One of the biggest differences from Southern Vietnam to Northern Vietnam has been the food. Some things, like phở’, are a bit different – in the north there’s never hoisin available and you don’t always get all the usual herbs and sprouts. Without even realizing it, somewhere along the way I became really, really picky about my phở’. And some things aren’t anywhere to be found on the menu – one of my go-to items in Saigon was bún thịt nướng, a grilled pork and vermicelli salad, which I haven’t seen in weeks. However, there are a few gems that are new to the palate…

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!