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Explore the distinctive culinary culture deeply rooted in the fertile alluvial plains and lush fields of the Southwest. These dishes not only reflect the regional identity but also offer unique flavors, skillfully crafted to impress travelers from afar. Today, Toplist invites you to discover the list of the most famous specialties of the Southwest. In addition to the dishes listed below, there are countless other delicious options that Toplist cannot detail due to their vast and diverse nature. So, without further ado, let's find out which representative specialties Toplist has selected and introduced to you!
- Banh xeo
- Banh pia
- Lau mam
- Bun rieu cua
- Banh canh tom nuoc cot dua
- Canh chua
- Vit nau chao
- Ca loc nuong trui
- Mam chung
- Chao long
- Ca kho to
- Banh bo thot not
- Duong dua
- Hu tiec Sa Dec
- Ca na
Banh xeo
Considered one of the quintessential specialties of the Southwest, as well as a renowned dish in Vietnamese cuisine overall, banh xeo has long been beloved and favored by diners across the country as well as international friends. While the origin of banh xeo is not rooted in the Southwest, it is here that this dish has flourished, evolving into increasingly delicious and enticing versions.
Banh xeo consists of two main components: the pancake shell and the filling. The pancake shell must be made from finely ground rice flour, seasoned with just the right amount of spices. Additionally, ready-made rice flour can be purchased at grocery stores. However, undoubtedly, freshly ground rice flour retains a much more delicious aroma than packaged flour. Furthermore, the filling is typically made from a variety of ingredients, mixed together. The most common filling includes julienned jicama sautéed with pork and shrimp, seasoned to taste. Additionally, the cook can also vary the fillings, such as using sautéed bamboo shoots, minced duck meat, depending on preferences and tastes.
An essential part of enjoying banh xeo is the accompanying fresh vegetables and dipping sauce. The assortment of fresh vegetables served with banh xeo is diverse: lettuce, mustard greens, cilantro, banana flower, young mango leaves, all of which are delicious. The dipping sauce is typically a mixture of fish sauce, garlic, chili, with a splash of lime juice to enhance the flavor. All of these elements blend together to create a delightful experience for diners from the very first bite.
If you ever have the chance to visit the Southwest region, be sure to try banh xeo here. It will surely not disappoint you.
Banh xeo, filled with a diverse range of ingredients, served with fresh vegetables and spicy garlic fish sauce, is incredibly delicious.
A documentary video about banh xeo – a famous specialty of the Southwest region.
Banh pia
When mentioning the famous sweet cakes of the Western region, it would be remiss not to mention the soft, smooth banh pia with its enticing sweetness. This specialty cake originated from Soc Trang province, but now the image of banh pia has spread widely across the country, primarily concentrated in the Southwest region.
In Soc Trang province, Banh Pia with its filling of green beans, salted eggs, and sweet durian has become a snack that enchants many people. It is known that this type of cake was originally brought by the Chinese during their migration to the South. Later on, because the cake had a delicious aroma, people came up with the idea of business, and to this day, it has become a famous specialty of the Western region.
To create a delicious Banh Pia, one must be skillful in proportioning the flour and making the filling from durian and salted eggs. If you have a sweet tooth, this will surely be your favorite dish. Furthermore, the fragrant taste of durian mixed with the rich, salty flavor of salted eggs adds to its irresistible appeal.
Banh Pia now comes in a variety of flavors and designs.
Specialty of Soc Trang province in particular and the Western region in general
Mam hotpot
One cannot overlook Mam hotpot when talking about the specialties of the Southwest. Mam hotpot, also known as fermented fish hotpot, has been a favorite for many. Although there are various types of hotpot like sour hotpot, seafood hotpot, kimchi hotpot, Thai hotpot, to cook a delicious Mam hotpot requires expertise in different types of fermented fish and the right seasoning techniques.
The broth of Mam hotpot is meticulously prepared. It is made from a combination of various fermented fish, carefully filtered to remove fish bones and impurities. When preparing the broth, it's crucial to estimate the right amount of fermented fish to avoid overpowering or underwhelming the flavor of the hotpot.
When seasoning Mam hotpot, one can add a variety of seafood such as prawns, pork belly, cuttlefish, snails, fish cakes, etc. The ingredients for dipping into Mam hotpot are diverse, depending on the preferences of the diners. Additionally, minced lemongrass is often added to the hotpot, imparting a distinctive aroma to the dish.
A wide variety of vegetables accompany Mam hotpot, such as eggplant, bitter gourd, morning glory, and shredded bamboo shoots. The diversity in raw vegetables is also one of the key factors that make Mam hotpot more delicious. Mam hotpot can be served with noodles or rice, depending on individual preferences.
Let me reveal to you a famous city in the Southwest that boasts delicious Mam hotpot eateries, and that is Can Tho. If you ever have the chance to visit this beautiful city, remember to indulge in this specialty dish to experience its unique and delicious flavor!
Mam hotpot is a dish with many ingredients and spices, presenting a visually appealing and appetizing appearance.
A documentary video exploring Mam hotpot in Chau Doc (An Giang)
Crab noodle soup
One of the famous specialties of the Southwest region that cannot be overlooked is crab noodle soup. Although crab noodle soup is not originally from the Mekong Delta, it is quite popular and creatively prepared by the locals here, boasting the distinctive flavors of the Southwest region.
The broth of crab noodle soup is usually cooked from pork bones, chicken bones, or directly with field crab meat, which is very flavorful. To achieve a clear broth, we need to continuously skim off the foam and simmer the broth gently without boiling it too vigorously. After crushing the field crabs, water is poured in to dissolve the crab meat. As the crab broth cooks, it solidifies, forming delicious crab chunks. Some people also add eggs to the broth to enhance its stickiness.
Crab noodle soup is prepared with a variety of ingredients, creating diverse and visually appealing colors. One can add vermicelli noodles, Vietnamese pork sausage, fish cakes, dried shrimp, or pork blood pudding according to personal preferences. A distinctive ingredient in crab noodle soup is coagulated pig's blood, which adds a delicious and rich flavor to the dish.
Accompanying crab noodle soup are various types of vegetables such as water spinach, bean sprouts, tomatoes, aromatic herbs, etc. In addition, a indispensable condiment when eating crab noodle soup is shrimp paste, adding more aroma and enhancing the rich flavor of the dish.
A bowl of crab noodle soup with eye-catching colors
Tutorial video on how to cook authentic Southwest-style crab noodle soup
Shrimp soup with coconut milk broth
Surely you've heard of and enjoyed the famous soup cake dish. But with coconut milk soup cake - one of the specialties of the Southwest, you'll be delighted by the creativity and exploration of this unique soup cake recipe from the Westerners.
The noodles of coconut milk soup cake are made from rice flour. After the rice flour is kneaded thoroughly and still warm, it is sliced into bite-sized noodles. The broth of the soup cake is cooked from pork bones, chicken bones to create sweetness for the dish. In addition, the cook also adds dried shrimp or minced shrimp meat, shaped into small balls and added to the soup cake pot. After the soup cake is cooked, season with suitable spices and simmer over medium heat to avoid making the noodles mushy.
The next important part is the special ingredient of the dish: coconut milk. After grating the dried coconut, the coconut milk is extracted and added to the soup cake pot, stirring gently. Note that the best soup cake broth is when it is slightly viscous. Then you can add cilantro, pepper to enhance the flavor of the coconut milk soup cake.
If you are already familiar with pork leg soup cake, stingray soup cake, traditional seafood soup cake, then try this coconut milk soup cake dish. You'll surely love it right away!
A bowl of coconut soup cake looks truly enticing.
The authentic way to cook coconut shrimp soup cake from the Southwest.
Sour soup
Sour soup has long been regarded as one of the specialties of the Southwest region. With its rich, tangy flavor, sour soup is sure to satisfy your taste buds.
The sourness of the soup is usually made from tamarind. Tamarind pulp is extracted by soaking it in boiling water, then strained to remove the seeds. The sweetness of the sour soup comes from the natural sweetness of fish, shrimp, squid, etc. In addition, other ingredients such as pineapple, okra, tomatoes, bean sprouts, and coriander are added to the soup to enhance the flavor.
Try tasting the broth of the sour soup properly, and you will feel the sweetness at the tip of your tongue, with a gentle sourness that is very refreshing, not harsh at all. A bowl of hot rice with a bowl of sour soup with snakehead fish, served with chili fish sauce, will make your meal much more interesting and delicious.
Famous sour soup from the Southwest
Video guide on how to cook delicious sour soup properly
Duck cooked in clay pot
Introducing another signature dish from the Southwest: duck cooked in clay pot. The main ingredients of this dish are evident in its name. Moreover, duck cooked in clay pot is considered as a hotpot dish, commonly served at light gatherings and family meals.
After cleaning and cutting the duck into bite-sized pieces, it is briefly stir-fried with garlic and spices to firm up the meat, preventing it from becoming dry or bland when eaten. Additionally, taro is lightly fried until golden, then added to the duck, along with coconut water simmered over low heat. After seasoning with just the right amount of spices, a bit of fermented tofu is also added to enhance the aroma of the dish.
Duck cooked in clay pot is often served with vermicelli and various greens such as water spinach, morning glory, etc. The dipping sauce is fermented tofu accompanied by a few slices of fresh chili. The earthy taste of taro, the sweetness of duck meat, and the fragrant aroma of fermented tofu will surely satisfy your palate. If you ever visit the land of the Southwest, don't miss out on duck cooked in clay pot – this famous specialty of the Southwest.
Fragrant duck cooked in clay pot
How to cook fragrant duck in clay pot
Grilled snakehead fish
Regarded as a signature dish of the Southern region, grilled snakehead fish is highly favored by locals and greatly appeals to visitors when they come to the Western region to enjoy this dish.
Grilled snakehead fish may seem simple at first glance, but without proper preparation, it won't taste good. Wild snakehead fish is grilled without any pre-treatment, seasoning, only cleaned and skewered with a small bamboo stick. The fish is buried in dry straw and grilled until the straw turns into ashes. Then, the outer skin of the fish is scraped off, revealing the delicious flesh inside.
Grilled snakehead fish is often served with fresh vegetables, rice vermicelli, and chili garlic fish sauce. Optionally, a bit of fried shallots on top of the fish can enhance the aroma. Or some crunchy peanuts will surely make our taste buds even happier.
Though rustic and simple, grilled snakehead fish is still considered one of the specialties of the Mekong Delta thanks to its delicious and sweet flesh, combined with the fragrant aroma of the rural environment blending together.
Grilled snakehead fish is typically accompanied by fresh vegetables and sweet-sour fish sauce.
Grilled snakehead fish - a famous specialty from the Mekong Delta
Fermented fish
Fermented fish is a highly popular ingredient in Southern Vietnamese cuisine. To preserve leftover fish sauce after extracting the fish meat, people often ferment it in a small bowl along with duck eggs for family meals.
Although simple and straightforward, fermented fish is still considered one of the specialties of the Mekong Delta due to its exquisite flavor. The fish sauce, devoid of bones, is seasoned and mixed with minced meat or fresh or salted duck eggs. It is then fermented until the bowl of fish sauce sets, ready to be served. Fermented fish is typically enjoyed with fresh vegetables, enhancing the meal.
The bowl of fermented fish with the prominent orange-yellow color of duck eggs
Fermented fish - a beloved specialty of the Mekong Delta
Offal porridge
Offal porridge - a signature dish of the Mekong Delta, highly popular in Southern Vietnam. If you've tried chicken porridge, fish porridge, or minced meat porridge, then continue to explore this new and unique porridge dish from the Mekong Delta region.
Rice porridge is cooked until soft, with rice grains blooming. The pork offal is cleaned, boiled to remove excess water, and cut into bite-sized pieces, then cooked together with the porridge. Additionally, various spices are added to the porridge for flavor, with a sprinkle of cilantro and pepper to enhance the taste.
Typically, offal porridge is served with fried breadsticks or fresh rice noodles. Additionally, garlic or shallot crisps can be added to enhance the aroma and flavor of the porridge.
Introducing to you, if you have the chance to visit the Mekong Delta region, try the famous offal porridge in Cai Tac. It will surely delight you and leave a lasting memory of the fragrant bowl of offal porridge.
Offal porridge is often served with fresh rice noodles or fried breadsticks.
How to cook delicious offal porridge
Braised Fish in Clay Pot
Braised fish in clay pot is one of the common savory dishes found on Vietnamese dining tables. It is also considered one of the delicious specialties of the Mekong Delta region.
When making braised fish in clay pot, people often use snakehead fish, as it is readily available and reasonably priced. After cleaning, the fish is cut into small pieces, marinated with suitable spices, and placed in a clay pot or a bowl, then braised over low heat. Additionally, the cook may add caramel sauce and fish sauce to enhance the color and aroma of the dish. Once the fish is cooked, excess liquid in the pot is reduced, resulting in a thickened sauce. Finally, some scallions, pepper, or fat are added to enhance the flavor.
Braised fish in clay pot pairs excellently with rice, making it irresistibly delicious for diners.
Braised fish in clay pot – a dish frequently found on the dining tables of the Mekong Delta region.
How to make braised fish in clay pot
Steamed Rice Cake with Palm Sugar and Grated Coconut
Mentioning the lush and fertile land of the Mekong Delta, blessed with a cool climate year-round and rich, fertile soil, it's no surprise that this region is renowned as the 'fruit basket' of the country. In addition to using fruits as desserts, the locals also utilize them to create delicious and enticing cakes for visitors to this humble land. And the cake mentioned in this Top is none other than the famous palm sugar and grated coconut steamed rice cake.
Palm sugar is a famous specialty of An Giang, so it's not surprising that it's used in the majority of dishes in this region. Among them, the palm sugar and grated coconut steamed rice cake is one of the Western-style dishes beloved by many, whether domestic or international tourists, unable to resist the attractive appearance and exquisite taste of this popular local dish.
The steamed cake is made from fragrant glutinous rice flour, not too large in size, as just a few bites will suffice. However, the sweet, fragrant taste of the steamed cake makes it a popular breakfast item among the children of the Mekong Delta.
Delicious and visually appealing steamed rice cakes
A brief documentary on this folk dish
Coconut worm
If you're a traveler who enjoys novelty and wants to challenge your taste buds, then the specialty dish of the Mekong Delta called coconut worm is an interesting choice for you to experience.
This seemingly eerie dish is also a quite famous specialty of the Mekong Delta. Among the 13 provinces in the Mekong Delta, the province with the most coconut worms is Ben Tre. The simple reason is that Ben Tre cultivates a large number of coconut trees, and this type of worm lives predominantly on the coconut trees and dry bushes along the riverbanks.
Coconut worms typically inhabit coconut trees, with their white bodies resembling silk, and their chubby, cylindrical shape. However, to enhance the rich flavor, locals often dip coconut worms into a bowl of salty and spicy fish sauce for enjoyment.
Because they're dipped in spicy fish sauce, coconut worms wriggle around, looking rather pitiful. If you're not a local, it's unlikely you'd dare to try this dish.
If you're not a local, it's hard to enjoy this specialty.
Eating this dish is quite a challenge, indeed!
Sa Dec Noodle Soup
The people of the Mekong Delta are mostly engaged in farming all year round, characterized by their genuine and honest nature. Therefore, their cuisine is simple yet always full of delicious flavors. If you ever visit Dong Thap, besides exploring the Sa Dec flower village, don't forget to savor Sa Dec noodle soup – a street food that has become the hallmark of the province and the Mekong Delta region as a whole.
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Sa Dec noodle soup features soft, non-sticky, and non-chewy noodles, with a milky white color and a delightful aroma. The broth is fragrant and sweet, but not overly greasy. Each bowl of noodle soup is usually served with a plate of meatballs, fried breadsticks, fresh vegetables, garlic vinegar, and sliced bird's eye chili soaked in vinegar. When enjoying it, diners put the noodles in the bowl, sprinkle some minced lean meat, golden fried pork skin, heart, liver... and finely chopped spring onions, then pour the broth in. Once you've tasted the flavor of Sa Dec noodle soup, it's hard to forget.
When it comes to delicious noodles, Hủ Tiếu Sa Đéc is a must-mention.
A tasty dish from the people of the Mekong Delta
Cà na
Another well-known and distinctive fruit in this region, if you're from the Mekong Delta, you've probably enjoyed snacks made from this fruit before. I'm talking about none other than cà na, a familiar snack for Mekong Delta children.
The cà na fruit has a green color and a slightly bitter and sour taste when eaten raw. That's why people in the Mekong Delta often soak them in chili salt, sugar, or use them to make preserves.
Preparing pickled cà na seems easy, but in reality, it requires some special techniques to ensure the dish is just right, with the seeds and flesh easily separated. Making cà na preserves requires a bit more effort, especially mastering the art of candying to prevent sugar crystallization. Other steps such as cutting, peeling, soaking, blanching, rinsing, and draining are similar to those for pickled cà na.
Pickled cà na
How to make cà na preserves
Posted by: Hong Duong
Keywords: 15 most famous specialties of the Southwest region
