Vietnamese cuisine, developed over thousands of years with countless influences from other cultures, is a tantalizing blend of clean, fresh, bright, sweet, and hot flavors. Full of authentic recipes, Culinary Vietnam teaches how the aspects of flavor, aroma, texture, color, contrast, balance, and even the sound a food makes should be taken into consideration in the planning of a Vietnamese meal. Author Daniel Hoyer opens the door into the world of Vietnamese cooking methods and theories, as well as to the background of the cuisine, and gives some historical and cultural tidbits, all while showing just how broad the scope of this simple, agriculturally based cuisine really is. -- from inside flap.