{"id":5382,"date":"2021-01-05T15:39:23","date_gmt":"2021-01-05T07:39:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/?p=5382"},"modified":"2021-01-05T17:48:29","modified_gmt":"2021-01-05T09:48:29","slug":"vietnamese-childhood-snacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/vietnamese-childhood-snacks\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Vietnamese Childhood Snacks That\u2019ll Give You An Intense Surge Of Nostalgia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Vietnamese childhood snacks<\/h2>\n
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Bubble tea<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>dalgona<\/span><\/a> are worth the hype, but to many of us millennials, they can\u2019t quite replace the many types of ice cream, candy, or lollipops that we had as kids. Simple as these treats might be, they contain with them something irreplaceable: our childhoods and memories of a simpler time.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, brace yourselves for a trip down memory lane with these <\/span>9 Vietnamese childhood snacks<\/b>. From tattoo chewing gums to taffy, their very images will bring back fond memories of all the fun we had with friends and siblings in the good ol\u2019 days.<\/span><\/p>\n

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1. Lime ice cream \u2013 our lifesaver in the summer<\/h3>\n
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\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> Minhon V\u0169<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Ice cream is always most children\u2019s favorite treat, but while kids today have a plethora of different ice cream flavors to enjoy, the lime ice cream<\/strong> sold by street vendors in front of our schools was all we had growing up.<\/span><\/p>\n

To call it \u201cice cream\u201d is already a loose term, as it was nothing more than ground ice with a bit of sugared lime juice poured over. Still, the cool, refreshing taste was all we ever wanted during summer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, this version of lime ice cream is no longer as popular as it once was, but with a bit of searching, you can still find vendors selling it in front of some schools around the big cities.<\/span><\/p>\n

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2. Bagged yogurt \u2013 which we\u2019d put down our friends\u2019 shirts to play pranks on them<\/h3>\n
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\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> @phamyen2609_<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

When we\u2019d had our fill of lime ice cream, bagged yogurt<\/strong> came as an alternative. Again, they were mostly just bags of ice with only the slightest taste of yogurt, but they were all many of us could afford with whatever breakfast money that we managed to tuck away.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, looking back on how we\u2019d hold these yogurt bags against our cheeks to cool ourselves down during hot summer days, or play pranks on our classmates by putting the bags down their shirts will always bring a smile to our faces.<\/span><\/p>\n

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3. B\u00f2 b\u00eda ng\u1ecdt<\/em> \u2013 something to look forward to after class<\/h3>\n
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\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span><\/i> @jennyphuonganhtruong<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

Yet another after-school snack that gave us something to look forward to after our lessons was <\/span>b\u00f2 b\u00eda ng\u1ecdt<\/b><\/em>.<\/b> You probably grew up eating it, but did you know it is actually a Vietnamese version of the Chinese dish <\/span>popiah<\/span><\/em>?<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> @luna_o_line<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The original popiah<\/em> in Vietnam consists of egg and Chinese sausages rolled with carrots, lettuce, and other veggies, but of course, that was not something most of us could afford as kids. Instead, what we could get was simply a piece of malt sugar rolled with sesame and a bit of coconut in a rice paper sheet.<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, the light, moderate sweetness of the snack always kept us coming back for more.<\/span><\/p>\n

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4. K\u1eb9o k\u00e9o<\/em> \u2013 Vietnamese taffy that 80s kids grew up with<\/h3>\n
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\nImage credit: <\/span>Kh\u00e1nh An (H\u1ed3ng Minh)<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Even millennials born in the mid-1990s would have a hard time remembering <\/span>k\u1eb9o k\u00e9o<\/strong><\/em>, but to anyone born in the 1980s or the early 1990s, the image of a smiling uncle figure on an old bicycle, carrying a box of this delicious treat, is one we\u2019ll always remember with fondness.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span><\/i> D\u00e2n Tr\u00ed<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to remember why we were so in love with <\/span>k\u1eb9o k\u00e9o<\/strong><\/em>. <\/span><\/i>After all, it was just a malt sugar stick. Still, seeing our neighborhood vendor \u2013 who would come by every day and remembered many of us by name \u2013 skillfully use sticks to roll the malt sugar into a clump was already a delight in itself.<\/span><\/p>\n

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5. Chewing gum with temporary tattoos \u2013 so we could pretend to be tattooed badasses<\/h3>\n
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\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> Ti\u1ec7m B\u00e1nh Tu\u1ed5i Th\u01a1<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t swallow it or your guts will stick together!\u201d \u2013 is a warning every Vietnamese kid has probably heard from their parents after asking for a piece of chewing gum<\/strong>. <\/span><\/p>\n

While our young minds actually believed that, it didn\u2019t stop us from falling in love with these sweet chewy treats \u2013 and we got to compete with our friends to see who could blow the biggest bubble to boot.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> VTV3<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

And you probably remember hoarding these tattoo chewing gums for their wrappers, which had colorful temporary tattoos that we could stick to our arms, legs, and even faces.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As we removed the plastic backing and pressed the tattoos to our skin with a few drops of water, after a few minutes, the sticker would be printed on our skin, and we could pretend to be tattooed badasses. I don\u2019t know about you, but it was pretty bad for <\/span>my<\/em> <\/span>ass when my parents saw these \u201ctattoos\u201d on my arms.<\/span><\/p>\n

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6. Vitamin C \u2013 the only medicine we were eager to take<\/h3>\n
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\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> Ti\u1ec7m B\u00e1nh Tu\u1ed5i Th\u01a1<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

We all hated having to take medicine as a kid \u2013 it\u2019s usually bitter and just not yummy. But the one type of medicine many of us couldn\u2019t get enough of was vitamin C pills<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

They came in many shapes and forms, from small heart-shaped pills in square plastic boxes to round pills in a container that vaguely resembled Doraemon, which we\u2019d later keep as an imaginary toy friend.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span><\/i> Ti\u1ec7m B\u00e1nh Tu\u1ed5i Th\u01a1<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

To many young eyes, these pills were like orange candy with their perfect blend of sweet and sour tastes with a bit of orange flavor. We\u2019d beg our parents to buy us a box of these every time we had to go to the pharmacy, promising that we\u2019d behave and take our medicine in return.<\/span><\/p>\n

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7. Lollipops on animal- or weapon-shaped sticks \u2013 something to collect and flaunt to friends<\/h3>\n
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\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> Khuy\u00ean Nguy\u1ec5n<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a \u201890s kid, you probably remember these pink lollipops<\/strong> that were made of hard sugar dyed with food coloring.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sure, they were not the healthiest thing in the world, and their taste was nothing impressive compared to the many fancy lollipop flavors we have today, but they had something that kept us coming back for more: the sticks.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> Khuy\u00ean Nguy\u1ec5n<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Made of plastic, these sticks were shaped like animals or weapons to appeal to kids. Girls were absolutely in love with the shapes of cute animals, while boys would wage wars on each other using sticks that looked like mini swords and axes. We\u2019d look all over the stores to find that one stick model that we still needed to complete our collection.<\/span><\/p>\n

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8. Chocolate in mask-shaped packaging \u2013 so we could pretend to be our favorite superheroes<\/h3>\n
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\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> Ti\u1ec7m B\u00e1nh Tu\u1ed5i Th\u01a1<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Who else watched <\/span>Sailor Moon <\/span><\/em>as a kid and thought Tuxedo Mask was cool as heck? These \u201cchocolate masks\u201d<\/strong>, or coated chocolate in mask-shaped pop-out packaging, were little treats that allowed us to masquerade as our favorite heroes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Again, they were nothing more than little chocolate pieces dyed in different colors using food coloring, but it was the mask-shaped packaging that we were more interested in. These masks even had holes on the sides for us to tie a piece of string to, so that we could wear them on our faces and pretend to be Wolverine, Mr. Incredible, or any other superhero that was on TV the previous night.<\/span><\/p>\n

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9. Cotton candy \u2013 fluffy, sweet treats that kept us coming back for more<\/h3>\n
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\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span><\/i> @purpleme259__<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

While the likes of <\/span>k\u1eb9o k\u00e9o <\/span><\/em>have mostly faded into distant memory, cotton candy<\/strong> is one of the few childhood snacks that has stood the test of time, having been favored by generations of Vietnamese people. As kids, we could never have enough of its fluffy texture that melted away in our mouths, leaving behind a pleasant sweetness.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> @han_718072m2_91<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The way they were made was also a wonder to behold. I mean, the vendor just put what he called some secret ingredients into his \u201cmysterious device\u201d, and then edible clouds started coming out of it? The sight was nothing short of magical to our young minds.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, we can still spot cotton candy being sold on the streets every now and then, but with bubble tea, ice cream, and many other treats that kids today have access to, it is no longer as popular as it once was.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Vietnamese childhood snacks that bring back old memories<\/h3>\n
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Some of these childhood snacks that every Vietnamese \u201990s kid knew and loved have all but become extinct, while others might very well go the way of the dinosaurs in the next couple of years. Regardless, they\u2019ll always have a special place in our hearts.<\/span><\/p>\n

For more stories, check out:<\/span><\/p>\n