Top 15 Most Famous Specialties in Tây Ninh

Tây Ninh Shrimp Salt, a type of salt made from ground shrimp combined with chili and salt, dried and mixed. Nowadays, it's not too difficult to buy a bottle of Tây Ninh Shrimp Salt at supermarkets, but we still want to bring a few small jars as gifts for friends and family. Tây Ninh Shrimp Salt is frequently mentioned when it comes to Tây Ninh. It's all because of its distinctive flavor that no other salt can match. Tây Ninh Shrimp Salt is used in many dishes, from cooking to desserts. It enhances the deliciousness of the fruits we eat. Currently, Tây Ninh Shrimp Salt is a well-known brand and loved nationwide. The processing of Tây Ninh Shrimp Salt is meticulous and sophisticated, from selecting shrimp ingredients to cooking the shrimp salt to make it flavorful and fragrant. Some long-established shrimp salt businesses still maintain traditional methods to produce the famous Tây Ninh Shrimp Salt, widely recognized across the country.

Anyone who has been gifted a bag of tamarind rice paper when their friends return from Tây Ninh knows the joy it brings. Tamarind rice paper is the perfect blend of sun-dried rice paper, a specialty of Tây Ninh, with a hint of shrimp salt, fried shallots, roasted peanuts, and an enticing tamarind sauce that captivates us from the moment they are mixed together. Tamarind rice paper deserves to be one of the fantastic snacks.

The deliciousness of tamarind rice paper lies in the tamarind sauce, where tamarind is finely pureed, mixed with white sugar, a little fish sauce, and garlic. This is the addictive factor of tamarind rice paper. It's a favorite snack when friends gather. Nowadays, tamarind rice paper is not only popular in Tây Ninh but also sought after by young people in neighboring provinces during leisure hours or study groups. The sour, spicy, and rich taste of peanuts is loved by Vietnamese youth! If you want to buy a gift for your close friends when traveling, tamarind rice paper is a highly anticipated present for them.

Black Virgin Mountain lizard has long been a specialty of Tây Ninh with numerous benefits. Not only praised as the 'number one delicacy' of Tây Ninh, but this mountain lizard is also a nutritious medicinal ingredient. Unlike other lizards, the Black Virgin Mountain lizard only eats ripe bananas, bananas, and medicinal leaves, making its meat firm and extremely nutritious.

Mountain lizards can be processed into many dishes. Fried crispy belly of the Black Virgin Mountain lizard, served on a plate with a few slices of red tomatoes, and lettuce is incredibly delicious. Cooking the Black Virgin Mountain lizard in porridge with green pepper, fresh onions, and a bit of cilantro is also a very healthy dish. Steamed hot Black Virgin Mountain lizard, fragrant and delicious, is an indispensable specialty at parties and gatherings. Price reference: from 120,000 VND/dish.

Thèo Lèo is a Tây Ninh specialty perfect for various purposes: gifting friends, buying for the elderly, children, and more. It's also a familiar snack for generations of Tây Ninh locals. Thèo lèo is made with the main ingredient being Tây Ninh peanuts. After cleaning, the peanuts are roasted to perfection. They are then mixed with malt sugar and put into molds, left to cool before being wrapped. The finished Thèo lèo looks golden and shiny, with the malt sugar dry and glossy like a mirror. Many people also sprinkle some sesame seeds, roasted to add a crunchy, fatty flavor to this specialty.

Thèo lèo is easy to eat, with a moderate sweetness that keeps people craving for more. Enjoying Thèo lèo with tea is a perfect combination. Sitting, sipping tea, munching on Thèo lèo, and engaging in heartwarming conversations is a simple pleasure for the people of Tây Ninh. Despite having tasted exotic and delicious dishes, the people of Tây Ninh never forget the taste of this simple, folk Thèo lèo, a specialty of their homeland. When you have the chance to visit Tây Ninh, don't forget to bring back a bit of this delightful gift!

Tây Ninh is known for having some of the best rice paper rolls, so it's no surprise that there are many dishes creatively crafted from rice paper here. When mentioning rice paper, people often think of fresh spring rolls, mixed rice paper,... and one of them is Butter Rice Paper Rolls. This dish is an interesting variation in Tây Ninh's cuisine, transforming the simple rice paper into a delicacy that can be enjoyed in various ways.

Butter Rice Paper Rolls are rolled with small, dry shrimps, red and flavorful, one of the sea creatures of Tây Ninh. The rice paper has a slightly spicy and salty taste, not too chewy, and when paired with butter, it becomes a delight for many tourists. In addition, some people like to add savory fried shallots and Tây Ninh shrimp salt to enhance the unique flavor of the rice paper. There are many ways to enjoy this famous Butter Rice Paper Rolls. Food enthusiasts may enjoy it by taking a piece of rice paper, rolling all the ingredients together, dipping in butter, and savoring. Those who prefer simplicity may mix all the ingredients – shrimp, shrimp salt, fried shallots, butter – in a bag or bowl and mix well to absorb the spices. Regardless of the method, Tây Ninh's Butter Rice Paper Rolls still retain the most delicious flavors.

Tây Ninh's Sweet Santol Jam is known as a famous, sweet, and visually appealing snack from this sacred land. Alongside Tây Ninh's pomelo candy, sweet santol jam is a popular specialty that friends from near and far often buy as gifts whenever they visit this region. Tây Ninh's Sweet Santol Jam has a sour taste combined with the sweet flavor of sugar, ensuring to sweep away any mouth fatigue with just one taste. Similar to other sweets from this sacred land like Tây Ninh's Theo Leo, sweet santol jam is best enjoyed with a cup of hot tea. After savoring a piece of Tây Ninh's Sweet Santol Jam with its sweet and sour taste, a cup of hot tea will help balance your taste buds. This combination not only prevents the jam from being overwhelming but also enhances the delightful sensation in your mouth. Additionally, sweet santol jam is also used as a spread on bread for breakfast or light meals, adding another layer of flavor.

Tây Ninh's Pickled Fish inherits its roots from the Khmer people's fish sauce but has been slightly modified to better suit the taste of the people of Tây Ninh. The pickled fish is made from small rice field fish or shrimp, fermented for about 20 days, and then served with boiled meat and cucumber. The fish for Tây Ninh's pickled fish must be fresh, cleaned, and drained, marinated with live salt and ground white sugar. The deliciousness of Tây Ninh's pickled fish is also attributed to the recipe of adding pepper and crushed garlic to infuse into the fish, enhancing its flavor when enjoyed.

Tây Ninh's Pickled Fish is quite popular nowadays, and the people of Tây Ninh see it as a primary profession to improve the family's economy and the overall quality of life in the province. Bringing back a jar of Tây Ninh's pickled fish from your visit to Tây Ninh will undoubtedly receive high praise throughout a meal.

Bà Mountains Snail, abundant in the Bà Den mountainous region, resembles the apple snail but is flatter and closer in appearance to the letter 'X.' Bà Mountains Snail is transformed into various delicious dishes, especially known for its health benefits. Whether grilled, stir-fried, steamed, cooked in tamarind sauce, or garlic-butter, dishes made with Bà Mountains Snail leave an irresistible craving.

Among the delightful options, the steamed snail with lemongrass and ginger is highly recommended. This dish preserves the sweet flavor of the mountain snail, and sipping white wine enhances the overall experience. If you find yourself in the charming and hospitable Tây Ninh region, don't miss the chance to indulge in this culinary delight.

Misty Rice Paper is renowned in the craft village of Trảng Bàng. Anyone passing through cannot resist the plate of white, soft rice paper crafted by skilled artisans. Rolled with boiled meat, wild vegetables, and fish sauce, Misty Rice Paper leaves you full yet craving for more.

Misty Rice Paper has a long history, crafted from rice flour, salt, tapioca flour, and especially the skilled hands of the artisans. The rolling speed is just right, ensuring the paper is soft and elastic. Just a glance makes you want to devour it immediately. When visiting Tây Ninh, head straight to Trảng Bàng to witness and taste the renowned rice paper that will capture your heart from the first bite!

Tender Beef from Tây Ninh is sourced from freely grazed cows in vast, lush grass fields. The beef, when cooked, is exceptionally delicious and sweet. When in Tây Ninh, be prepared to indulge in all the dishes made from fresh Tây Ninh beef. The taste of Tây Ninh's tender beef, when fully cooked, is distinct from other common types of beef in the market.

Tender Beef from Tây Ninh, when grilled, becomes sweet with a slightly spicy flavor from the accompanying ingredients, making it irresistibly delightful. Besides grilled beef, Tây Ninh's tender beef is also prepared in various enticing dishes that you can request at local restaurants. People in Tây Ninh often use whole pieces of tender beef to create delicious meals. The freshness of the beef is crucial, ensuring that the dishes satisfy the diners. Thanks to meticulous selection, Tây Ninh's beef has become even more renowned, gaining popularity through word of mouth.

Trảng Bàng Rice Paper is a famous specialty from Tây Ninh known throughout the country. One of the dishes made from rice paper is Rice Paper Rolls. Rice Paper Rolls are essentially a dish consisting of various vegetables and thinly sliced or shredded meat rolled and eaten with rice paper. This dish is enjoyed in the Southern style, is easy to make, and suits the taste of many, even the most discerning individuals.

Rice Paper Rolls are made from various vegetables and meats, offering a rich source of nutrients. Since it's not heavily cooked over fire, it remains flavorful. Common ingredients in Tây Ninh's Rice Paper Rolls include basil, fish mint, coriander, thinly sliced purple cabbage, green bananas, cucumber, carrots, and either boiled pork or peeled shrimp.

Mixed Rice Paper has long been a popular and beloved dish, not only among the locals but also across Vietnam. What sets Tây Ninh Rice Paper apart, particularly, is the salt used in the mix. The salt added to Tây Ninh Mixed Rice Paper has to be the delicious Tây Ninh shrimp salt to bring out the best flavor.

Each serving of Mixed Rice Paper in Tây Ninh consists of thinly sliced rice paper, sour mango, chili sauce or satay, tofu scent, dried beef, cooking oil, roasted peanuts, boiled quail eggs, kumquat, and most notably, Tây Ninh shrimp salt. All ingredients are placed in a medium-sized bowl, and the vendor gently squeezes to let the spices permeate each ingredient. Tây Ninh Mixed Rice Paper is addictive as it is an affordable and easy-to-eat snack. Every customer can adjust the seasonings to suit their individual taste. Tây Ninh Mixed Rice Paper is both sophisticated and unique, unmatched anywhere else.

Tây Ninh Fermented Fish Sauce with its distinctive flavor has become a local favorite. This is a dish that many diners choose whenever they visit Tây Ninh.

Tây Ninh Fermented Fish Sauce captivates and entices the taste buds with its rich and characteristic aroma. After being freshly made, the fermented fish sauce is enriched with various spices according to each person's preference, seasoned to perfection to be enjoyed immediately with white rice. Hot rice combined with fermented fish sauce offers a perfect balance of salty, sweet, sour, and spicy flavors, enhanced with a side plate of fresh vegetables.

The people of Tây Ninh and culinary enthusiasts particularly appreciate pairing Tây Ninh Fermented Fish Sauce with boiled meat. A simple yet irresistibly attractive dish, where cleaned pork belly, boiled to perfection, thinly sliced, and dipped in a bit of fermented fish sauce, creates a meal that's hard to resist. Additionally, rolling the boiled meat with rice paper, fresh vegetables, and dipping it in fermented fish sauce makes for an exquisite culinary experience.

Pomelo Spring Rolls are not made from meat like other types of spring rolls; they are a combination of finely grated pomelo peel with chili, pepper, sour starfruit, jackfruit, papaya, and more, creating a delicious vegetarian dish. Vegetarians will delight in the spicy, sour, and refreshing taste that the pomelo peel brings to these rolls. Pomelo Spring Rolls can be enjoyed as a side dish or a snack while friends gather, chat, and share moments together.

Tây Ninh Pomelo Spring Rolls are meticulously prepared. Large pomelo fruits are chosen to ensure a thick peel layer, which is thinly grated into strands, boiled, and then dried to remove the bitterness. The dried pomelo peel is then roasted and mixed with condensed starfruit juice, adding papaya and all the spices. After thorough mixing, the mixture is shaped into rolls, compressed, and wrapped in guava leaves. After 3 or 4 days of waiting, the rolls are ready to be enjoyed. It can also be purchased as a gift when someone returns from Tây Ninh. Pomelo Spring Rolls cater well to both vegetarians and non-vegetarians, marking the success of this unique Tây Ninh specialty.

When in Tây Ninh, you can visit small alleys to enjoy a steaming bowl of noodle soup with tender slices of meat and a fragrant broth that fills the entire street. Even if you're a picky eater, the sight of a steaming bowl of noodle soup, topped with a bit of pepper and fresh green onions, will stimulate your taste buds 100%. Trảng Bàng Noodle Soup has long been famous for such delicious flavors. You have to try it at least once in your life when visiting Tây Ninh to truly understand the praises that locals and tourists shower upon this dish.

Trảng Bàng Noodle Soup didn't become nationally renowned by chance. It's the result of the perfect combination of simmering meat and bones to create a high-quality broth and the skill of the adorable chef in kneading dough, producing noodles that garner endless compliments from diners.