Buzz
Cà Mau Cape is not only the last piece of land on the map of Vietnam but also the land of many delicious dishes that captivate the hearts of visitors from all directions. When traveling to Cà Mau, besides admiring the beauty of this place, you will surely need a lot of time to explore all the culinary delights of Cà Mau.
U Minh fermented fish hotpot
Fermented fish hotpot is one of the indispensable rustic dishes of people in the South, with the main ingredient to make a delicious hotpot being various types of fermented fish, along with a variety of fish and fresh vegetables only found in the U Minh region.
The main ingredient of U Minh fermented fish hotpot is premium fermented fish. The hotpot is combined with various meats or fish according to preference. U Minh hotpot in Cà Mau is enjoyed with vegetables from the Western region such as water lilies, lotus stems, coriander, sawtooth herb, water spinach, water celery, water mimosa, dragon eggplant, reeds, bitter vegetables, crab legs, water hyacinth, banana flowers, wild peppers, garlic. Wild water spinach is a type of jungle vegetable found most abundantly in the U Minh mangrove forest.
To make the hotpot delicious, diners can add corn and straw mushrooms when the hotpot is boiling, along with fresh river fish such as carp, snakehead fish, climbing perch, or eel. Gradually, U Minh fermented fish hotpot has become a famous and delicious dish of Cà Mau.
Rạch Gốc Three-Spotted Crab
In addition to the natural landscapes of pristine beauty, visitors to Rạch Gốc will surely be delighted by the three-spotted crab dish, which has long been a specialty of this locality. Rạch Gốc Three-Spotted Crab has been a well-known brand for a long time because only here can the crab taste truly delicious and appealing. Around July, August every lunar year is the season for three-spotted crab. This type of crab eats fallen black fruit, so its shell has a brick-red color, the meat is fragrant and firmer than crabs from other regions.
The three-spotted crab is cooked by boiling lemongrass and eating it with dipping sauce. The dipping sauce is prepared very simply but is equally special, consisting of finely chopped lemongrass mixed with fermented rice, adding a little chili for spiciness, and then adding some spices to taste. With this way of eating, the crab meat is very sweet and fragrant due to blending with the spicy taste of chili, lemongrass, and the slight sourness of fermented rice. Boiled three-spotted crab with dipping sauce will be an unforgettable dish for travelers from all directions.
Grilled Vọp with Salt and Pepper Dip
Although vọp is now very rare in Cà Mau because it has become a rare and precious dish that always carries a very special flavor that diners will remember forever. To make it delicious, choose fresh vọp, rinse it clean, and drain the water.
Marinate with seasoning including salt, pepper, lime juice, and various leafy vegetables. The charcoal stove burns evenly and begins grilling the vọp, you can grill many at once. When the vọp's mouth is slightly cooked, it is very sweet to eat; if left for too long, it will be overcooked, dry, and the meat will be tough, with a very bland taste.
U Minh Bee Larvae Salad
When in Cà Mau, especially in the U Minh area, you will surely hear about the delicious U Minh bee larvae salad, which is considered top-tier. U Minh bee larvae are abundant, with a rich, creamy taste that's beyond description. After harvesting honey, locals often bring home one or two portions filled with bee larvae. By dipping the bee larvae nest into boiling water, filtering out the clean bee larvae, you can prepare dozens of delicious dishes like bee larvae porridge, stir-fried bee larvae, bee larvae salad... Among them, bee larvae salad is favored by many because it perfectly preserves the rich, creamy taste of bee larvae and combines well with the fragrant flavors of various vegetables.
Grilled Cuttlefish Egg Roll
'Fishing for squid is tough but fun/Enjoying cuttlefish eggs, fishing leisurely all day', cuttlefish eggs are so enticing that they've become a folk song known by heart among the young in the U Minh region. The origin of this dish is unclear, but it's known to be a specialty that anyone who tries it becomes addicted to.
Fried cuttlefish eggs turn into rolls with a golden color like cinnamon rolls, visually appealing and with a distinctive aroma. When eating, the rolls are cut into finger-sized slices, served with fresh herbs and rice paper. The accompanying dipping sauce must be fish sauce or lime salt to match the taste preferences.
Cà Mau Swamp Eel
In Cà Mau, locals take pride in claiming that swamp morning glory is the cleanest vegetable, grown in silt so no chemicals can contaminate it. Therefore, when eaten fresh, swamp morning glory is delicious, sweet, and crunchy.
If pickled, swamp morning glory is also considered a highly beloved dish by the people of Cà Mau as well as distant guests. People from Cà Mau often eat pickled swamp morning glory with braised river fish, and when eaten with rice, it's hard for guests to resist.
Dried Specialties
Dried shrimp is one of the famous specialties of the Cape region, where some families thinly slice the shrimp and sun-dry them, considering it a top-notch delicacy to treat guests or give to friends.
To make dried shrimp, the shrimp are peeled, cleaned, seasoned, flattened into round pieces, and then sun-dried. Like dried mudfish, for good dried shrimp with a sweet taste and characteristic aroma, they need to be dried under good sunlight. Dried shrimp can be prepared into many simple yet delicious dishes such as boiled, fried, or grilled.
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Reference: Travel Guide by Mytour
MytourMarch 18, 2015
