All About Vietnamese Cold Cuts, Deli Meats, and Sausages.
When you think of Vietnamese cuisine, what comes to mind? Pho? Banh mi? Spring rolls? While these dishes are certainly some of the most well-known examples of Vietnamese food, they’re far from the only ones worth trying. In fact, one could argue that some of the best dishes in Vietnamese cuisine are those that make use of the country’s delicious cold cuts, deli meats, and sausages.
Read on to learn more about these delicious ingredients and how to use them in your cooking.
Vietnamese Cold Cuts, Deli Meats, and Sausages 101:
Vietnamese cold cuts, deli meats, and sausages come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and flavors. The most common types are listed below:
Cha lua: A type of pork sausage that is often served as an appetizer or banh mi filling. It is made with ground pork, fish sauce, sugar, garlic, and spices.
Chorizo: A spicy pork sausage that is popular in Hue-style dishes. It is made with ground pork, garlic, chili pepper flakes, and vinegar.
Gio lua: A type of pork sausage that is similar to cha lua but does not contain fish sauce. It is made with ground pork, sugar, salt, pepper, and star anise.
Lap xuong: A type of pork sausage that is popular in southern Vietnam. It is made with ground pork shoulder, salt, sugar, and black pepper.
Mam ruoc: A type of shrimp paste that is popular in central Vietnam. It is made with fermented shrimp paste (mam tom), water, sugar, salt, and chili pepper flakes.
Pate: A type of liver pate that is popular in banh mi sandwiches. It is made with chicken livers (or sometimes duck livers), butter, onion, garlic cloves , Cognac or brandy , Madeira wine , parsley , thyme , bay leaf , clove , nutmeg , white pepper , and salt .
Rau muong: Water spinach that is often used as a banh mi filling or spring roll ingredient. It has a slightly sweet taste and a crunchy texture.
Soai mo: A type of pork sausage that is popular in northern Vietnam. It is made with ground pork belly , shallots , garlic , fish sauce , sugar , black pepper , rice wine , MSG , baking powder , tapioca starch .
One of the more popular sausages is the Vietnamese Blood Sausage.
What is Vietnamese Blood Sausage? Vietnamese blood sausage is a type of traditional pork sausage that is made with pig’s blood, sticky rice, and spices. It is often served as a banh mi filling or an appetizer. It’s also an ingredient in the popular dish bun bo Hue. Its flavor is slightly sweet and earthy, while its texture is both creamy and chewy.
What Dishes Use Vietnamese Cold cuts and sausages? Now that you know a little bit more about the various types of Vietnamese cold cuts, deli meats, and sausages available, let’s take a look at some of the dishes they’re commonly used in.
Below are just a few examples:
Cha gio thit heo quay:
Fried egg rolls filled with cha lua (pork sausage)
Chorizo (spicy pork sausage)
Gio lua (pork sausage)
Lap xuong (pork sausage)
Mam ruoc (shrimp paste)
Rau muong (water spinach)
Soai mo (pork sausage).
Served with dipping sauce on the side.
Banh mi thit heo quay- A banh mi sandwich filled with:
Cha lua (pork sausage)
Chorizo (spicy pork sausage)
Gio lua (pork sausage)
Lap xuong (pork sausage)
Mam ruoc (shrimp paste)
Rau muong (water spinach)
Soai mo(pork sausage)
Pate(liver pate) and vegetables.
Served with pickled vegetables on the side.
As you can see from the above list, there are endless possibilities when it comes to using Vietnamese cold cuts, deli meats, and sausages in your cooking. So next time you’re looking for something new to try, why not give one of these delicious ingredients a chance? You might just be surprised at how much you like it!
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