North African guy skillfully cooks Vietnamese rice, leaving netizens amazed

Vietnam is "not just a place to live, but a place to belong"

Mr. Hamza Smahi (Moroccan nationality) is a Vietnamese son-in-law. He and his wife have known each other since 2018. In March 2023, Hamza came to Hanoi with the plan to experience life in his wife's homeland for a few months. Unexpectedly, he quickly fell in love with this land, considering Vietnam as his second home, "not just a place to live but a place to truly belong".

"Before coming here, I thought Vietnam was a peaceful, ancient country. But after settling here, I found this place vibrant, full of energy and joy. What surprised me most was that Vietnamese people are very friendly and open, and cuisine seems to be ingrained in their daily lives," he shared.

In Hanoi, besides his main job, he spends his free time filming videos introducing the capital's cuisine and cooking Vietnamese dishes.

North African guy cooks Vietnamese food

Hamza truly considers Vietnam his second home. Photo: NVCC

Hamza still remembers, in the first days in Hanoi, his wife took him to wander around the small streets, looking at and tasting strange dishes, never seen before in his life. As soon as he tasted the first bowl of vermicelli soup, he "fell" before the appeal of Vietnamese cuisine.

"The dish seems simple, but it has everything I'm looking for - a cool taste, freshness, and an unforgettable blend of flavors," Hamza shared with VietNamNet reporter .

From there, he came up with the idea of recording his culinary journey to introduce to everyone via YouTube and TikTok. The TikTok channel has been active since February 2025, and to date, there have been nearly 100 videos sharing Hanoi dishes and how to cook Vietnamese meals made by Hamza himself.

Although his main language is English, and sometimes Moroccan, Hamza's friendliness, passion, and dedication, combined with his beautiful, well-groomed images, quickly attracted Vietnamese viewers and followers.

Cooking at home "as skillfully as Vietnamese"

Hamza started his channel with a challenge to discover 50 delicious dishes in Hanoi. He enjoyed all kinds of delicious dishes from banh cuon, pho, bun cha, grilled duck with garlic... to sweet soup, bun dau mam tom, red jellyfish.

"I've always loved connecting with people through food, and Vietnamese cuisine is great for this. The dishes are rich, sophisticated, and have interesting stories," the guy from the North African country shared.

Hamza skillfully mixes shrimp paste to dip with red jellyfish. Photo: What does Hamza eat?

Not only enjoying the food, Hamza also observes the preparation and actively seeks information from the chef. In recent months, he has taken on a new challenge of cooking authentic Vietnamese meals and sharing them on the channel.

"At first, I just watched how Vietnamese people cook - at home, on the street or in family restaurants. Then, I started to try making it under the careful guidance of my wife and friends. For more difficult dishes, I asked the vendors at the market or watched instructional videos online and slowly found out the secret," Hamza said.

Hamza loves Vietnamese "home-cooked meals". In his homeland, the family also gathers around the dinner table, warm and happy.

However, according to Hamza, the Vietnamese meal is simpler but more harmonious. There is always a main dish, soup, vegetables and dipping sauce. "Every Vietnamese dish gives me a sense of balance in taste and emotion," he shared.

Hamza learned from washing rice, washing vegetables, peeling onions and garlic, to more difficult techniques such as marinating meat, seasoning with fish sauce... Doing it every day, gradually his hands became more skillful and proficient.

He can measure the water level when cooking rice with his fingertip, knows that fried chicken needs a few slices of ginger to bring out the aroma, cabbage water should be added with some crushed tomatoes, or fish soup should be lightly fried to make the water clearer and more fragrant.

"Cooking teaches me to be patient, meticulous and appreciate every ingredient – even if it's just a small sprig of herbs," Hamza shares.

The video of Hamza cooking a home-cooked meal with fish in tomato sauce, fried tofu, boiled cabbage, and bitter melon stir-fried with eggs attracted more than 500,000 views. Video: What does Hamza eat?

When asked about the most difficult Vietnamese dish he has ever made, Hamza did not hesitate to answer: "Definitely spring rolls. I watched a lot of Vietnamese instructional videos online, asked my friends how to choose rice paper, how to roll it tightly without breaking it, and then tried many times. Sometimes the spring rolls broke, sometimes they weren't crispy, but I kept doing it over and over again. When I heard the first crispy 'crackling' sound, I was blown away."

Under Hamza's video, many Vietnamese people had to praise: "This foreign guy cooks rice as well as Vietnamese people"; "You really understand our food"...

Each message like this makes Hamza feel welcome, he says. “I feel like I’m part of this community, not a guest anymore,” he says happily.

Hamza travels to many provinces and cities in Vietnam to explore the cuisine and listen to the stories. He believes that every dish contains a story - about the land, about memories, and about emotions.

"Vietnamese cuisine teaches me how to slow down and enjoy every moment. I don't just cook Vietnamese food - I live it every day. Cooking Vietnamese food is not as difficult as people think. Just understand how to balance the flavors and cook with all your heart, you will feel its beauty," he shared.

Linh Trang - Trong Nghia

A video clip recording the image of a foreign male tourist stirring a pot of sweet rice cake with locals in the ancient village of Duong Lam (Son Tay, Hanoi) is causing a stir on social media.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/anh-chang-bac-phi-nau-com-viet-kheo-leo-khien-dan-mang-thot-len-kinh-ngac-2458065.html