Vietnamese cuisine often uses garlic.

When people think of Vietnamese cuisine, they usually imagine clear, light dishes like pho or rice noodles with lemongrass. In reality, there are many hearty dishes that use plenty of oil. Furthermore, Vietnamese cuisine often uses garlic, making it a staple ingredient in home cooking. In this article, we will write about Vietnamese cuisine using garlic and the Vietnamese people.

An opportunity to eat garlic in Vietnam

In Vietnamese stir-fry dishes, garlic is often used. In addition to this, it is also commonly used in the preparation of ingredients and seasonings, so if you eat Vietnamese food on a daily basis, you can say that the chances of you eating garlic are definitely higher than when you are in Japan. I have even had neighbors ask me to bring some garlic over, so you can see that it is a staple ingredient in Vietnamese households. The deliciousness of this dish is due to the garlic, and there are many Vietnamese people who like garlic, both men and women. By the way, in Vietnam, it is common to use whole garlic rather than crushed garlic, or finely chopped garlic.

Don't you mind the garlic smell?

With that in mind, garlic, which is commonly consumed on a daily basis, is of course a subject of concern for Japanese people. In Japan, it is common for people to refrain from eating dishes containing garlic when meeting with others, or to take care of it in order to reduce its odor. In restaurants, it is no wonder that gyoza without garlic is offered, and asking if the customer wants garlic added at the time of ordering is a unique Japanese practice. On the other hand, when talking to Vietnamese people, they say that the smell of garlic is not as bothersome as it is for Japanese people. They seem to be aware of the unique smell of garlic, but say that the discomfort that Japanese people feel when encountering other people’s garlic is not that severe. Perhaps it is because they were born and raised in such an environment that they have developed an immunity to odors.

Past experiences

As such, since this is a nation that is generally tolerant of the smell of garlic (?), I have experienced several times myself being annoyed by the smell of garlic. For example, when I was working in a service industry and was receiving customer service at lunchtime, it was probably because I had just eaten a garlic dish. I once felt annoyed when someone called out to me, “You smell like garlic!” I thought that at least dental services should pay attention to this aspect. In this regard, I feel that the level of awareness varies greatly depending on the individual. Just to be honest and in the name of Vietnamese honor, I will say that on average, awareness of oral hygiene is quite high, and dental aesthetics such as braces and whitening are also quite popular. There is a habit of regularly brushing your teeth, so I don’t feel any particular sense of bad breath from unsanitary conditions even when interacting with Vietnamese people on a daily basis.

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