DIGGING AT THE ROOTS

In her latest book, Ever-Green Vietnamese, beloved teacher and food writer Andrea Nguyen takes a closer look at the plant-centric origins of her culinary heritage

- KAT THOMPSON

Andrea Nguyen is clear about her status as an omnivore: “I’m a lifelong meat eater,” she states plainly. She appreciates the added umami that a splash of fish sauce can provide or the way a really rich slice of pork belly comfortingly coats the palate. But recently, after decades of enthusiastically eating everything, including animal products, some foods left Nguyen with discomfort in her body. She decided to pursue a diet high in vegetables for physiological reasons, and this approach to eating inspired her newest cookbook, Ever-Green Vietnamese. Through the process of writing and recipe developing, she focused on not just how utterly delicious and satiating Vietnamese cuisine is, but how vegetable-centric it can be— and has always been.

“When you start backing off meat and focusing on vegetables,” Nguyen explains, “you realize that the defining flavors and pleasures in certain meaty dishes actually come from vegetables.” While working on the book, Nguyen came to appreciate each vegetable’s distinctive personality, like the way mushrooms squeak or how eggplants become succulent and fatty when grilled.

 

Although the portrayal of Vietnamese food can sometimes center on images of glistening bowls of pho blanketed with thin slices of sirloin, and juicy pork bánh mìs, Nguyen wants readers to reexamine their perceptions about the cuisine. “I talked to my mom about this book and she reminded me, ‘For generations in Vietnam we ate vegetables,’” Nguyen explains. “‘That’s how it’s always been.’”

That’s not to say that Ever