transition - AsiaLIFE Magazine

Vietnam, and Ho Chi Minh City in particular, are undergoingrapid change and surging into the 21st Century. What does thistransformation mean for one of the most elemental parts of thenation’s culture: its food?The connection between the Vietnamese people and theirtraditional cuisine will always be strong; however the forces ofmodernization and greater exposure to the world are cominginto play. Streetfood will remain the bedrock of Vietnamesecuisine, even as those same streets are redeveloped andvendors are forced to find new sidewalks to ply their trade.The great Vietnamese Diaspora has taken pho to the world,and now other traditional staples are catching up. However,access to ingredients and tailoring dishes to local tastes meansthe bun bo Hue you have in Sydney or Los Angeles will notnecessarily be what you recognize from you favourite stall inDistrict 1.At the same time, talented local and international chefsare setting up shop in the city and putting their own twiston Vietnamese cuisine, incorporating tastes and techniquesacquired from around the world. It is a fine balancing act, andone that will continue to affect the future of Vietnamese cuisineboth here and abroad.Food styled and provided by Xu Restaurant Lounge26 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 27