Podcast - Tập 6 - Vocab
1. Broth /broʊθ/ - Nước dùng
ex: The chicken broth added a rich flavor to the soup.
2. Rich /rɪtʃ/ - Giàu có
ex: The cake had a rich chocolate flavor that everyone loved.
3. Dish /dɪʃ/ - Món ăn
ex: My favorite dish at the restaurant is the grilled salmon.
4. Agriculture /ˈæɡ.rɪˌkʌl.tʃɚ/ - Nông nghiệp
ex: The region is known for its agriculture.
5. Vegetables /ˈvɛdʒ.tə.bəls/ - Rau củ
ex: We grow a variety of vegetables in our garden.
6. Herbs /ɝːbz/ - Thảo mộc
ex: Fresh herbs like basil and rosemary enhance the flavor of many dishes.
7. Fresh /frɛʃ/ - Tươi
ex: The salad was made with fresh lettuce and tomatoes.
8. Cuisine /kwɪˈzin/ - Ẩm thực
ex: Italian cuisine is famous for its pasta dishes and pizzas.
9. Ingredients /ɪnˈɡriː.di.ənts/ - Nguyên liệu
ex: The recipe requires several ingredients, including flour, sugar, and eggs.
10. Rice /raɪs/ - Gạo
ex: Rice is a staple food in many Asian countries.
11. Steamed /stimd/ - Hấp
ex: Steamed vegetables retain more nutrients than boiled ones.
1
Podcast - Tập 6 - Vocab
12. Rice Wraps /raɪs ræps/ - bánh tráng
ex: We had delicious rice wraps filled with for dinner.
13. Rice Noodles /raɪs ˈnuː.dəlz/ - Bún
ex: The stir-fry was served over a bed of rice noodles.
14. Sticky Rice /ˈstɪk.i raɪs/ - Xôi
ex: Sticky rice is often used in Asian desserts.
15. Iced Tea /aɪst tiː/ - Trà đá
ex: It's hot outside; let's have some refreshing iced tea.
16. Basil /ˈbæz.əl/ - Húng quế
ex: Basil is a key ingredient in pesto sauce.
17. Cilantro /sɪˈlæn.troʊ/ - Ngò rí
ex: Cilantro adds a fresh taste to salsas and tacos.
18. Mint /mɪnt/ - Bạc hà
ex: I love adding mint to my lemonade for a cool flavor.
19. Green Onions /ɡriːn ˈʌn.jənz/ - Hành lá
ex: I garnished the soup with chopped green onions.
20. Bean Sprouts /bin spraʊts/ - Giá đỗ
ex: Bean sprouts add a crunchy texture to salads and stir-fries.
21. Bamboo /bæmˈbuː/ - măng
ex: Bamboo shoots are commonly used in Asian cuisine.
22. Cabbage /ˈkæb.ɪdʒ/ - Bắp cải
ex: Cabbage is a main ingredient in coleslaw.
2
Podcast - Tập 6 - Vocab
23. Morning Glory /ˈmɔːr.nɪŋ ˈɡlɔːr.i/ - Rau muống
ex: Stir-fried morning glory is a popular dish in Southeast Asia.
24. Garlic /ˈɡɑːr.lɪk/ - Tỏi
ex: Garlic adds a strong flavor to many savory dishes.
25. Seafood /ˈsiː.fuːd/ - Hải sản
ex: The restaurant specializes in fresh seafood.
26. Shrimp /ʃrɪmp/ - Tôm
ex: I love shrimp cocktail as an appetizer
27. Fish /fɪʃ/ - Cá
ex: Grilled fish is a healthy and delicious meal choice.
28. Pork /pɔːrk/ - Thịt heo
ex: We're having barbecued pork ribs for dinner.
29. Beef /biːf/ - Thịt bò
ex: Beef stew is perfect for a cold day.
30. Chicken /ˈtʃɪk.ɪn/ - Gà
ex: We're having roast chicken for Sunday lunch.
31. Tofu /ˈtoʊ.fuː/ - Đậu phụ
ex: Tofu is a versatile ingredient in vegetarian cooking.
32. Sauces /sɔːsɪz/ - Nước sốt
ex: We have a variety of sauces to accompany the meal.
33. Fish Sauce /fɪʃ sɔːs/ - Nước mắm
ex: Fish sauce is a staple condiment in Vietnamese cuisine.
3
Podcast - Tập 6 - Vocab
34. Shrimp Paste /ʃrɪmp peɪst/ - Mắm tôm
ex: Shrimp paste adds a unique flavor to certain Southeast Asian dishes.
35. Soups /suːps/ - Súp/canh
ex: I enjoy having warm soups on chilly days.
36. Soy Sauce /sɔɪ sɔːs/ - Nước tương
ex: Soy sauce is commonly used in marinades and stir-fries.
37. Dipping Sauces /ˈdɪp.ɪŋ sɔːsɪz/ - Nước chấm
ex: These spring rolls are served with a variety of dipping sauces.
38. Grilling /ˈɡrɪl.ɪŋ/ - Nướng
ex: Grilling is my favorite method for cooking steaks.
39. Boiling /ˈbɔɪ.lɪŋ/ - Luộc
ex: Boiling is a simple way to cook vegetables.
40. Stir Frying /stɜr ˈfraɪ.ɪŋ/ - Xào
ex: Stir frying is a quick and easy cooking method for weeknight dinners.
41. Baguettes /bæˈɡɛts/ - Bánh mì
ex: Fresh baguettes are perfect for making sandwiches.
42. Loaves of Bread /loʊvz əv brɛd/ - Ổ bánh mì
ex: We bought several loaves of bread for the picnic.
43. Mild /ˈmaɪl.d/ - Không cay
ex: This curry is milder than the one we had last time.
44. Spicy /ˈspaɪ.si/ - Cay
ex: I love spicy food, especially dishes with lots of chilies.
4
Podcast - Tập 6 - Vocab
45. Salty /ˈsɔːl.ti/ - Mặn
ex: The soup was a bit too salty for my taste.
46. Sweet /swiːt/ - Ngọt
ex: This dessert is sweet and delicious.
47. Signature /ˈsɪɡ.nə.tʃɚ/ - Đặc trưng
ex: The restaurant's signature dish is a must-try.
48. Sliced /slaɪst/ - Cắt lát
ex: We added thinly sliced cucumbers to the salad.
49. Pre-Cooked /priːˈkʊkt/ - Nấu chín trước
ex: These pre-cooked meals are convenient for busy days.
50. Raw /rɔː/ - Sống
ex: Sushi often includes raw fish.
51. Poured /pɔːrd/ - Đổ
ex: She poured the hot sauce over the noodles.
52. Flavorful /ˈfleɪ.vɚ.fəl/ - Đậm đà
ex: The stew was hearty and flavorful.
53. Delicious /dɪˈlɪʃ.əs/ - Ngon
ex: The homemade cookies were absolutely delicious.
54. Chicken leg /ˈtʃɪk.ɪn lɛɡ/ - Chân gà
ex: For chicken phở, a popular choice is to use chopped chicken leg.
55. Chopped /tʃɒpt/ - Cắt nhỏ
ex: The recipe requires the vegetables to be finely chopped.
5
Podcast - Tập 6 - Vocab
56. Skin /skɪn/ - Da
ex: Chicken skin, when roasted, becomes deliciously crispy.
57. Bone /boʊn/ - Xương
ex: The broth is made more flavorful by simmering it with bones.
58. Garnishes /ˈɡɑːr.nɪ.ʃɪz/ - Gia vị
ex: Fresh herbs are often used as garnishes in Vietnamese soups.
59. Cilantro /sɪˈlæn.troʊ/ - Ngò rí
ex: Cilantro is a common herb used in many Southeast Asian dishes.
60. Vinegar /ˈvɪn.ɪ.ɡər/ - Giấm
ex: A splash of vinegar can add a nice tang to salads and sauces.
61. Chili sauce /ˈtʃɪl.i sɔːs/ - Tương ớt
ex: I love adding chili sauce to my noodles for an extra kick.
62. Star anise /ˈstɑːr ˈæn.ɪs/ - Đại hồi
ex: Star anise adds a distinctive licorice flavor to phở broth.
63. Ginger /ˈdʒɪn.dʒər/ - Gừng
ex: Ginger is known for its health benefits and spicy flavor.
64. Cinnamon /ˈsɪn.ə.mən/ - Quế
ex: Cinnamon is often used in sweet and savory dishes alike.
65. Onion /ˈʌn.jən/ - Hành
ex: Onion is a staple ingredient in many types of cooking.
66. Charred /tʃɑːrd/ - Cháy xém
ex: Charred vegetables have a smoky and enhanced taste.
6
Podcast - Tập 6 - Vocab
67. Cloves /kloʊvz/ - Đinh hương
ex: Cloves are often used in spice blends and baked goods.
68. Cardamom pods /ˈkɑːr.də.məm pɒdz/ - Quả thảo quả
ex: Cardamom pods add a complex flavor to many Indian dishes.
69. MSG /ˌem.esˈdʒiː/ - Bột ngọt
ex: MSG is a flavor enhancer commonly used in Asian cooking.
70. Simmer /ˈsɪm.ər/ - Sôi lặng
ex: Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes to enhance its flavor.
71. Pot /pɒt/ - Nồi
ex: I cooked the stew in a large pot over low heat.
72. Sour /ˈsaʊ.ər/ - Chua
ex: A sour taste can really brighten up a salad or a dish.
73. Seasoned /ˈsiː.zənd/ - Được ướp gia vị
ex: The chicken was well-seasoned with herbs and spices.
74. Lemongrass /ˈlem.ən.ɡræs/ - Sả
ex: Lemongrass is a key ingredient in many Thai and Vietnamese dishes.
75. Marinated /ˈmær.ɪ.neɪ.tɪd/ - Ướp
ex: Marinated meat always has more flavor and tenderness.
76. Pork knuckles /pɔːrk ˈnʌk.l̩ z/ - Chân giò
ex: Braised pork knuckles are a delicacy in many cuisines.
77. Oxtail /ˈɒks.teɪl/ - Đuôi bò
ex: Oxtail soup is a rich and hearty dish, perfect for cold weather.
7
Podcast - Tập 6 - Vocab
78. Pork blood cubes /pɔːrk blʌd kjuːbz/ - Tiết heo
ex: Pork blood cubes are a unique ingredient in some Asian soups.
79. Rice vermicelli noodles /raɪs vərˈmɪs.əl.i ˈnuː.dəl/ - Bún
ex: Rice vermicelli noodles are often used in Vietnamese salads and soups.
80. Banana blossom /ˈbæn.ə.nə ˈblɒs.əm/ - Hoa chuối
ex: Banana blossom adds a unique texture and flavor to salads.
81. Liquid /ˈlɪk.wɪd/ - Chất lỏng
ex: The liquid from the stew can be used as a sauce for the rice.
82. Sugar /ˈʃʊɡ.ər/ - Đường
ex: Sugar is often added to balance the flavors in savory dishes.
83. Coconut milk /ˈkoʊ.kə.nʌt mɪlk/ - Nước cốt dừa
ex: Coconut milk is a staple in many tropical and Southeast Asian dishes.
84. Tastes /teɪsts/ - khái vị
ex: The tastes of different spices can transform a simple dish.
85. Pork chops /pɔːrk tʃɒps/ - Sườn heo
ex: Pork chops can be grilled, fried, or baked for a delicious meal.
86. Pork rind /pɔːrk raɪnd/ - bì heo
ex: Crispy pork rind is a popular snack in many cultures.
87. Roasted rice powder /ˈroʊ.stɪd raɪs ˈpaʊ.dər/ - Bột thính gạo
ex: Roasted rice powder is used in some Asian dishes to add a nutty flavor.
88. Tomato /təˈmeɪ.toʊ/ - Cà chua
ex: Tomato is a versatile fruit used in salads, soups, and sauces.
8
Podcast - Tập 6 - Vocab
89. Cucumber /ˈkjuː.kʌm.bər/ - Dưa leo
ex: Cucumber adds a refreshing crunch to salads and sandwiches.
90. Full /fʊl/ - Đầy
ex: After a big meal, I always feel full and satisfied.
91. Oil /ɔɪl/ - Dầu
ex: Olive oil is commonly used in Mediterranean cooking.
92. Food coma /fuːd ˈkoʊ.mə/ - Cảm giác buồn ngủ sau khi ăn
ex: After a large Thanksgiving meal, I often fall into a food coma.
9
Podcast - Tập 6 - Transcript
One sign that the broth is good is that the color is clear, but it's really rich
and flavorful. What's up, everyone? Podcast Slow and Clear của What's Up
English. Today we are going to talk about Vietnamese food. Now, I know
many of you guys are in different parts of Vietnam. Some of my viewers are
in the northern regions, some are in the central regions and some are in the
southern regions. So because of that, I will talk first about food overall in
Vietnam. So if a foreigner asks you like “What is Vietnamese food like?”, you
will be able to give them a description of food in Vietnam. After that, I'm
going to talk about each region. So first I will talk about the northern region
and the food there, like food in Hanoi, and then the central region, and then
finally, I will talk about the southern region. I won't only talk about the food
in general, but for each region, I will also talk about a famous dish. So no
matter what region you live in, you will be able to talk about the food from
where you are from. Then finally, at the end of the podcast, I will tell you
guys which type of food I like more... if it's Western food or Vietnamese food.
Which one do I prefer? And guys, in this podcast, there will be quite a few
words that might be new for you. So remember to download the PDF in the
description below that has all of the vocabulary words from this podcast as
well as the transcript. So you can read everything I said again, and practice
speaking for yourself. All right, let's get back to the podcast. Vietnam is a
country with a ton of agriculture, right? And agriculture means farming.
Vietnam grows a lot of vegetables and herbs. So of course, there are a lot of
fresh vegetables and herbs in Vietnamese cuisine. By the way, the word
“herb”, you can say “erb” like they say in the USA, or you can say “herb.” It's
up to you. And some staple ingredients in Vietnamese food are things like
rice, of course, And the rice can come in different forms, so it can be steamed
rice, which is probably the most common one... Rice wraps, it can be in rice
noodles, it can be sticky rice. And one very common drink throughout all of
Vietnam is iced tea. Trà đá. So if you're wondering how to say “trà đá” you
can just say iced tea, iced tea. And then there are the herbs and vegetables.
Some common herbs in Vietnamese cuisine are basil, cilantro, mint. And then
there are vegetables like green onions, bean sprouts, bamboo, cabbage,
10
Podcast - Tập 6 - Transcript
morning glory, garlic. Many different ones. The proteins in Vietnamese food...
Seafood is common. So you guys eat a lot of shrimp and fish. Also pork, beef,
chicken and tofu. Now, sauces are a huge thing in Vietnam. I read somewhere
that Vietnam is the country of sauces. So in Vietnam, fish sauce is very
common. You guys put shrimp paste in your soups, there's soy sauce, and
there's, of course, a huge variety of dipping sauces. And again, Vietnam is
very famous for dipping sauces. Now, the ways of cooking Vietnamese food
can be grilling, boiling, steaming and stir frying. And of course, there are
more. But those are the main ways of cooking. Of course, the cuisine of a
country is going to be influenced by the geography. So for Vietnam, it allows
to grow a lot of vegetables. So there are a lot of vegetables in the cuisine, but
also the countries around it. So Vietnamese cuisine was influenced by China,
other countries around Southeast Asia, so, close to Vietnam, and especially
France. France brought coffee and like baguettes, like the loaves of bread to
Vietnam, which are still very popular to this day. So that was Vietnamese
food in general, in a nutshell. Now I will go over each region. So let's start
with the Northern Vietnamese food. Because in the north, the climate is
cooler than in the south, so they don't grow as many vegetables. Because of
that, the food in the north is milder than the food in the south. Milder means
not as spicy, and they don't use quite as many vegetables like fresh
vegetables as in the south. Also, the food in the north is more salty than
sweet. And I will talk about southern food a bit later. One very common dish,
of course, in the north is phở, right? Phở is Vietnam's signature dish. If you
ask any foreigner around the world about Vietnamese food, they will
probably just tell you phở right. Or as they say, “pho.” Even I used to say pho
before I came to Vietnam. And then my friend was like, “It's not pho, it's
phở.” And I'm like, “okay, fine, phở.” So yeah, there are two common types of
phở, and that is beef and chicken phở. Now these two types are different, so
the beef is usually thinly sliced and it can be pre-cooked or raw. And if it's
raw, it is put in the bowl and then the hot broth poured on top will cook it.
And speaking of broth... One sign that the broth is good is that the color is
clear, but it's really rich and flavorful. Really delicious. Even though the color
11
Podcast - Tập 6 - Transcript
of it is pretty clear. For chicken phở, they usually use chicken leg that is
chopped up, including the skin and some bone. Like I said before, northern
phở is different to southern phở because the phở in the south is a bit sweeter
and bolder than the phở in the north. And if you go to any like phở restaurant
outside of Vietnam, like if you went to Canada or the USA or England, and
you went to a restaurant, it would most likely be Southern phở, because I'm
assuming most of the people who left Vietnam, who emigrated from Vietnam
about 40 years ago, 50 years ago, were from the South. So when they
opened phở restaurants, it was Southern phở. For garnishes in phở in the
north, often they add things like green onion and cilantro, whereas in the
south, they will add bean sprouts and basil. And in the south, they might also
add Sriracha sauce or hoisin sauce But in the northern phở, they usually don't
add those sauces. Maybe they will add some vinegar or some chili sauce, but
that's about it. Now, if you want to talk about some ingredients in phở, you
can say it has beef bones, star anise or star anise, ginger, cinnamon, charred
onion. So charred just means burnt. Cloves, cardamom pods, and, of course,
salt, fish sauce or and MSG. And the way they cook the broth is they simmer
everything for a long time. So I can't explain exactly how it's cooked because I
don't really know. But what I can tell you is that they put many ingredients in
a large pot and they simmer it for a long time to pull out all of the flavor. All
right, so let's move to central Vietnamese food. So central Vietnamese food is
known to be spicier and bolder in flavor than the north and the south. Now,
the dishes are also more complex because in the central area is Huế, Huế used
to be the imperial capital of Vietnam. Like the old capital. And royalty lived
there. So they would make the dishes more intricate and complex and they
would also be smaller servings because in one meal they would have more
smaller dishes. Now, the dish we will talk about from the central area, you can
probably guess is... Bún bò Huế. Now, the secret in this dish is in the broth.
The broth is spicy, sour, salty and umami. And it's a symbol of the bold nature
of the cuisine in this area. Unlike the clear broth of the broth of phở, the
broth of bún bò Huế is red. And that is from Annatto seeds. So this dish can
also be seasoned with lemongrass, shrimp paste, and the meat is usually
12
Podcast - Tập 6 - Transcript
marinated beef shank. Also, they can put in pork knuckles, oxtail, and one
special ingredient is pork blood cubes. All I could find on the internet for the
English word for these was pork blood cubes. It doesn't sound very
appetizing, but that's what you can say. Now the noodles are called rice
vermicelli noodles. So if you're wondering “What is bún in English?”, it is
vermicelli noodles or rice vermicelli noodles. You can eat it with vegetables
and herbs on the side like basil, and sliced banana blossom, bean sprouts.
And the chili paste with bún bò Huế is so spicy. I wouldn't call this chili sauce
because it's more thick and it's not like a liquid. So I would say it's more like a
chili paste. Now let's move to the Southern Vietnamese food. So Southern
Vietnamese food is usually sweeter because they use more sugar and
coconut milk* in their cooking. And they also use more herbs and vegetables
because of the warm climate and the Mekong Delta, which is a very fertile
area where they can grow a ton of agriculture. So there's also a lot of seafood
because again, it's close to the Mekong Delta rivers and it's near the
coastline. For the special dish of southern Vietnamese food, can you guess it?
If you guessed cơm tấm then you are correct. In English, cơm tấm can be
called “broken rice.” This dish actually has a pretty interesting history, which
is, back in the day, so in the late 19th century, which is actually the late 1800s,
the farmers would eat broken rice because there was not enough full rice to
go around or it was too expensive. So what they did was they ate broken rice,
and broken rice was a byproduct of the rice milling process. The process of
making rice would create mostly full rice grains that we see today. But a
byproduct was also many of these broken grains of rice that were kind of set
aside. So these broken rice grains were cheaper than the full ones. And so
people thought... it's still rice, we might as well eat it. This dish started to
become more popular, and then later on, they started to modify this dish to
suit the tastes of visitors from like France, America, China. So they added
grilled pork, which is what we often see now, is like a grilled slice of pork. And
also there is steamed omelet. So a steamed omelet is basically steamed egg. I
saw online some people called it “steamed egg meatloaf,” but “egg meatloaf”
doesn't really make sense. I would just call it a steamed egg omelet. So now
13
Podcast - Tập 6 - Transcript
to have come from broken rice, people have to purposely break the rice in
order to have the rice like that. Some of the main ingredients of this dish are
pork chops, thinly shredded pork rind** with roasted rice powder. So if you
were wondering what is the name of that powder on the pig skin, it's roasted
rice powder. Again, so steamed omelet or steamed egg meatloaf. And on the
side, there are some vegetables like tomato and cucumber. And also you can
garnish it with green onion. There's also usually a sweet chili dipping sauce
that can be made from fish sauce, garlic, chili, sugar vinegar and a bit of
water. So that about sums up a lot of important information about
Vietnamese food. I know it's not everything. I know there were many things
that I missed, simply because we don't have the time to talk about it. There's
so many interesting things about Vietnamese food, but I hope that was
useful for you. And now I will tell you guys which food I like more, if it's
Western food or Vietnamese food. And the answer is... It depends, right?
Sometimes I want to eat Western food. Sometimes I want Vietnamese food.
Now, one thing that's really great about Vietnamese food is that it's light.
You can eat a lot of it and you won't feel sick. So personally, I can eat phở
every day, and I do eat phở every day for lunch. I go to the same restaurant
for beef phở, I don't even have to say anything because they know what I'll
order. But then sometimes if I want to eat something that is heavy, that will
make me feel really full, that has like oil in it. Then I will eat some Western
food. And for me, it's not just Western food, but... any international food,
really. Like I love Indian food, Mexican food, American food. Um, I'd say those
are my three favorites. Greek food is really good... Italian food. So
Vietnamese food I eat the most often. But sometimes if I want something
heavier, something really rich, then I will go for Western food. And again, one
thing I really love about Vietnamese food is you can eat it and you're not
going to feel sick. You don't really have to feel bad because it's a really light
food that you can eat and go, and you won't be in a food coma after you eat
it. So, guys, that is it for this podcast. I really hope it was useful for you.
Don't forget to download the PDF in the description below so you can review
all of the words that I said today and you can read the transcript as well. If
you want to keep learning conversational English, Click the link up there and I
will see you in the next video. Goodbye!
14