The cuisine of Vietnam is based on centuries of history and tradition as well as the diversity of the country’s different regions, and it embodies the balance of aromatics, heat, sweetness, sourness, and bitterness. The ideal of yin and yang is important in every dish: the sweet and the salty, the cooling and the warming, and the fresh and the fermented. While it may seem like hot and humid Vietnam doesn’t experience the traditional four seasons, the country’s food does mirror the climates of the varied landscape, the two distinct monsoon seasons, and the celebrations and holidays that usher in each quarter. Home to the third-largest Vietnamese population in the US, Houston offers many options for sampling cuisine that extends far beyond bánh mì and phở. Here’s how to eat your way through the seasons of Vietnam.

Spring

The most important celebration in Vietnamese culture is Tết Nguyên Đán, more widely known as Tet. Falling around the end of January or in February, based on the lunar calendar, Tet is a time to welcome the beginning of spring, and its traditional dishes are symbols of good fortune and luck. Bánh chưng, a glutinous rice cake stuffed with mung bean and pork belly and boiled in banana leaf, can be found at any Tet gathering. Preparing bánh chưng is a time-consuming labor of love, and many opt to buy it instead. During the weeks leading up to Tet, rows of wrapped and ready bánh chưng line Asian supermarkets like Viet Hoa International Foods.

Thịt kho trứng, braised pork with eggs, is a staple family meal from Southern Vietnam. Pork belly or ribs are braised and caramelized in coconut water, fish sauce, sugar, and garlic. Boiled eggs, a symbol of happiness and life, are added toward the end to simmer in the sauce. Moon Rabbit, a modern Vietnamese restaurant in the Heights, features thịt kho using thick-cut pieces of braised pork belly dressed with a fish sauce glaze and paired with soy eggs and pickled bean sprouts. Fresh Thai chiles sprinkled on top adds a touch of heat. Served with steamed white rice, it’s a quintessential comfort food for all those who grew up with it.

The ritual of worshipping ancestors and providing offerings during the new year is of particular importance. Gà luộc, whole boiled chicken, takes a prominent place on the altar as an offering of abundance and prosperity. The chicken is prepared very simply, with salt, pepper, ginger, and shallots, and cooked down as it makes its own stock. The skin is rubbed with turmeric, which gives it a golden-yellow color. At Cơm Gà Houston in Asiatown, the chicken is chopped and served with rice cooked in the chicken broth, plus herbs and ginger fish sauce.

Spring also marks the beginning of crawfish season, and in Houston, that means Viet-Cajun crawfish. Batches of boiled mudbugs are tossed in different variations of spices, garlic butter, and aromatics such as lemongrass, basil, and citrus. South x Saigon in Westchase has become a standout for its menu of Vietnamese and Cajun comfort foods. Crawfish enthusiasts come ready to devour the mudbugs drenched in the restaurant’s signature Southside Sauce, a blend of Cajun seasonings, garlic butter, and green and white onions. There’s no better way to celebrate spring in Houston.

Summer

As the summer heat hits Houston like a ton of bricks, we look to fragrant, refreshing dishes with vegetables and herbs. One of the customer favorites at Huynh Restaurant in East Downtown is the gỏi vịt, a salad with pulled duck meat, shredded cabbage, coriander, and mint, served alongside a ginger fish sauce dressing that adds even more brightness. Bò tái chanh, rare beef in lime juice, is another popular salad. Tay Do Restaurant on the Westside, one of the most well-known places for this dish in Houston, serves its thinly sliced rare beef with red onions and pickled carrots flavored with fish sauce, sugar, and chile, and topped with peanuts, fried scallions, and ngò om (rice paddy herb), which adds a delicate citrus flavor.

During the dog days of summer, Houstonians can also indulge in some of Vietnam’s cooling desserts and drinks. Chè is a sweet “soup” or pudding typically made with beans, seeds, or fruit, often served in a cup over ice. Thanh Tâm Tofu Xôi Chè in Asiatown is a mecca for Vietnamese snacks, especially chè. Choose from chè ba màu (three bean dessert), chè bắp (sweet corn pudding), chè trôi nước (ginger rice ball), chè bà ba (sweet potato, taro, and cassava) or chè đậu xanh (sweet mung bean). Nước mía, freshly pressed sugar cane juice, is one of the most popular street foods you’ll find in Vietnam. At Mama Mía, get a standard fresh sugarcane juice or add different citrus fruit juices like kumquat and salted lime and even durian. The namesake special is loaded with coconut, chia seeds, strawberry, mango, pineapple, and coconut jelly.

Fall

The transition to fall brings another important celebration: Tết Trung Thu, the Mid-Autumn Festival or Moon Festival. Its traditions are rooted in family and prayer, as with the new year, but also in giving thanks for the fruitful harvests. Bánh bao, round buns symbolic of the full moon, are prevalent during autumn celebrations. The steamed pork baos are a savory treat made with ground pork, wood ear mushrooms, hard-boiled eggs, and Chinese sausages. Some of the best can be found at Thiêm Hưng Bakery, where both steamed and fried options are available, with a choice of regular egg or salted egg in the filling.

The cool fall weather beckons Houstonians to head outside to enjoy a beverage or two on a patio. The Vietnamese have made this a national pastime known as nhậu—while there is no literal translation for this, it has been described as “eating and drinking, for no particular purpose.” Dishes that pair well with beer and hold up to strong dark liquors, usually finger foods and snacks, are brought out to share. Sea snails are an essential nhậu food. Bình Thuận in Asiatown serves ốc giác (Melo Melo sea snails) and ốc hương (periwinkle snails) prepared in various ways: grilled and topped with scallions, or sautéed in a tamarind sauce or coconut milk with lemongrass. The mild, earthy snails soak up the flavors in which they are cooked and are a great foil for an ice-cold refreshment.

Vietnam is the second-largest producer of coffee in the world. It’s easy to find the ubiquitous cà phê sữa đá, Vietnamese iced coffee sweetened with condensed milk, at restaurants and coffee shops in Houston, but cà phê trứng is making a name for itself. Egg yolks are whipped with coffee, milk, and sugar, resulting in a rich, foamy drink. At Hem Kitchen & Bar, you can order a cà phê trứng and sit outside when the weather cooperates. Colorful stools and small tables have been set up to mimic the bustling street cafes of Vietnam.

Winter

As winter sneaks up, the traditional Vietnamese noodle soups are always the best go-to meals. While phở and bún bò huế are familiar favorites, Vietnam has myriad soups to warm the body and soul. Mì quảng is a lesser-known dish from Central Vietnam that is distinguished by its flat yellow turmeric rice noodles and rich pork broth. Mì quảng toppings vary, the most popular being pork slices, shrimp, toasted peanuts, and sesame rice crackers. Nam Giao makes a solid version with a thicker broth and denser handmade noodles, making it more filling and comforting.

In Vietnam, you’ll often see smoke and flames and fragrant smells coming from street food vendors on every corner. The most distinct is bò lá lốt, skewers of minced marinated meat wrapped in betel leaves, grilled and eaten alone or wrapped in lettuce and rice paper. It’s a flavor bomb—herbaceous, slightly peppery, and savory. Hidden gem San Vuon Restaurant & Cafe in southeast Houston, near Hobby Airport, serves bò lá lốt the traditional way, topped with peanuts and scallion oil (mỡ hánh), which you can eat with vermicelli or wrapped in a lettuce leaf dipped in nước chấm.

For the ultimate comfort food during the cold winter days, nothing can compare to a bowl of cháo, a rice porridge. Cháo lòng in particular is warm and hearty: a soup of pork bone broth, rice, and various pork offal bits such as liver, kidney, spleen, intestines, and hearts. You can expect to have a deep-fried dough called quay, scallions, chile flakes, bean sprouts, lime, fresh vegetables, and herbs as accompaniments. Find one of the best bowls at Cháo Lòng Thằng Mõ. The small mom and pop restaurant in Asiatown only serves two things: bánh canh (an udon soup) and cháo lòng. A large bowl will only set you back $5.99 and is more than enough to satisfy and warm you.