Let’s discover the world or dairy products in Vietnam! When you visit the dairy section of a supermarket here, you may be a little confused to see an entirely unfamiliar range of products. So let us help you to navigate through them now:
Unlike the West, dairy products in Vietnam are rarely used in cooking and instead are predominantly used in their raw form only.
The lack of hard cheese is perhaps the biggest difference between the West and Vietnam. Those in the West are used to a large range of affordable cheese. Moreover, it is initially difficult to work out how to carry out cooking without these seemingly basic supplies.
Types of cheese
Cheddar cheese
Basic cheddar cheese is available in supermarkets – however there is no range – only cheddar cheese – so you are not sure if it is mild, medium or mature. It is relatively expensive, so you will need to use it in a different way than you did back home. The quality, in general, is fine – it tastes like cheddar cheese – but it is not superior quality.
Blue cheese
If you are lucky then you may be able to find Danish Blue cheese (even though it’s not common among other dairy products in Vietnam). This is sold as a giant chunk e.g. a kilo or more – and is much cheaper than the cheddar since as a general rule Vietnamese do not have blue cheese. The quality of this is rather high and is a great alternative to the often very bland lumps of more expensive cheddar.
Of course, as in many places, there are special tiny pieces of cheese – all at an extortionate cost – so if you are craving cheese then you need to work out if your craving is worth the cost!
String cheese from Russia
This type of hard cheese is one of the most common dairy products in Vietnam. You can even find them in the little convenience stores of Circle K the smoked string cheese from Russia. At first glance, it does not look like cheese (and it took me a couple of years to realize what it was!). It consists of strands all wrapped together, however, the price is expensive but reasonable – but the taste is amazing!
Processed cheese
Surprisingly, soft processed cheese are widely available – these come in the form of triangular pieces (similar to Dairylea) and can be purchased everywhere.
Butter
Butter is available in most supermarkets – with there now being a range of types instead of the one option as previously. The local butter (which is a reasonable price) only comes as unsalted rather than salted. If you need salted butter then you will have to purchase an imported type – which will cost at least twice the price of the local option.
For cooking, there is local margarine – which comes in small or large tubs and is super cheap. This is also a well-known type of dairy products in Vietnam.
Milk and yoghurts- the most common types of dairy products in Vietnam
Yoghurts
This type of product is huge in Vietnam – and you will be overwhelmed by the sheer variety. Although you can sometimes buy only one yoghurt, they typically come in a pack of four. Although, note that the price is displayed for the cost of one yoghurt only – not the price for the whole pack.
Yoghurts come in plain and flavored varieties – with there being all sorts of exotic flavors to sample! Beware of the delicious looking yoghurts that look as if they have chocolate balls at the bottom (or perhaps they look more like bobo pop balls) – in fact, those delicious balls are in fact brown rice! (This may be super tasty for some – but for most Westerners, yoghurt and rice simply do not mix!)
Milk are also super popular!
If you are overwhelmed by the range of yoghurts, then you will be super overwhelmed by the milk range. In general, milk comes in two main forms –fresh and the long-lasting UHT. You will be able to tell which is which by the location where you find them – the fresh will be found in the fridge whilst the UHT is found on the shelves.
Unlike the West where the UHT tastes artificial, the UHT long-lasting in Vietnam tastes really rather good. The advantage of the UHT is that you can store it in your kitchen until you need it. And once opened and in the fridge, it will last a lot longer than the fresh variety.
Types of milk
It is very important to note that there are two main varieties of milk. There are normal and sweetened ones. As you will see when you are at school, Vietnamese parents are huge believers in milk for their children. They send them to school with absurd amounts of milk on a daily basis. Kids in Vietnam are usually fans of sweetened milk variety. This is simply normal milk that has been artificially sweetened – not just a little – but a lot!
Double-check the milk that you purchase! You will find that the sweetened variety tastes like a sickly drink rather than milk. And that’s not a great addition to your cup of tea!
In addition to the sweetened milk, there is also favored milk- a type of dairy products in Vietnam that children love. The popular flavors are chocolate and fruity.
Milk can be purchased as the normal cardboard carton size for use in the home, or mini servings that typically come in a pack.
1. Probiotic milk-based drinks
Probiotic milk-based drinks are also available. They are relatively cheap and come in a wide range of flavors and brands. The purpose of these is to regularize the bacteria in your stomach and thereby help your health. However, I am never sure if this really works or not, the drinks taste great so worth a try!
2. Soya milk
Soya milk is also available. It is, although, more expensive and with less variety than the regular milk. However, there is still a large selection and they are still reasonably priced.
3. Expensive milk
On the more expensive side are specialty kinds of milk. There is a large range available in most supermarkets ranging from almond milk to hazelnut milk etc.
4. Cream
Cream is something which you can rarely find in supermarkets – and if it is available, then it is incredibly expensive.
Overall, dairy products in Vietnam come in a wide range of price– some reasonable, whilst others are mind-blowingly expensive. It is worth experimenting to find the products you like and which work for your own situation and soon you will be able to navigate the overwhelming variety of exciting products like a pro!
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