Top 12 Must-Try Dishes When Visiting Nam Dinh

If you ever find yourself in Nam Dinh, missing out on trying Xoi Xiu would be a real shame. This dish is beloved by locals and visitors alike. Xoi Xiu, with its unique name, offers a flavor that is truly distinctive. Made from sticky rice sourced from the fertile fields of Hai Hau, it is soft and shiny. The rice is paired with char siu pork, sausages, and a fragrant, flavorful sauce with a spicy hint of black pepper. Just a simple mix of the rice, pork, and sauce will delight your senses with its fragrant, sweet, savory, and spicy flavors. One bite, and you'll surely remember this delicious, nutritious dish.

Xoi Xiu has evolved into more than just a breakfast dish; it can now be enjoyed at any time of day—whether for lunch or dinner. This dish carries with it the nostalgia of a bygone era, with some xoi stalls having been around for over half a century, passed down from generation to generation. If you visit, be sure to listen to the shopkeepers share tales of old while you savor a steaming bowl of xoi with char siu and sausage, topped with delicious sauce. There's no better experience.

Hai Hau's Banh Nhan is a specialty of Hai Hau district in Nam Dinh province. Upon first hearing the name, many might assume this treat is made from longan or carries its fragrance, but it's actually called Banh Nhan because its shape and color resemble the longan fruit. The dish is made from the finest sticky rice from Hai Hau, chicken eggs, sugar, and cooking oil.

Crafted with skillful hands, the small, delicate pieces of Banh Nhan shine with a thin layer of syrup on the outside, making them incredibly appetizing. When you take a bite, you'll experience the crispiness of the cookie combined with the eggy fragrance and the subtle sweetness of sugar, resulting in a truly irresistible snack.

Banh Nhan is especially loved by travelers from other regions because of its unique appearance, delightful aroma, and delicious taste. If you ever visit Nam Dinh, don't forget to grab a few packages of Hai Hau Banh Nhan as a souvenir!

You're probably familiar with Hanoi's Bun Cha, but today Mytour introduces you to Nam Dinh's version, which is just as delicious. The perfect bowl of Bun Cha is made with pork belly, eggs, thin rice noodles, high-quality fish sauce, fresh herbs, and spices like onion, garlic, chili, carrots, and papaya. In Nam Dinh, the grilled pork is prepared from the freshest cuts of meat, marinated with spices, and grilled over an open charcoal flame. The broth, which is the soul of Bun Cha, is a flavorful blend of fish sauce, garlic, sugar, monosodium glutamate, lime juice, chili, and other special ingredients unique to each shop.

Bun Cha is a simple yet flavorful dish loved by people of all ages. If you're a fan of Bun Cha and find yourself in the educational hub of Nam Dinh, don't miss the chance to try this dish. Who knows, it might just become your new favorite!

Xoi Ca Ro is a humble yet unique dish beloved by the people of Nam Dinh. It's a meal that makes those who have moved away from home long for their roots. The dish combines fresh wild fish with sticky rice, two staple ingredients of the fertile lands of this region. Although it's not difficult to make, the challenge lies in selecting the best ingredients: the sticky rice should be the famous Hai Hau yellow glutinous rice, and the fish should be wild-caught, not farmed.

Xoi Ca Ro is adored for its soft, sticky rice that absorbs the rich flavors of the fried fish, topped with crispy fried shallots and aromatic herbs. The balance of the fish's tender meat and the chewy, fragrant rice creates an irresistible dish. To truly appreciate the flavor, you must eat it while it's hot, savoring the sweetness and tenderness of the fish as it blends perfectly with the rice. The golden fish fat infuses the rice with a delicious richness, giving it a glossy, firm texture that doesn't break apart. It's the perfect comfort food, especially on a chilly day.

Gai Cake is a precious gift from the countryside of Nam Dinh, a traditional treat that has been born from this land and now holds a place in everyone's heart. The most famous Gai Cake in Nam Dinh is the one made by Ba Thi. This traditional cake preserves the original flavor of the gai leaves and glutinous rice.

The filling consists of a harmonious blend of green beans, coconut, pork fat, lotus seeds, and peanuts, creating a unique taste that is both sweet and savory. Each cake has a deep black exterior, while the yellow filling is like a ray of sunshine, symbolizing the warmth, love, and culture of the land. A visit to Nam Dinh wouldn't be complete without taking some of these delightful cakes home to share with your family and friends, offering them a taste of this special region.

Pillow Cake from Nam Dinh is a delicious dish influenced by Chinese cuisine, featuring a unique dough coating made with a layer of wheat flour. What sets this cake apart from others in different regions are its special ingredients and preparation method. The filling consists of pork, wood ear mushrooms, quail eggs, and vermicelli. When eaten, the cake is soft and light, never greasy. The cake is fried as soon as it's wrapped, placed directly into hot oil, and flipped quickly to ensure it is golden and crispy on both sides. The outer layer is crunchy, while the hot and fragrant filling inside makes it the perfect treat to enjoy during cold weather.

Pillow Cake from Nam Dinh is often enjoyed with fresh herbs and a sweet and savory dipping sauce. The secret to its irresistible taste lies in the dipping sauce, which is a perfect blend of chili sauce, sugar, and garlic, mixed in just the right proportions.

When people mention Siu Chau Candy, their thoughts immediately turn to Nam Dinh – the place renowned for its delicious and famous Siu Chau candy. This candy is made from peanuts, sesame, and sugar, carefully selected and prepared by skilled artisans in Nam Dinh. The combination of these ingredients, along with a secret method passed down through generations, creates a candy that is both simple and refined, with an undeniable flavor that captures the essence of the homeland. Siu Chau candy is especially popular during the Lunar New Year, when people enjoy the crispy, sweet, and nutty flavors of peanuts and sesame. It’s the perfect treat to enjoy with a warm cup of tea on a chilly day with a light spring drizzle.

The candy is beautifully packaged, often in red-toned wrapping, making it a perfect gift to bring home after a visit to this historic region. If you’re unsure of what to buy for your loved ones, Siu Chau candy will surely make a delightful and thoughtful gift!

When talking about delicious food in Nam Dinh, the locals take great pride in the famous Pate Baguette at the Foot of Do Quan Bridge, a popular dish in the city and the surrounding region. This sandwich earned its name because the area near Do Quan Bridge has many shops selling this specific pate baguette, and each shop is known for its exceptional taste. The pate is made using a traditional recipe that gives it a rich, savory flavor, and the sandwich is often topped with roast pork, Chinese sausage, and dried pork floss. During the winter, it’s a perfect treat to enjoy with friends, as the combination of toppings, crispy fried onions, and a warm cup of soy milk creates a delightful winter experience.

In addition, since the pate here is so beloved, many shops sell it by the kilogram, with prices ranging from 180,000 to 200,000 VND per kilogram. If you have a microwave at home, you can purchase pate by the kilo and enjoy it at home with a warm baguette and a cup of hot milk for a cozy breakfast that’s both satisfying and hygienic.

If you're from Nam Dinh, a place rich in academic traditions, you would surely recognize Doi Candy as a staple of childhood memories. This candy, considered a local specialty, is named after its resemblance to a traditional sausage called 'doi.' The name is simple yet memorable, making it easy to connect with.

Doi Candy has a white, crunchy exterior made from caramelized sugar, with a filling of roasted peanuts that offers a satisfying texture and a hint of vanilla aroma. The ingredients—sugar, vanilla, malt powder, and peanuts—are basic, but it’s the unique ‘candy beating’ technique in Nam Dinh that makes this treat stand out as a true local delicacy. Doi Candy is especially enjoyed during the Tet holiday season, often paired with green tea for the perfect blend.

If you’re looking for a long-lasting souvenir to take home, Doi Candy is a great choice!

Nam Dinh has long been renowned for its Beef Pho, a traditional dish that has become a beloved meal not only in the city but across the nation and even internationally. Visitors here are treated to a taste unlike any other region's pho. The noodles are thin, soft, and made from high-quality rice, carefully ground and thinly spread over a steaming pot, ensuring they are white, chewy, and fragrant. The beef is sliced thin, tenderized, and quickly cooked to maintain its freshness and flavor.

Nam Dinh Beef Pho stands out for its distinctive broth, a closely guarded family recipe passed down through generations. The broth is simmered from beef bones and flavored with a blend of spices, including cardamom, star anise, ginger, cloves, fennel seeds, cinnamon, dried onions, and dried shrimp. This combination creates a rich, flavorful soup that makes Nam Dinh’s Beef Pho a famous dish, cherished for its taste, nourishment, and appeal.

When talking about the specialties of Nam Dinh, one cannot overlook the iconic Xiu Pao Pastry, a dish brought to the region by the Chinese. This pastry may initially appear similar to a fried bao bun, but its filling resembles that of a baked pastry, with an exterior similar to the mooncakes from Soc Trang. Xiu Pao is made with flour, pork, eggs, lard, and a variety of traditional spices passed down through the generations.

For the best flavor, the pork is marinated with minced garlic, five-spice powder, oyster sauce, and honey before being fried until golden brown, filling the air with an enticing aroma. Besides its delicious taste, Xiu Pao is packed with nutrients, offering a good balance of carbohydrates, proteins from the meat and eggs, making it an ideal choice for breakfast or an afternoon snack. This pastry is best enjoyed hot, as it allows you to savor the aromatic roasted pork, the rich fat, and the spicy heat from the pepper, all blending together to create a truly irresistible dish.

Nem Nham is an ancient specialty from Nam Dinh. It is not just a delicious dish enjoyed daily but also a traditional offering served to honored guests in Nam Dinh. The preparation of Nem Nham is quite detailed. The freshly butchered pork, still warm, is immediately processed. After separating the skin from the lean meat, the lean portion is lightly boiled, leaving it slightly undercooked, then sliced thinly across the grain and tenderized with a blunt knife. The skin is cleaned with hot water, boiled, shaved thin, and then cut into long, uniform strips.

The seasoning for the nem is made using fragrant Nam Dinh eight-grain rice, mixed with spices and shaped into small balls. When served, it is unwrapped and eaten by wrapping it in leaves such as fig or coriander, then dipped in fish sauce, allowing the full flavor and irresistible taste to be fully enjoyed.