can’t be any more different. But, in the end, both side make what is essentially “vietnamese food” or “vietnamized food”.
In the case of cooking, ingredients and cooking terminologies will be needed. I will need to explain clearly what is different between different types of food, so I will need to be able to clearly express how each type of food is different in terms of ingredients, cooking method, taste, texture, etc. Since cooking could also vary by region, I might also need to take regional terminologies into consideration.
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That's really cool that you got to grow up with chefs as your parents! Food must be a significant way you can relate to Vietnamese culture. I was surprised to read that your parent's cooking techniques different drastically. Do you have a preference between the two style of cooking? I know that food is how I can connect back to my culture and am trying to cook more while in quarantine. Is there a specific dish you enjoy (to eat or make)?