Foodbuzz 24x24: Exploring Vietnamese Regional Cuisine, North, Central, and South, in Little Saigon

When the last helicopter pulled out of Saigon 36 years ago, the Vietnamese population in American numbered in the thousands. Today, there an estimated 1.6 million Vietnamese Americans, with more than 135,000 of them in Orange County, the largest community outside of Vietnam. I've written extensively before about the history of Little Saigon and by extension, Vietnamese American history. So let's move the discussion further to how food and culture assert themselves into the American landscape.

In my musings on American cuisine, I argue that our food is made up of ethnic absorption and mass popularization. American cuisine is a reflection of America itself. Our strength lies in our ability to absorb other cuisines and their culture. No more is that evident than last month's addition of banh mi, the Vietnamese sandwich, into the Oxford English Dictionary. These days, with trendy bars hawking banh mi sliders and Korean Americans selling their version of Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup), having a few Vietnamese dishes enter the American lexicon still doesn't really tell you much about the cuisine.

Needless to say, Vietnamese cuisine is far, far more than sandwiches and beef noodle soup.

Princess Party Cookbook by Annabel Karmel and Giveaway

Did you stay up late or wake up early to watch Prince William marry Kate Middleton?

Did you pretend to be a princess when you were a little girl?

That would be yes and yes for me. :)

Several months ago, I received a review copy of the "Princess Party Cookbook" by Annabel Karmel and knew right away that it was perfect for a giveaway.

Bridges, Literal and Figurative, and Reuben Obsessions

Gourmet Pigs brought back a souvenir plate of Ronda, Spain for me from her visit there in December. She's nice like that, always bringing back gifts for me when she travels. Thanks lady!

Lest you think I post these things to brag, I should say it's rather the blogger equivalent of the thank you note. I learned this aspect of blogging from craft blogs. I discovered craft blogs before I stumbled upon food blogs. Craft bloggers by their very nature create, and they often share their creations with other bloggers, who then post about it and thank the sender. I've noticed people don't do this much anymore. Not that people don't give gifts, just that the community aspect of blogging seems to have shifted to the wayside in the last few years as more people vie for attention. Many posts now are geared toward specific subjects, what they think will turn up in searches, not so much the day-to-day humdrum of life. And yet, those are the blogs that have held my attention year after year. The subject might lure me in, but I read blogs for the people. Always a dinosaur, I hate to think manners have fallen out of vogue in the quest for SEO.

I've been thinking lately about bridges, or connections if you want to be heavy-handed with the symbolism. The literal bridges of the Columbia River Gorge on my visit home to Oregon last month, and the figurative bridges I've formed with family, friends, bloggers, and readers.

I don't fuss too much these days dealing with people. Well, some you can't do much about, like family or co-workers, people whom you have to be around. But the people I choose to spend time with are the ones who like to be around me. When I was younger, in school and in work, there was more of a need to find connections with others. I'd try and find connections with the few other Asians in school, or the few other Vietnamese in college, or the few other young people at work. But remove the shared environment, and many times there wasn't much left to connect us. These days, I'm just thankful for the long-time friends who've stuck around. Those friendships take the least amount of work and are the most rewarding.

Taste and Explore Little Saigon; Help Japan

Part of my aim for the blog, whether consciously or subconsciously, is to show others what's available around them so they can discover it for themselves. But I also get that venturing into new territory can be intimidating. I've long believed that the best way to learn about another cuisine, and by extension another culture, is through someone you trust introducing it to you firsthand. Learning about food through a friend makes unfamiliar dishes familiar, and teaches you about another culture without the prolonged history lectures.

The other aspect of blogging that keeps me engaged is the sense of community that gets formed -- learning from each other, making friends, and uniting over common goals. I don't often talk of current events, but it seems impossible to ignore the devastation in Japan following last month's earthquake and tsunami. Not that natural disasters and their toll should be ignored, just that my ability to do much about them seems miniscule. People do what they can with what they have, and I've always left it at that. A lot of bloggers have been reaching out to do what they can to help -- distributing socks, making quilts for survivors, or selling photography manuals for charity.

Recently, I pitched to my advertiser, Foodbuzz, the idea of exploring northern, central, and southern Vietnamese regional cuisine in Little Saigon for its monthly 24, 24, 24 series. It was accepted. Yay! And while I've done this a few times before, applying the stipend toward the cost of supplies or treating my friends to a nice meal, I'd rather use the stipend this time for something more.

So this coming Saturday, April 30, just in time for the anniversary of the Fall of Saigon, come explore Little Saigon with me.

For a $50 donation, or more if you wish, which will also include several meals, you'll have me as a culinary and historical tour guide to Little Saigon.