Lẩu

Fact: Lẩu is easy to find in many family-style restaurants and street vendors in Vietnam.

Lẩu: Basic Information

Pronunciation

lou

Alternative Name(s)

No

Dish Type

Boiled dishes

Course

Main Course

Mealtime

Lunch, Dinner

Lẩu: Origin and Region

Origin

Vietnam

Continent’s Region

Southeast Asia

Country’s Region

Nationwide Origin

Associated Region

Unspecified

Popular Lẩu Variations

Lẩu Cua Đồng

A variation from Hai Phong, including freshwater crab, often served with red rice noodles, grilled chopped fish, meats, and vegetables

Lẩu Ốc

A snail hot pot featuring beef shank, meatballs, tofu, boiled snails, and fresh vegetables, with a broth that’s sour, sweet, and spicy. Popular in Hanoi.

Lẩu Vịt Om Sấu

A duck hot pot with a blend of sour dracontomelon fruit, sweetness from potatoes, and a spicy kick from chili paste and spices.

Lẩu Gà Lá É

Originating from Phu Yen, this hot pot has a rich and slightly sweet broth paired with Ocimum graveolens leaves, chicken, fresh bamboo shoots, mushrooms, etc.

Lẩu Thả

A traditional fisherman’s hot pot from Phan Thiet, featuring freshly caught and seasoned anchovies, served with noodles, fresh herbs, sliced pork belly, and thinly sliced omellete.

Lẩu Cá Kèo

A popular Southern Vietnamese rustic dish featuring mudskipper fish, tomatoes, and served with Glinus herniarioides.

Lẩu Mắm

A distinctive Mekong Delta hot pot made with fermented fish paste and served with vegetables and fish.

Lẩu Thái

A sour and spicy hot pot inspired by Thai flavors, typically including seafood, thinly sliced beef, tomatoes, and various veggies.

2 more Show Less

Lẩu: Ingredients and Preparation

Main Ingredients

Beef, or chicken, or fish, or shrimp, etc., and vegetables (e.g., leafy greens)

Main Cooking Method

Simmering or boiling

Preparation Process

Prepare broth, arrange raw ingredients for dipping, maintain simmering broth on the table.

Lẩu: A Deep Dive

Cultural Significance

An ideal food for social and family gatherings

Taste

Savory, sour

Texture

Tender meats, seafood, crunchy vegetables, silky tofu, etc.

Aroma

Rich, or fragrant, etc.

Color

Clear, or deep brown, or red, etc.

Serving Style

A communal pot in the center of the table

Serving Temperature

Hot

Accompaniment

Dipping sauces

Occasions

Festivals

Seasons

Year-round

Special Diets

Gluten-free

Calories

Varied based on ingredients

Popularity

Vietnam

Popular Similar Dishes

1. Shabu-shabu
2. Sukiyaki
3. Instant-boiled Mutton
4. Jeongol
5. Thai Suki
6. Fondue

Popular Dining Area

Restaurants, family homes, or street vendors

Lẩu, also known globally as hot pot, is a popular dish in Vietnam featuring a simmering pot of broth placed at the center of the dining table. Diners gather around, cooking various raw ingredients like meats, seafood, vegetables, and noodles directly in the pot.

The broth of lẩu varies from a simple, clear stock to rich, spicy, and aromatic flavors, often reflecting regional specialties and personal tastes across Vietnam. In general, lẩu offers a hearty and warming meal, making it ideal for cooler weather.

The origin of lẩu is believed to be traced back to the three-legged pots from the Zhou dynasty in China. Nowadays, the hot pot’s popularity has spread to many countries, especially in East and Southeast Asia and even some European countries.

In Vietnam, varieties of lẩu vary based on regions, including North, Central, and South. Though they are different in ingredients and flavor, the way locals serve and enjoy lẩu are similar.

After that, the article will cover the advantages and disadvantages of consuming Vietnamese-style hot pot, as well as its differences from shabu-shabu, the Japanese-style hot pot.

Lastly, don’t forget to check some common concerns regarding lẩu and its similar dishes. Now, let’s jump right into the reading to uncover Vietnamese hot pot.

Lẩu Images

What Are Common Lẩu’s Ingredients?

Ingredients for lẩu are diverse based on regional touches or preferences. They can be grouped into five main categories, including broth bases, meats and proteins, noodles, vegetables, and herbs and aromatics.

Ingredient Groups	Examples
Broth Bases	Beef bone broth Chicken broth Seafood broth Vegetable broth Spicy lemongrass broth (for lẩu Thái)
Meats and Proteins	Beef Chicken Pork Goat meat Seafood (fish, shrimp, squid, clams, mussels) Tofu (firm, soft, or fried) Tofu skin Fish cakes
Noodles	Rice noodles Glass noodles Egg noodles
Vegetables	Leafy greens (spinach, watercress, lettuce) Bok choy Napa cabbage Morning glory Mushrooms Corn Carrot Potatoes and sweet potatoes
Herbs and Aromatics	Thai basil Green onion Dill Lemongrass

With diverse ingredient options, lẩu comes in various varieties, and it also reflects the Vietnamese region’s tastes and traditions.

What Are Popular Lẩu Variations Based on The Vietnamese Region?

Vietnamese lẩu are abundant in styles and vary significantly across different regions of Vietnam. They reflect the local ingredients, flavor, and cooking traditions. Here are some popular regional variations of lẩu in Vietnam’s three main parts: North, Central, and South.

In Northern Vietnam

Here are three famous hot pots with their distinctive features in Northern Vietnam.

Next, let’s fly to the Central part of the country and find out what they have for lẩu.

In Central Vietnam

Each region has its own special lẩu styles. Check the below examples for more information about the Central-based lẩu of Vietnam.

Moving on, you’ll explore choices of hot pot delights in Vietnam’s southern part.

In Southern Vietnam

Below are three celebrated hot pot varieties from the Southern region of Vietnam.

After delving into the regional lẩu variations across Vietnam, let’s now focus on how locals serve and enjoy this communal delicacy.

How To Serve and Eat Vietnamese Lẩu?

Serving and eating lẩu is an interactive and communal dining experience that involves cooking and sharing food at the table.

A hot pot setup includes a portable burner (gas, coal, or electric) with a pot of boiling broth in the center. Raw ingredients are placed around it, and diners cook the food in the broth until it’s cooked.

In the meantime, diners can add noodles to their personal bowls, then use a spider spoon to pick up food items in a boiling broth pot and add the soup later. This is a shared meal, so remember to use separate utensils for handling the soup and ingredients to maintain cleanliness.

Dipping sauces are common accompaniments to lẩu so that diners can dip their desired items in the sauce for more flavor.

In the next part, you’ll have a better view of both the good sides and drawbacks of consuming Vietnamese-style lẩu.

Pros and Cons of Eating Lẩu

Check the following table to unveil lẩu’s pros and cons.

After weighing the pros and cons of lẩu, I’ll next compare it with shabu-shabu to understand the dissimilarities between these two popular hot pot styles in two different Asian countries.

Lẩu Vs. Shabu-shabu, What Are The Differences?

In the culinary view between lẩu and Shabu-shabu, I’ll discuss their differences across various aspects, such as popularity, broth composition, ingredient selection, dipping sauces, eating style, cooking methods, flavor profiles, and accompaniments, in the table.

Read on to see other commonly asked questions about hot pot in Vietnamese style.

Lẩu FAQs