Eating in Vietnam with Food Allergies
Vietnamese food is fresh and herb-driven, but three allergens run through almost every meal. Crushed roasted peanuts are scattered over noodle salads, rice paper rolls and many soups; fish sauce (nước mắm) seasons dipping sauces, marinades and broths; and dried shrimp and fermented shrimp paste (mắm tôm) hide in soups, salads and dipping bowls.
Most food is cooked to order at small stalls with one wok, one fryer and one pot of broth, and staff may speak little English. A card in Vietnamese names each allergen in the words the cook uses — including the Northern and Southern terms where they differ (Đậu phộng/Lạc for peanut, Mè/Vừng for sesame) — and asks for a clean pan instead of a quick wipe.
Common Allergen Risks in Vietnamese Food
Peanut garnishes and sauces
Crushed peanuts top bún, gỏi salads, bánh cuốn and many desserts; peanut sauce (tương đậu phộng) is the standard dip for fresh spring rolls. Ask for your dish "không đậu phộng" and check the dipping bowl too.
Fish sauce everywhere
Nước mắm is in nước chấm dipping sauce, marinades and most broths. A fish-allergic diner needs it named explicitly — "no fish" alone will not stop a splash of fish sauce.
Shrimp in hidden forms
Dried shrimp, shrimp paste (mắm tôm) and shrimp-based broths appear in soups like bún riêu and in salads. They are rarely visible on the plate.
Shared woks and fryers
Street stalls cook everything in the same wok and fryer. If cross-contact matters for you, the card asks for a cleaned pan and separate oil.
How to Create Your Vietnamese Allergy Card
Select your allergens
Peanuts, shellfish and fish are pre-selected — the three most common risks in Vietnamese food. Change them to match your own list.
Keep Vietnamese as the card language
The card prints Vietnamese for the cook with your English underneath, using both Northern and Southern words where they differ.
Set your cross-contact rule
Choose whether shared woks and fryer oil are acceptable. At street stalls, assume they are shared unless the card says otherwise.
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Check the wording in the live preview, then download the printable PNG/PDF for $8.99 — every language and template included.
Eating Safely in Vietnam
- Peanuts: crushed peanuts go on bún thịt nướng, gỏi cuốn dipping sauce, xôi and chè. Show the card before ordering, not after the bowl arrives — scraping peanuts off does not make a dish safe.
- Fish sauce and shrimp paste: nearly every dipping sauce contains nước mắm, and mắm tôm is served with bún đậu and bún riêu. With a fish or shellfish allergy, ask what the broth and the dipping sauce are made of.
- Street food: most stalls cook one or two dishes in one pan all day. Choose stalls where the cook can make your plate from scratch in a clean wok.
- Tree nuts: cashews are common in stir-fries and Vietnamese snacks; ask about nuts in sauces and desserts.
- Emergencies: dial 115 for an ambulance in Vietnam. International hospitals in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have English-speaking staff.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I say "I have a peanut allergy" in Vietnamese?
Can I avoid fish sauce in Vietnam?
Is the Vietnamese allergy card free?
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