The Italy of Asia

Some people travel to foreign countries to see the scenery; some go to visit the sights. When I went to Vietnam in 2010, I went to eat.

From the mountains of Sapa in the north to the Mekong Delta in the south, I ate the length and breadth of Vietnam - but it was in the very centre of Vietnam that I think I learnt most about this country’s food, and, thus, its culture.

I had only planned to visit Dan Nang, Vietnam’s third largest city, as a day trip to meet up for dinner with a local, Kent, who I had contacted via Couchsurfing. Arriving at the bus station with a couple of hours to kill and few expectations, I decided to check out the city’s central market - and realized immediately that this was my kind of city. It was totally heaving, full to the brim with families shopping for the upcoming Tet (New Year) festivities. Da Nang-ites, I now saw, were serious about their food, and I looked forward to dinner with mounting anticipation.

Luckily, I could not have been in better hands. After a delightful meal of the local speciality my quang (sunshine-yellow rice noodles served with beansprouts, herbs, shrimp, quail's eggs, chopped peanuts and crunchy flatbread), Kent invited me back the very next day to join his family’s special Tet lunch.

There, I sat cross-legged on the floor at the edge of a mat that was covered by dozens of dishes. Kent’s mother, it turned out, was quite the cook - everything was utterly delicious. Overwhelmed by my hosts’ generosity, I thanked them again and again, but was politely informed by Kent that I should stop doing so, as the best way of showing my appreciation was by eating.

As the evening drew in, Kent took me to a nearby beach, where we watched the sun set over the ocean. A friend of mine once described Vietnam as the Italy of Asia, both being long, narrow countries with relaxed, easy-going lifestyles - and both populated by people who love good food. At that moment, on the beach in Dan Nang, I couldn’t have agreed more.