Watch the full video now. The foods of Vietnam taste of history. Their refreshing flavors, varied textures and vibrant colors reflect the country’s nearly two millennia of foreign incursions and local adaptation. The result: a unique culinary blend of ingredients and techniques from East Asia and Southeast Asia, with a touch of the West. It starts with geography. Vietnam’s lengthy coastline has long invited foreign traders and intruders—especially its northern neighbor, China, which began colonizing Vietnam in the first century B.C. The Chinese pushed into Vietnam on and off for about a millennium, influencing social structures, language and food. After numerous uprisings, including one led by two sisters, the Vietnamese gained independence in 939 A.D. They emerged from that era as survival artists, having added Chinese words to their vocabulary and Chinese spices to their foods. They intermarried and adopted cultural elements ranging from Buddhism to chopsticks.