Culinary Journey Across Southern Provinces

While Northern dishes boast complexity and refinement, and Central specialties are renowned for their simplicity and authenticity, Southern cuisine is characterized by its rich, diverse flavors and vibrant hues.

Exploring Southern Cuisine Across Provinces

The difference in natural conditions as well as the culture and way of life of each region is one of the factors contributing to a rich and diverse culinary treasure. While Northern dishes are known for their complexity and refinement, the sunny and windy land of the Central region is famous for its specialties with a simple, authentic taste. Meanwhile, Southern cuisine is known for its rich flavors, diverse colors, and aromatic tastes.

Cashew Nut – Bình Phước

Bình Phước is known for its bountiful cashew orchards. Therefore, cashew nuts feature in many dishes of the locals here, from the snacks of children with ripe and juicy golden cashews dipped in salt and chili, to the crispy golden cashew cakes often bought by tourists as gifts. Even more enticing is the cashew nut salad, with its nutty and creamy flavor blending with the sweetness of shrimp and meat.

Beef Hotpot with Fermented Shrimp Paste – Binh Duong

Beef hotpot with fermented shrimp paste is one of the signature and delicious dishes of Binh Duong. The most special aspect of this dish is undoubtedly the fermented shrimp paste and the broth for dipping the beef. The broth of this special hotpot consists of many ingredients such as fermented shrimp paste, pork fat, lemongrass, chili, parboiled pork belly, onions... The dish is rich in flavor, with the aroma of shrimp paste, wrapped in rice paper for a delicious and not-too-hot mouthful, capable of pleasing even the most discerning guests.

Stir-fried Rice Field Cricket with Fish Sauce – Dong Nai

Stir-fried rice field cricket with fish sauce is surely a rustic specialty in Dong Nai that will leave a lasting impression. Rice field crickets are caught from the caves, brought back, wings and guts removed, then stuffed with peanuts, marinated in fish sauce, and fried until golden. Stir-fried rice field cricket with fish sauce has a rich fish sauce flavor, combined with the nuttiness of the crickets and peanuts, which is very enticing.

Crispy Mountain Gecko – Tay Ninh

Many have voted the number one delicacy in Tay Ninh to be the crispy mountain gecko from Ba Den Mountain. Mountain geckos have the characteristic of only eating ripe fruit, bananas, and forest leaves, so their meat is very tough and flavorful. Crispy mountain gecko is eaten with various raw vegetables, tomatoes, cucumbers... and tamarind sauce. This dish is not only delicious but also very nutritious because mountain geckos often eat various medicinal leaves on the mountain, making them highly nutritious.

Golden Threadfin Bream Salad in Ba Ria – Vung Tau

If you have the chance to visit Vung Tau and don't try the golden threadfin bream salad, it will surely be a huge regret. Golden threadfin bream looks like ricefish, about the size of a finger, and is white inside. The fish is cleaned, deboned, marinated with vinegar, lime, garlic, and chili to soften, then mixed with roasted rice powder to enhance the flavor. The key to this salad's deliciousness lies in the dipping sauce. The dipping sauce is made from the fish bones. When eaten with green bananas, starfruit, cucumbers... it's very refreshing and tasty.

Broken Rice – Saigon

Saigon has many delicious dishes, but let's temporarily choose broken rice as the typical and popular dish. Nowadays, broken rice can be found in many provinces and cities, but perhaps the most authentic broken rice is still in Saigon. The rice is made from broken rice grains, a type of rice that is broken and cracked, not whole grains like the rice we eat every day. Broken rice can now be served with roasted chicken, ribs, shredded pork skin... and especially cannot be without pickled vegetables, soup, and a bowl of sweet and sour fish sauce.

Sour Soup with Snakehead Fish and Bitter Vegetables – Tien Giang

According to the elders of My Tho, the oldest dish in Tien Giang must be the sour soup with snakehead fish. Although sour soup with snakehead fish is not a luxurious dish, it is more sought after by tourists visiting Tien Giang. The snakehead fish used to make soup must be from the fields to ensure firmness and sweetness. The rice used to make soup must be fragrant sticky rice. In particular, the rice is not cooked as usual but must be roasted in a pan until the grains are evenly golden and fragrant. The chef also meticulously selects the type of water to cook the soup, it must be water that is not contaminated with chlorine. The bowl of sour soup with snakehead fish will not be considered perfect if you forget the bitter vegetables. The sweet, fatty taste of the bowl of sour soup with snakehead fish is neutralized by the bitterness of this vegetable, making the diner keep savoring it.

Fermented Fish Hotpot – Long An

The bubbling fermented fish hotpot seems to encapsulate the flavors of the sea, lakes, and fields of Long An. The sweet and savory broth, made from meat and bones, is rich but not overwhelming like other hotpot varieties. Especially, the assortment of accompanying vegetables for Long An fermented fish hotpot is very diverse. It seems that any type of vegetable from this region can appear on the table next to the enticingly fragrant pot of hotpot. From water lilies, morning glory, bitter melon... all blend perfectly together to create a hotpot that will surely be unforgettable.

Water Lily Stem with Fermented Fish Sauce – Dong Thap

Although this dish may seem simple, it has a very delicious flavor that is not easily found elsewhere. Thought to be a simple dish, but to make it delicious requires some effort. Water lily stems must be chosen white and small so that they are soft and sweet when eaten. The fermented fish sauce has a deep red color, a fragrant smell, mixed with the aroma of lemongrass, and the spicy heat of chili but rich in flavor thanks to river shrimp. The water lily stems are cut into segments and gently squeezed to absorb the fermented fish sauce, making it not greasy but instead very appetizing.

Fried Fluffy Sticky Rice Cake – An Giang

If Hanoi has green sticky rice, Ha Giang has five-color sticky rice, or Nam Dinh has mullet sticky rice, then An Giang owns a very special sticky rice dish: fried fluffy sticky rice cake. Fluffy sticky rice cake is made from a special type of glutinous rice. Rice is alternated with beans in the fields, round and smooth grains. The rice is fried until it becomes fluffy and round like a ball, eaten with roasted chicken and dipped in chili sauce or soy sauce.

Coconut Cuisine – Ben Tre

When it comes to Ben Tre, one immediately thinks of coconuts. The land adorned with coconut groves and renowned for its rich and flavorful dishes made from coconuts. When in Ben Tre, you must not overlook coconut rice. The preparation of coconut rice is meticulous because the coconut used to cook the rice must be of the xiêm variety, cut halfway to pour out the water and the cut piece is used as a lid to cover the 'rice pot'. The rice is drained and then poured into the coconut with fresh coconut water and steamed. Coconut rice is served with many things, but the most authentic pairing is coconut-flavored shrimp. When the lid is lifted, the aroma of coconut and rice fills the air, accompanied by the savory shrimp, creating an indescribably delicious experience.

Banh Cong – Can Tho

Banh cong is now present in most provinces in the Mekong Delta, but it can be said that Can Tho's banh cong is the most special and famous. Although banh cong is just a snack, it cannot be prepared casually. The dish with a somewhat mysterious name is made from diluted rice flour, with the filling consisting of mashed mung beans mixed with minced meat. The banh cong maker pours the batter into a mold called 'cong', then quickly drops it into a pot of boiling oil until the cake turns golden, then adds some fresh shrimp or prawns on top. Whether banh cong is delicious or not depends largely on the flavorful dipping sauce made from fish sauce, radish, ginger, and chili... Banh cong is served with various vegetables such as water spinach, bitter melon, coriander...

Elephant Ear Fish – Vinh Long

The top dish that tourists are introduced to when they arrive in Vinh Long is the crispy fried elephant ear fish. The elephant ear fish is fried in boiling oil and then drained. When eating, you take each piece of fish, place it on a rice paper, add herbs, raw vegetables, vermicelli, roll it up, and dip it in sweet and sour dipping sauce, impossible to resist. The elephant ear fish has a firm, fragrant, and fatty texture combined with the freshness of herbs, vermicelli, making it completely irresistible.

River Fish Salad – Hau Giang

Hau Giang cuisine is best known for dishes made from river fish, including fish sausage, fried fish sausage, steamed fish with gourd, fish soup... Each dish is delicious and enticing. But if you're a tourist visiting here, the first river fish dish you should try is fried river fish with turmeric. The fish is cleaned, lightly marinated with spices like chili, lemongrass... then deep-fried until crispy. When the fish turns golden brown, it's ready. The aroma of lemongrass and chili combined with the sweet flavor of the fish meat makes fried river fish a truly irresistible dish.

Mud Crab in Tamarind Sauce – Tra Vinh

When in Tra Vinh, you must seize the opportunity to enjoy mud crab in tamarind sauce. Mud crabs live only in estuaries where rivers flow into the sea. At first glance, mud crabs resemble freshwater crabs, but they have decorative patterns on their shells. Mud crabs are cleaned, then fried with shallots, smashed garlic, and added tamarind sauce for a tantalizing sweet and sour flavor. The shell of mud crabs is quite crispy and soft, unlike the hard shell of other crabs, so you can eat the whole crab, which is rich in calcium. Besides, mud crabs can also be prepared in various other ways such as steaming and boiling.

Rice Noodle Soup with Clear Broth – Soc Trang

Rice noodle soup with clear broth is one of the delicacies of Soc Trang that you shouldn't miss. The clear broth is prepared using a unique method, resulting in a clear soup without any residue, yet it has the distinctive aroma of snakehead fish. A bowl of rice noodle soup with clear broth usually contains shrimp, deboned snakehead fish, roast pork... served with herbs like Vietnamese balm, water spinach, and banana blossom. This will undoubtedly be a fantastic suggestion for your breakfast when visiting Soc Trang, especially for first-time visitors.

Rice Vermicelli with Khen Fish – Kien Giang

When in Kien Giang, you absolutely must not miss the famous dish of Rice Vermicelli with Khen Fish in Ha Tien. Although it's a rustic dish, Rice Vermicelli with Khen Fish requires intricate preparation with many steps. To bring out the sweet, fatty flavor of the fish along with the freshness of the accompanying vegetables, the cook needs to be delicate and skillful in preparing the broth and processing the fish. A bowl of Rice Vermicelli with Khen Fish is served with enticing red shrimp paste sprinkled on top, alongside green vegetables... and the aroma is so enticing that it's hard to resist.

Tapioca Cake with Pork Skin – Bac Lieu

When visiting the homeland of Bac Lieu's wealthy man, you must try Ngan Dua Tapioca Cake. Made from simple, inexpensive ingredients, but it's incredibly delicious and appealing. Rice flour is cooked until it forms strands, then steamed. The tapioca strands are placed on a plate, accompanied by meatballs, shredded boiled pork, crushed roasted peanuts, raw vegetables, cucumber... finally drizzled with a bit of coconut cream. This rustic cake exudes the fragrant aroma of coconut milk combined with the richness of meat, the nuttiness of peanuts, and the freshness of vegetables, conquering most diners, no matter how picky.

Fried Field Mouse – Ca Mau

For people in the Western region, especially in Ca Mau, fried field mouse with lemongrass and chili is undoubtedly the number one specialty of this land. Field mice during the ripe rice season are often fat and firm, so people catch them, clean them, and then fry them until golden. The field mice are marinated with various spices to absorb the flavors, then quickly dropped into a pot of boiling oil, fried until evenly golden brown, ready to be served with various raw vegetables. Field mice mainly eat rice and young rice, so the meat is very fragrant and fatty.

Source: Ngôi Sao

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Reference: Travel Guide by Mytour