The Asian elements in Vietnamese cuisine are the importance of vegetables in the daily diet and the habit of chopping food before cooking. This allows it to be eaten with Chinese chopsticks rather than the western knife and fork. French terms are still used in Vietnamese cooking and the most commonly used spice of Lemon Grass is still referred to by its French name of Citronelle. Where there is a difference in cooking methods is that very little oil is used in the preparation of Vietnamese food. The most common method of cooking is to stir-fry in the north and simmer in the south.
Vietnamese cuisine is a balance of all the different influences.
One street vendor might be selling noodle soup while the next-door vendor might sell a baguette smeared with a local pate. Meals are rarely divided into courses rather the food is served at once and shared from common dishes. The meal will most likely be served with noodles in the North and rice in the central and southern regions. The Vietnamese prefer long-grain rice to the glutinous short grain variety preferred in Northern Thailand and Japan. Most meals will include a soup and stir fried dish and another main dish.