Traditionally, Vietnamese dishes are made with some kind of meat or seafood—most often pork and shrimp. But by cooking with Vietnamese home cooks, chefs and Mahayana Buddhist monks, Cameron Stauch learned about a tradition of vegetarian cooking that is lighter and just as flavourful.

Spicy, tangy, crunchy and sweet, the dishes in Vegetarian Viet Nam range from soups and noodle bowls to main courses with rice and stir-fried vegetables, as well as desserts and fruit drinks. Some recipes are naturally vegetarian, like the colourful Twelve Predestined Affinities Salad, while others draw on the full arsenal of Vietnamese herbs, spices and sauces to make tofu and mushrooms as juicy as any meat filling.

With a fully illustrated glossary to help readers assemble their own vegetarian Vietnamese pantry, Vegetarian Viet Nam will unlock an entire universe of flavour to anyone who wants healthy, tasty and sustainable food.