One of these is roasted sweet potatoes. You can find various roasted food throughout Vietnam like corn, but only in the north have I seen sweet potatoes. They cost about $0.25 each, are filling and totally delicious!

It’s difficult to order a meal that doesn’t include rice (in Vietnamese, it’s called “com”). It’s widely debated how many varieties there actually are out there – the numbers range from 4,000-120,000 different types. This staple has been cultivated in Asia for over 10,000 years, and there’s no sign of stopping any time soon! And that thought makes me so, so happy.

First, there’s phở, which is Vietnam’s most popular dish, eaten at least once a day by the majority of locals (usually for breakfast). It’s made from rice noodles and meat (beef is standard) and the customer gets to add basil, lime, bean spouts and chilis as they see fit. Man, do I love this soup!

And then there’s everything else in between. There are rice stands everywhere, where you point to your choice of meat or seafood and they load it on top of steamed veggies and rice. The Vietnamese also make awesome spring rolls, where the ingredients inside are rolled in a paper made of – you guessed it! – rice! We recently found a lunch buffet that specializes in these little gems:

I suppose I’ll have to find some extra room in the backpack when the time comes to leave. There will certainly be a serious withdrawal period, but luckily I love a food that’s is found pretty much anywhere.