Jens Berhausen, a 49-year-old mechanical engineer, had a special bond with a Vietnamese woman and now lives in Mainz, Germany, with his two children. Since his first visit to Vietnam in 2009, Jens has returned twice, experiencing the diverse cuisine of all three regions - from Hanoi’s pho and Hai Phong’s crab noodle soup to Nha Trang’s fish noodle soup and Ho Chi Minh City’s banh mi.

Out of love for Vietnamese food and a desire to connect his children with their mother’s culture, Jens decided to learn how to cook authentic Vietnamese dishes.

“I vividly remember the first time I tried Vietnamese food. It was a family meal with traditional dishes like soup, boiled pork belly, vegetables, and braised fish,” Jens recalls.

Passion for Vietnamese cuisine

Sharing his journey with VietNamNet, Jens described his admiration for Vietnamese food, noting that “each region has its own unique flavors” and “each dish is meticulously prepared, from ingredients to presentation.”

According to Jens, cooking Vietnamese dishes isn’t overly difficult, but creating complex dishes takes time. He learned to source ingredients, understand the role of each spice, and achieve the perfect balance.

During the Lunar New Year, Jens even prepares a traditional Vietnamese meal for his children, making dishes like boiled chicken, spring rolls, sticky rice with gac fruit, and banh chung (traditional rice cakes).

He has now mastered over 50 Vietnamese dishes, with a focus on Northern cuisine, including staples like banh mi, spring rolls, beef noodle soup, grilled pork noodle bowls, and rice rolls. Despite his busy schedule, Jens cooks Vietnamese meals twice a week to bring variety to the family table and strengthen his children’s connection to Vietnamese culture.

Even though Vietnamese ingredients are available in German stores, finding everything he needs can be a challenge. “Sometimes I have to make two or three trips to different stores to find the right ingredients and perfect the dish,” Jens says, noting that some dishes take up to 5-6 hours to prepare, including gathering ingredients.

A love for Pho and Vietnamese language

Pho, Hue-style beef noodle soup, and Hai Phong’s crab noodle soup are among Jens’ favorites. When he first tried making pho, he sought advice from Vietnamese restaurant owners, watched online videos, and experimented with various recipes. After ten tries, he finally achieved a pho with a flavor close to what he remembered from Vietnam.

To create the broth, Jens simmers beef bones for 3-4 hours, adding ginger, shallots, coriander, star anise, cinnamon, and pepper for aroma. He even makes his own chili sauce and pickled garlic to serve on the side.

In addition to cooking, Jens is learning Vietnamese. He practices by reading books, watching YouTube and Instagram, browsing the internet, singing karaoke, and chatting with Vietnamese friends.