Exploring Vietnam: Indulge in 33 irresistible dishes

Traveling across Vietnam, you'll encounter dishes that many simply can't resist tasting at least once.

Vietnam isn't just famous for its stunning landscapes and hospitable people; it's also home to numerous delicacies that captivate travelers. Each region boasts its own unique culinary treasures, tempting visitors to seek them out.

Exploring Vietnam: Indulge in 33 irresistible dishes

1. Ha Giang's Hearth-cooked Buffalo Meat

Exploring Vietnam, venture to Ha Giang, gather around a table, and savor pieces of buffalo meat straight from the hearth. The aroma of smoky, spicy meat, seasoned with chili and the robust flavor of mac khen, beckons anyone who's been here to return for another taste of this delectable dish.

2. Sapa Grilled Delights – Lào Cai

In the chilly winter of Sapa, amidst the enveloping darkness, nothing beats sitting by a roaring fire and indulging in piping hot grilled dishes. A plate filled with stomach, salmon, cooked eggs, skewered grilled meat... the aromatic fragrance is enough to dispel the bone-chilling cold of the Northwest mountains.

3. Tangy Pho from Lạng Sơn

Tangy pho is made from small fresh rice noodles mixed with various spices, char siu pork, crushed peanuts, balut eggs, and enough broth (or sauce) with other spices. This dish is meticulously prepared with a tangy-sweet, spicy, and rich flavor profile.

4. Piglet Underarm from Lai Châu

Piglet underarm (also known as suspended piglet) is a distinctive dish found only in the highlands. The meat of the piglet underarm is delicious and sweet from the bones, making it enticing for any dish. Whether steamed, grilled, smoked, stir-fried, or boiled, the meat remains flavorful, firm, and not greasy at all, even if you encounter a piece of fat.

5. Mường Thanh's Bird Sticky Rice – Điện Biên

If you visit Mường Thanh (Điện Biên province) during Tet, you'll get to enjoy the exquisite bird sticky rice. The bird sticky rice is arranged on a tray with a lid to keep it warm and soft. The sticky rice is fragrant and chewy due to the glutinous rice grains being pounded twice in a wooden mortar and sweetened by the taste of freshly caught bird meat.

6. Grilled or Steamed River Fish from Đà River – Hòa Bình

For a long time, the Đà River has been famous for its delicious fish. The grilled fish isn't eaten immediately; it's seasoned with salt, wrapped in banana leaves, and then cooked. The aroma of the fish is very distinctive, not just the smell of damp charcoal, of fresh and tasty fish meat but also hints of banana fragrance, bamboo scent from the forest, and the rich, simple taste of salt.

7. Tiểu Quan Chicken Sausage – Hưng Yên

Tiểu Quan Chicken Sausage is a famous dish originating from Tiểu Quan village, Khoái Châu district, Hưng Yên province. Chicken sausage is a unique dish, not to be eaten hastily like other dishes, but rather savored slowly to experience the rich, sweet, fatty, fragrant, and spicy flavors of the sausage.

8. Nam Định Sweetened Bean Soup

Nam Định Sweetened Bean Soup is a rustic and exquisite dish that's meticulously prepared. With just small green beans, golden yolks, tender strands, and the right amount of sugar, through the skilled hands of the cook, we get delicious bowls of sweetened bean soup. The more the soup is stirred and evenly cooked, the sweeter and longer-lasting the finished product will be.

9. Quảng Ninh Sea Cucumber

Sea cucumber is an unfamiliar seafood among many, unlike shrimp, crab, clams, or snails... but once you've tasted the distinctive flavor of this coastal delicacy, you'll never forget it. Steamed sea cucumber appetizer is both cool and refreshing, with a unique sweet aftertaste. The crisp, flavorful sea cucumber meat blends with the fragrant spices.

10. Hải Dương Green Bean Cakes

When in Hải Dương, everyone remembers Hải Dương Green Bean Cakes as souvenirs. The ingredients for making these cakes include: Green beans, crystallized sugar, lard, and pomelo flower oil, all carefully selected and processed to create delicious, sweet, and rich cakes. Enjoying green bean cakes with tea is an incomparable pleasure.

11. Spicy Bread from Hải Phòng

Spicy bread seems to be a signature dish of this Port city. The tiny, crispy bread, filled with pate and grilled over hot charcoal, dipped in a unique sauce only found in Hải Phòng, known as Chí Chương. The tongue-tingling spiciness of the bread along with the aromatic taste of pate is unmatched by any other region.

12. Hanoi Pho

Pho is considered the quintessence of Hanoi cuisine. The pho here is delicious and comes in many varieties like beef pho, chicken pho, along with many famous brands such as Phở Thìn, Phở Lý Quốc Sư, Phở Bát Đàn... It's not just a familiar dish for locals; pho is also a 'specialty' that any foreign visitor to Hanoi wants to try at least once.

13. Ninh Bình Goat Meat

If a traveler visits the ancient capital without trying goat meat dishes, they've missed out on truly understanding Ninh Bình. There are many enticing dishes made from goat meat such as stir-fried goat, grilled goat, roasted goat, steamed goat, goat blood pudding... The rare goat meat is sweet and tender, eaten with aromatic herbs like basil leaves, star fruit leaves, fig leaves... the rich flavors penetrate deep into the taste buds of the connoisseur.

14. Thanh Hóa Fermented Pork Roll

This dish doesn't require boiling or steaming, just fresh pork, preferably lean and without tendons. Thanh Hóa fermented pork roll, eaten with basil leaves and chili sauce, blends spicy, sweet, fragrant, and savory flavors, making it a famous specialty of Thanh Hóa.

15. Nghệ's Eel Porridge

Eel porridge has become the pride of Nghệ land with its extremely unique preparation and incomparable flavor. The bowl of porridge has a distinctive fragrant and spicy taste, with shiny, tender, sweet eel meat infused with spices.

16. Hà Tĩnh Coconut Candy

Coconut candy is a famous delicacy of Hà Tĩnh. While making coconut candy isn't difficult, achieving a uniquely flavored product is a challenge. Eating coconut candy and enjoying a bowl of green bean soup, you'll feel the lingering hospitality of the people in this 'land of sour fields and salty waters.'

17. Huế's Royal Forbidden Rice

Huế's royal forbidden rice is one of the typical representative dishes showcasing the culinary art and cultural heritage of Huế. With its harmonious flavor and faint imperial style, Huế's royal forbidden rice allows diners to enjoy a perfect dish that is not only delicious but also visually stunning due to its artistic presentation.

18. Đà Nẵng Quang Noodles

The fragrant and flavorful bowls of noodles always captivate tourists whenever they travel to Đà Nẵng. Mixed with soft, white noodles is the savory and sweet taste of bone broth, locally known as 'leached broth.'

19. Ngãi's Distinctive Pancake

Pancake is a specialty dish belonging to the 'typical' category of Ngãi. When you visit this region, no matter how busy you are, you must try the pancake to understand why it is found everywhere in Ngãi. This specialty dish is extremely simple, rich in flavor, and very nutritious.

20. Đắk Lắk Venison

Đắk Lắk is famous for thinly sliced grilled venison marinated in fat and spices, served with fresh ginger... The tender, sweet grilled venison combined with the spicy heat of ginger entices diners to ecstasy without the need for alcohol.

21. Đắk Nông Charcoal Grilled Snakehead Fish

Place a piece of snakehead fish on a rice paper sheet with fresh vegetables, slices of green banana, starfruit, pineapple, and rolled rice noodles, lightly dipped in a bowl of fish sauce seasoned with garlic, lime, and sugar, all spreading gradually on the palate, deliciously exquisite.

22. Nha Trang Jellyfish Noodles (Khánh Hòa)

When enjoying Nha Trang jellyfish noodles, diners will fully experience the sweet and clear broth, crispy jellyfish, cool freshness, and spiciness of chili, creating an amazingly delicious taste; eating one bowl makes you crave another.

23. Đà Lạt Grilled Rice Paper (Lâm Đồng)

If you skip grilled rice paper, you haven't truly experienced Đà Lạt! Topped with dried beef, sausage, creamy cheese, and a layer of rich egg. The crispy texture, creamy cheese, and aroma of dried beef make this dish irresistible, especially on chilly nights.

24. Phan Thiết Savory Pancake (Bình Thuận)

Not as large as the usual pancakes fried in aluminum pans, greasy like Saigon pancakes, Phan Thiết savory pancakes are smaller, meatier, and have their own allure. The crispy pancake, packed with filling, awakens all the senses upon the first bite.

25. Tây Ninh Tamarind Rice Paper (Bánh tráng me)

Tamarind rice paper isn't as simple as spicy salted rice paper or as chaotic as mixed rice paper, often crafted with diverse ingredients... the sourness of ripe tamarind, the spicy kick of chili, and the crunchy richness of roasted peanuts create a seductive, unforgettable flavor.

26. Sài Gòn Broken Rice

Broken rice is a simple yet famous dish in Saigon, featuring various enticing accompaniments such as ribs, shredded pork skin, meatloaf, and fermented pork roll... making it hard for diners to resist when visiting this place.

27. Bình Dương Roast Chicken with Puffed Rice

In Bình Dương, roast chicken is served with puffed rice. There are many types of puffed rice: black bean, green bean, peanut, red sticky rice, and white sticky rice. A plate of evenly golden-brown puffed rice placed next to a plate of fragrant, fatty roast chicken is irresistible to anyone who sees it. Anyone passing through Bình Dương cannot overlook this specialty dish.

28. Châu Đốc Starfruit Salad (An Giang)

This dish is a combination of the bitter taste of starfruit leaves, the salty flavor of dried fish, the sourness of mangoes, and the intense aroma of various herbs, making it very appealing.

29. Bạc Liêu Three-Spotted Crab Salad

Three-spotted crab, known as 'ba khía' in Vietnamese (this dish originates from the Khmer people). Before serving, the crab is seasoned with sugar, chili, garlic, MSG, and lime juice to enhance its sweetness. The crab is then shredded and mixed with the seasonings, left to marinate for about 15 minutes before eating.

30. Sóc Trăng Pia Cake (Grilled Beef)

Pia cake has long been an irresistible specialty when visiting Sóc Trăng. Enjoying a few pieces of cake with a sip of ginger tea while sharing a couple of warm stories warms the hearts of tourists.

31. Cao Lãnh – Đồng Tháp Field Mouse and Nhum Mouse

Field mice can be prepared in various ways such as stir-frying, slicing, grilling, braising, roasting, boiling with fermented rice, finely chopping and stir-frying with lemongrass and chili, wrapping with raw vegetables and rice paper... each dish carries a different flavor. It's common to marinate the mice with garlic and simple wine before grilling them fresh on glowing coals until golden brown.

32. Vũng Tàu Mini Pancake

This mini pancake resembles the 'bánh căn' of the Central Vietnamese, made from rice flour, with various fillings but commonly filled with shrimp. Its surface is snowy white, adorned with the reddish hue of shrimp and the green color of finely chopped spring onions.

33. U Minh Fermented Fish Hotpot (Cà Mau)

The fermented fish is cooked until the meat falls apart, the bones are carefully removed, and seasoned with MSG and sugar to taste before adding to the hotpot. To enhance the aroma, finely chopped lemongrass leaves and pounded lemongrass roots are added to the hotpot. To make the broth rich, fragrant, and creamy, a little cow's milk is added instead of sugar. Don't forget to enjoy this delicious fermented fish hotpot when visiting U Minh!

Image source: Compiled from Vatgia, Bareltravel, Wikipedia, monngon,...

Source: Tiin.vn

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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour