Vietnamese cuisine uses a combination of fresh and cooked ingredients from each food group. Fresh ingredients usually consist of herbs and vegetables, while cooked ingredients include various meats, seafood, and rice products.

Secrets of the Red Lantern teaches readers about Vietnamese culture by introducing them to authentic everyday Vietnamese food. Exploring food is a good way to learn about Vietnamese culture because many tasks in Vietnam revolve around the food.

Gỏi Cuốn can be eaten as an appetizer, a snack, or an entrée, and is a good example of Vietnamese cuisine because it incorporates many primary ingredients found in many other Vietnamese dishes. It uses many of those essential ingredients such as rice products, fresh herbs and vegetables, meat, and seafood.