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Why the Co Chin Chin is called Co Chin Chin.

As you probably already know, Co Chin Chin is an authentic Vietnamese restaurant. But Vietnam was not always Vietnam.

The area was first under Han Chinese control until it gained independence in 938 AD. In the 19th century, the area gradually came under French colonial rule as part of French Indochina. And that's where Co Chin Chin or Cochinchina comes in, because Cochinchina is an old name for the south of Vietnam.

The term was introduced as "Cauchy Chyna" already in the 16th century by the Portuguese Tomé Pires, the first European ambassador to the Chinese imperial court. Pires, for his part, adopted the term from Malay, which describes a country between Champa and China. The Malay term in turn comes from the Chinese Jiaozhi (Vietnamese: Giao Chỉ), which referred to the whole of Vietnam.

China was added to distinguish it from Cochin in India. In 1862, the French annexed southern Vietnam as a colonial territory, and central Annam and northern Tonkin became French prorectorates.

Many influences from French cuisine have remained, as you can see from our menu.

Phew, history lessons make you pretty hungry. To eating at Co Chin Chin, bien sûr.

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