Rice in Vietnamese Cuisine

Rice, in many incarnations, is at the heart of every Vietnamese meal. The humble grain is the country’s most important crop, and the major source of calories in the diet. Vietnam is the world’s second-largest rice exporter, after Thailand, a huge achievement for such a small country. Vast rice paddies blanket the nation, from the terraced highlands of the north to the fertile river valleys of the Mekong Delta. In its myriad forms—steamed rice, rice noodles, rice paper and more—rice is the Vietnamese people’s daily sustenance.