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When it comes to the land of lotus flowers, Dong Thap, one must indulge in the hearty yet always impressive dishes that leave a lasting impression on many diners. Join Mytour to explore Dong Thap cuisine through the top 12 irresistible dishes in the following article!
The Irresistible Flavors of Dong Thap Cuisine through 12 Unforgettable Dishes
1. Lotus Stem Salad
Lotus Stem Salad with the crispy texture of lotus stem and various accompanying ingredients. After cleaning the lotus stem, it is sliced and mixed with spices such as lime, sugar, fish sauce, chili, and some herbs. Once the spices are evenly absorbed, finely shredded cooked chicken is added and mixed together. Lotus stem salad mixed with finely shredded chicken will have the most authentic taste. It's sour, sweet, spicy, with the added chewiness and sweetness of the chicken. When eating, you can dip it in a pre-prepared fish sauce for the perfect flavor.
When enjoying this dish, people in Dong Thap often savor it with a few glasses of fine wine only available here, aged with lotus wings and stamens for about 6 - 8 months before serving. The strong, spicy taste of the wine combined with the delicious aroma of lotus stem salad leaves diners near and far reminiscing.
2. Lotus Seed Rice
Grilled snakehead fish is a rustic dish typical of the rivers and lakes in the Southwest region of Vietnam. This dish is closely associated with the process of reclaiming land in the Southern land of the Vietnamese people. Derived from the grilled snakehead fish dish, people in Dong Thap Muoi add young lotus leaves to create a specialty dish called grilled snakehead fish wrapped in young lotus leaves.
The sweet and fragrant piece of fish meat, dipped in sour and spicy tamarind sauce, has made this dish much more delicious. Especially after enjoying this grilled snakehead fish dish, you can have a dessert of fragrant and delicious lotus seed sweet soup, which is loved by many for its cooling properties.
4. Sa Dec Tapioca Cake with Pork Skin
When in Sa Dec, Dong Thap, diners cannot overlook the delicious Sa Dec tapioca cake with pork skin. The dish features large soft tapioca noodles, finely shredded pork skin with a touch of pork floss, fresh greens, and especially sweet coconut cream poured on top. Tapioca cake with pork skin is usually eaten with sweet and sour fish sauce and pickled vegetables alongside fresh herbs.
In the list of Dong Thap cuisine, it would be a real miss if you skip the famous Sa Dec noodle soup. Each bowl of noodle soup is usually served with a plate of pork hock, fried dough sticks, fresh greens, bean sprouts, sliced chili soaked in vinegar. When eating, diners mix all the ingredients together and slowly savor the wonderful flavor of this dish. Also, don't miss out on the unique and flavorful dry noodle dish, served with a hot and fragrant bowl of soup!
6. Lai Vung Fermented Pork Roll
Lai Vung Fermented Pork Roll is the renowned specialty of Dong Thap, boasting the savory sweetness of fresh meat, the refreshing sourness of vong leaves, tamarind leaves, intertwined with the spiciness of green chili. These flavors blend together in the small sour pork rolls, making anyone who has tasted this specialty unable to forget it. You can buy them as gifts for friends after a trip to Dong Thap!
7. Frog Dishes
The flood season in the Mekong Delta has brought Dong Thap a variety of delicious rustic dishes, among which must be mentioned the delicious frog dishes such as: fried frogs with butter, stir-fried frogs with coconut milk, grilled frogs with lemongrass and chili or frog porridge... No matter how it's prepared, frog meat remains beloved and delicious, leaving a lasting impression on those who taste it!
8. Hanging Kitchen Snails
Hanging kitchen snails is a peculiarly named dish in Dong Thap that arouses curiosity among many diners. With this dish, people catch snails from the fields, clean them, place them in baskets woven from bamboo, then hang them high above the kitchen stove for 4-5 months. Even then, the snails are still alive. Every day when cooking rice, the smoke wafts into the baskets containing the snails. The snails will then sniff the smoke rising up to meet the requirements.
9. Sa Giang Shrimp Chips
10. Dried Tram Chim Snakehead Fish
Dried Tram Chim snakehead fish is a familiar and special dish of the people of Dong Thap. After being caught, the fish is cleaned, gutted, split in half along the back, the fish spine is removed, then marinated with fragrant fish sauce, white salt, spicy chili, a little crushed lemongrass, and a bit of turmeric to reduce the fishy smell. Finally, it is sun-dried. From dried snakehead fish, people can make various dishes such as frying, grilling, and even making salads like mango salad, starfruit leaf salad... Every dish is delicious.
11. Gun Flower with Braised Fish Sauce
In the Western region, especially in Dong Thap, you cannot miss the braised fish sauce served with gun flowers, a familiar dish that is close to the people of the West. Gun flowers are naturally flavorless, but when eaten with braised fish sauce, they become even more fragrant and delicious, making you want to keep eating without getting tired.
12. Grilled Field Mouse with Lemongrass
According to Mytour
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Reference: Travel guide by Mytour
MytourMay 5, 2023
