![]() ![]() ![]() The seamless combination of both classic Vietnamese and French ingredients has lead to the creation of one of the world’s truly great cuisines. The use of patês and other Francophile ingredients such as potatoes, snails (served in a noodle dish similar to pho) and beef are further hallmarks of Vietnam’s French history, and their use in more traditional Vietnamese contexts adds a new dimension of complexity. It is consumed morning, noon and night and coffee shops have become one of the most popular hubs for local social interaction. Butter and wine are commonly used in Vietnamese meal preparations, unheard of in other Asian cuisines, a certain nod to the nation’s colonial past.Ĭoffee has become a fixture of Vietnamese social culture as well. But it is the less-obvious influences that really cement the fusion. French patisserie and breads are perhaps the most obvious connection, with baguettes lining every street corner in Vietnam and the smell of freshly baked sweet treats lingering on the morning air. This is particularly apparent in Vietnam. Romantic colonial facades line cobbled streets, old maisons and grand colonial estates now house boutique luxury hotels, and classic French baguettes form the foundation of some of the region’s most acclaimed dishes.Īnother celebrated reference to this region’s tumultuous colonial past though is France’s culinary legacy. Though the Indochine federation is now long diminished, relics of French rule remain scattered across much of South East Asia, lending a European aesthetic to the otherwise varied Asian landscapes. ![]() The legacy of this largely maligned period, however, is a fascinating and now celebrated cultural mélange across much of the former French Indochina. Themes of economic exploitation run thick in discussions around French Colonialism, and the destructive impact of forced cultural assimilation is much deplored. Indochina was one of France’s most lucrative colonial possessions, and while it was established under the pretense of introducing modern political ideas, industrial methods and social reforms to the ‘backward, impoverished and uncivilised’ east, their real motivation was soon revealed – to satiate a growing demand for raw materials, resources and cheap labour. The Kingdom of Cambodia and Laos were later added to the federation, following success in the Franco-Siamese War in 1893.įrench Indochina endured until 1954, despite a number of attempted uprisings and rebellions throughout the late 1800s. It gained control over the North of the country following a victory over China in the Sino-French War of 1884- 1885 and officially formed as French Indochina later in the 19th century. Under the guise of protecting the work of the Paris Foreign Missions Society, France became heavily involved in Vietnam during the 19th century. ![]()
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