Many types of natural vegetables have a very delicious taste and are very typical in all regions of Vietnam. Many types are easy to find, but some are very difficult to buy. Some types of garden vegetables and wild vegetables also have high nutritional value, substances that are good for health, and treat insomnia, aches and pains, etc., recognized by oriental medicine.
Below is a list of some natural vegetables that you can use to cook delicious soups and hot pots. Some types can be eaten raw.
Bitter ground vegetable: Grows wild in many places, slightly bitter taste, good for health. Used to cook soup, stir-fry, boil and dip in fish sauce.
Wild mustard greens: Easy to grow, it sprouts year-round. It has a mild, sweet taste and can be used in soups, stir-fries, and boiled dishes. Wild mustard greens contain many nutrients such as cineol, fenchone, citral, flavonoids, and glycosides, which are beneficial for health.
Longan shoots: The tender, young shoots of the longan tree have a sweet and sour taste and are used in soups, stir-fries, and boiled dishes served with fermented fish sauce. Longan is a very familiar vine, growing abundantly in home gardens, and people often harvest the young shoots for food.
Sweet potato shoots: Young, soft part of sweet potato plant. Sweet taste, used to cook soup, stir-fry, boil and dip in fish sauce.
Sesbania flower: The Sesbania grandiflora flower grows in low-lying areas along rivers. The flowers have a nutty, sweet taste with a hint of slight bitterness. They are delicious when used in sour soups, hot pot dishes, or boiled and eaten with braised dishes.
Vegetables: It grows in damp areas along riverbanks. It has a sweet, mild flavor and is used in soups and boiled dishes. Water spinach is a herbaceous plant with soft, downy hairs, averaging 20-60 cm in height.
Fern: Ferns are not only a beloved food with diverse cooking methods but also a valuable natural medicinal herb. They grow in high mountains. They have a sweet, crisp taste and can be used in stir-fries, soups, and salads.
Spinach: It grows in damp places. It has a sour taste and is used in soups, boiled and dipped in fermented fish sauce. Stir-fried purslane with garlic has a delicious flavor thanks to the combination of the fragrant garlic and the fresh, cool purslane.
Wild spinach: Growing in high mountains. It has a sweet, mild, and nutty flavor, and is used in soups, boiled, and dipped in fermented fish sauce. Wild sweet potato leaves are a unique vegetable found only in rocky mountainous areas; their sweet and unusual taste makes them very popular.
Sea bitter vegetables: It grows along the coast. It has a slightly bitter taste and a cooling effect, and is used in soups, boiled dishes, and dipped in fermented fish sauce. Sea bitter herb is a plant with a long history, often used in Vietnamese and international medicine to treat various ailments.
Seaweed: Grows a lot on the island like Phu Quy, very similar to the common vegetable but the leaves are harder and bigger. Stronger flavor, can be eaten with hot pot or boiled or eaten raw.
Single vegetables: Grows in many coastal and island areas. Mild, astringent taste, cool, used to cook soup, boil with fish sauce, or can be eaten raw.
Wild water spinach: Wild purslane, also known by various other names such as kim thất, has a creeping stem and is purple in color. Wild purslane helps regulate blood circulation, calms the nerves, and reduces pain.
Due to high demand, many of the above natural vegetables are grown by people to meet the supply. Therefore, you should buy them from reputable places to use with peace of mind. In addition, eating too much can also have side effects or allergies. Wish you have nutritious and delicious meals.