Top 22 Most Delicious Specialties of Quang Ngai

If you are a resident of Quang Ngai, the dish known as 'don' is no stranger to you. This delicious and nutritious dish is often enjoyed with Quang Ngai rice paper. Although it is simple to prepare and anyone can learn to make it, what sets Quang Ngai's don apart from other regions is the key ingredient—the don fish caught from the local river. The freshness and sweetness of the don fish, along with the flavor of the homeland, make Quang Ngai's don truly unique compared to other delicious dishes in Vietnam. To savor don in local eateries, you need to explore, and the reward for this culinary adventure is the unmatched taste of Quang Ngai's don. Excellent don restaurants in Quang Ngai include the don villages of Nghia Hoa - Tu Nghia and Nghia Phu - Quang Ngai City. For just 15,000 VND, you can enjoy this indescribably delicious bowl of Quang Ngai's don.

Grilled Nieng Fish is a specialty of the mountainous people of Quang Ngai. If you have the chance to visit the mountainous regions such as Tra Bong, Ba To, Minh Long, Son Ha, Son Tay, don't miss out on this 'unique delicacy'! Nieng fish is caught alive in rivers and streams during its spawning season, usually in the early spring. To savor this specialty, combine it with a springtime journey of exploration. The nieng fish is skewered on bamboo sticks and grilled without any elaborate preparation because the fish's flesh is delicious and enticing. Due to its tasty and famous nature, the selling price is quite high. If caught in large quantities for sale, the price can be around 300,000 VND per kilogram.

Tra River Snakehead Fish with pepper is a specialty of Quang Ngai, used by the locals as a gift for those living far away from home. It's not unfamiliar to the people of Quang Ngai, but for travelers who have the chance to savor this delicacy, the memory will linger forever, and the taste is unforgettable. You probably know that the main ingredient for this delicious dish is Tra River Snakehead Fish - fresh, cleaned, placed in a clay pot with spices, including onions, chili, garlic, especially with a bit of water, then simmered on a low fire. After about 1 hour, you have an indescribably delicious dish, just eating it with white rice is like enjoying royal cuisine. The delicious aroma of the fish, its firm and crispy texture, and the savory taste will be etched in the memory of anyone who has had the opportunity to taste it. If you buy it as a gift for your loved ones, Tra River Snakehead Fish is an excellent choice. For about 250,000 VND, you can get a jar of delicious 500-gram Tra River Snakehead Fish.

Quang Ngai's sugarcane has long been famous. Quang Ngai has vast sugarcane fields stretching for thousands of hectares. This is the ideal habitat for a small bird known as the reed warbler. The reed warbler is a bird with soft bones, delicious and nutritious meat. No need for any processing, just grill it, and you can enjoy this gift of life. Every winter, people in districts like Nghia Ky, Hanh Minh, and Xuan Pho have the joy of welcoming flocks of reed warblers returning to roost. The locals here delight in this rustic dish from nature. This rustic dish is a gift from nature. But if you don't have the opportunity to catch and prepare the birds yourself, you can visit restaurants that offer grilled or fried reed warblers. For about 100,000 VND, you can savor this rustic, local dish, creating unforgettable memories.

Quang Ngai is a coastal province, and during the crab season, the quantity of crabs is countless and near the shore. Fishermen catch and process crab into delicious specialties, especially in January and February. Crab is prepared in various ways: stir-fried with pepper and chili for daily meals; steamed crab. Due to the abundance of crabs, locals have come up with ways to preserve them, such as sun-drying for transportation to distant places. Dried crab soaked and fried until crispy is incredibly fragrant and tasty. Crab paste is a delightful dish during the cold winter in my hometown. Everyone in my hometown knows how to turn crab into amazingly flavorful fish sauce, carrying the saltiness of the sea and the delicious aroma of crab. In addition, crab salad, a simple yet unique dish. During the crab season, its price is quite affordable, about 30,000 VND/kg, allowing you to prepare many delicious dishes with crab.

Mirror candy is a well-known specialty of Quang Ngai, recognized by friends far and wide. Its compactness makes it an ideal gift for distant friends. Mirror candy is made from arrowroot starch, white sugar, sesame seeds, and peanuts. When eaten, it has a crisp texture, delightful sweetness, and a harmonious aroma of arrowroot, sesame, and peanuts. In Quang Ngai, mirror candy is served as a dessert to treat guests from near and far. Those who have had the chance to taste it will surely remember it forever. For only 3,000 VND, you can buy a pack of this sweet and delicious mirror candy as a gift for loved ones far away.

Quang Ngai, with its extensive coastline, is blessed with a variety of precious seafood, including scallops. Scallops enchant those who indulge in their delightful taste, fragrant aroma of the sea, and rich, creamy texture. To savor this delicacy, one simply needs to grill the scallops, sprinkle a bit of pepper, chili, and roasted peanuts to create the most exquisite specialty. For just 30,000 VND, you can enjoy a plate of delicious, fragrant grilled scallops to your heart's content.

A traditional crop in my hometown is sugarcane. This serves as the raw material for many delicious dishes, and over time, it has become a specialty. When it comes to it, one cannot forget Quang Ngai homeland and molasses sugar, lung sugar, two of its specialties. Cooking molasses sugar, lung sugar with the skillful hands of the locals gives this specialty a unique, pure, and subtly sweet taste that leaves a lasting impression. One of the secrets is to add lime powder and chicken eggs during cooking to transform impurities into foam, which is then skimmed off, resulting in the cleanliness, purity, and delicious aroma of molasses sugar, lung sugar from my hometown. Depending on the quality, each type of molasses sugar, lung sugar has a different price, but on average, around 20,000 VND, you can savor this specialty.

Rice paper is common in many places, but Quang Ngai rice paper has its own unique and distinctive charm. Many traditional villages still preserve its original flavor despite the passage of time. Quang Ngai rice paper is made entirely from rice flour and sesame. If you have the chance to visit Quang Ngai through areas like Nghia Hanh, Son Tinh, you will see many houses making rice paper for personal use rather than buying it from stores. The locals here use rice paper extensively in memorial ceremonies, parties, and daily meals. Quang Ngai rice paper, fragrant and crispy, leaves an unforgettable memory for those from distant places. This delicacy from my hometown is both affordable and delicious, priced at only 2,000 VND, allowing you to savor this dish.

Quang Ngai corn gristle is incredibly fragrant, crispy, and sweet. Quang Ngai boasts a unique rice paper used to wrap the corn gristle, and it's a match made in heaven. The paper, made entirely from rice flour, is thin, resilient, and perfect for wrapping corn gristle without falling apart. When cooked, it doesn't burn and absorbs oil quickly. The process of making Quang Ngai corn gristle is simple, known to every local. The ingredients include young corn, shrimp, pork skin, onions, and pepper, all mixed thoroughly and wrapped in thin rice paper, then fried until golden brown. Corn gristle is best enjoyed hot, accompanied by fresh vegetables and delicious fish sauce. People in my hometown often make corn gristle for festive occasions or special gatherings. For tourists visiting Quang Ngai, indulging in corn gristle comes at a reasonable price, around 30,000 VND per plate. The delightful aroma and crispiness will surely leave a lasting memory.

Sea cucumber is one of Quang Ngai's precious seafood treasures, often found in the coastal rocks of Ly Son, My A, and Sa Huynh in Quang Ngai. During sea cucumber season, locals prepare a variety of delicious dishes, from braised sea cucumber to raw sea cucumber. In particular, the black sea cucumber, known as 'nhum ta,' is used to make a famous specialty across Quang Ngai and the entire country—'mam nhum' (sea cucumber sauce). Quang Ngai sea cucumber sauce is a rare delicacy, and once you taste it, you'll be amazed by its deliciousness and will want to savor it forever. Enjoying sea cucumber sauce in winter is especially delightful. Sea cucumber is a precious and expensive seafood, with a price of around 20,000 VND per sea cucumber in local restaurants. The pre-made sea cucumber sauce is priced at 165,000 VND per liter. Many tourists visiting Ly Son choose to buy sea cucumber sauce as a gift due to its exquisite taste and rarity, making it a memorable souvenir.

Mạch Nha, a Quang Ngai specialty, is the most popular gift that locals here often present to their distant relatives. Mention Quang Ngai, and people will immediately think of this delicious and sweet dessert. Mạch Nha is made from white sugar, barley, ginger, and white sesame, creating a unique and intoxicating flavor that surpasses any other specialty. Enjoyed with crispy and sweet Quang Ngai rice paper, it creates an indescribable delight. I still remember when I was young, spending around 5,000 VND could bring home a can of Mạch Nha that was a treat for a lifetime. Nowadays, with about 15,000 VND, you can buy a can of Mạch Nha to gift to your loved ones.

Trà Bồng Cinnamon is a renowned specialty not only in Quang Ngai but also nationwide. It is one of the 8 Vietnamese gift specialties recognized as an Asian record. Trà Bồng Cinnamon has a distinctive aroma and is a precious medicinal herb. The people of Trà Bồng take pride in cultivating this rare and valuable plant, a significant source of income for the local residents. Trà Bồng Cinnamon is used to create delicious dishes with a unique flavor that sets it apart from cinnamon in other regions. Currently, dried cinnamon bark is priced at an average of around 35,000 VND/kg. Therefore, it can be said that the cinnamon tree has brought warmth and prosperity to the lives of the people in the mountainous region of Trà Bồng in my hometown.

Tuna vermicelli soup is a delicious dish found only in coastal regions like Quang Ngai. Travelers visiting during the tuna season will get to fully enjoy this delicious and nutritious dish. Fresh tuna, tender meat, delightful aroma, combined with fragrant herbs, raw vegetables, and fresh vermicelli make it an exquisite and delightful dish. The secret to a perfect bowl of tuna vermicelli soup lies in preparing a clear and flavorful broth. If you dine at a local eatery, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the affordable price of this bowl of tuna vermicelli soup, only 15,000 VND, allowing you to relish in this delicious and nourishing delight.

When mentioning Ly Son, everyone envisions an underground paradise blending sky and sea. Ly Son is also renowned as a kingdom of garlic. Ly Son Garlic earns praise from far and wide for its delightful aroma and irresistibly delicious taste. Differing from garlic in other regions, Ly Son Garlic features small, pure white cloves that are crispy and lack the typical pungent odor. It serves as an excellent spice, and locals even enjoy eating it raw. Ly Son has also introduced black garlic with medicinal properties, making it quite expensive. The regular Ly Son Garlic that my fellow villagers often use is priced at around 300,000 VND/kg. Despite its relatively high cost, Ly Son Garlic is highly favored for its unique and delightful flavor, as well as its healing properties, making it popular both domestically and internationally.

Quang Ngai's exploding rice cakes have been a tradition for a long time. In the past, they were used to welcome guests during festivals and served as a delightful dessert. Despite the availability of various substitutes today, exploding rice cakes remain a traditional dish highly favored by my fellow villagers. These rice cakes are made by roasting glutinous rice grains over charcoal to create a popping sound, perhaps that's why my villagers call them exploding rice cakes. The roasted grains are then mixed with sugar and ginger. When you eat exploding rice cakes, you'll experience the delicious, crispy texture melting in your mouth, with the harmonious blend of rice and the fragrant aroma, along with the spicy kick of ginger on your palate. Nowadays, machinery is used in the production process to create round or square-shaped cakes, which are then packaged and promoted locally and nationally. These exploding rice cakes are now not only famous in this peaceful region but also across the country. A package of these traditional and delicious rice cakes from my hometown is quite affordable, only around 10,000 VND for you to enjoy this pure and delightful treat.

Crab noodle soup is a specialty of my hometown. The best place to enjoy this dish is in Song Ve - Tu Nghia and the city of Quang Ngai. Crab noodle soup is served with rice paper, fresh vegetables, and shrimp paste. I can't forget the delicious clear broth, the enticing aroma of river crabs. The secret to a delicious bowl of crab noodle soup lies in the skillful hands of the cook, the perfectly balanced seasoning, gentle heat, and the preparation of the river crab to ensure a fragrant and non-fishy taste. If you have the opportunity to visit, you must try this delicious dish. I can't fully describe how delicious it is. If you go to a crab noodle soup restaurant in Song Ve, my hometown, you'll only spend 12,000 VND for an authentic and delicious bowl of crab noodle soup.

Banh Thuan is a famous specialty of Quang Ngai province, known throughout the Central region and the country. The cake is meticulously prepared and molded into beautiful flower shapes. Its ingredients include rice flour, sugar, and chicken egg yolks, creating a delicious and rich flavor. People in my hometown use Banh Thuan as a gift for their distant relatives. The cakes bought as gifts are beautifully packaged and cost around 30,000 VND per box.

Rice Paper Cake, a specialty of Quang Ngai, is widely used in the hospitality of the locals. Made from glutinous rice flour, sugar, pandan leaves, and starch, the cakes are molded into beautiful shapes. The cake has a sweet and refreshing taste that lingers on the palate. Its price is very affordable, only 6,000 VND for a pack of delicious and pure cakes.

Sizzling Pancake is a dish that the people of Quang Ngai use for their livelihood in a foreign land, and they take great pride in this rustic, fragrant, and crispy dish. Quang Ngai's Sizzling Pancake mold is only larger than a hand, made entirely from diluted rice flour, molded with meat, shrimp, mushrooms, and beansprouts. It is served with fresh vegetables, thin rice paper, and a cup of delicious fish sauce. Enjoying this dish at a local eatery costs only 4,000 VND per piece.

Suction Snails is a rustic dish that the people of Quang Ngai use to entertain distant guests. Suction Snails are elaborately prepared, not only boiled but also steamed with garlic, chili, and lemongrass for a delicious, spicy flavor. Each Suction Snail eatery in my hometown has different prices, but on average, it's about 20,000 VND for you to enjoy this delicious rustic dish. If you buy and make it at home, it's even cheaper.

Sea Grapes, a seafood abundant in Sa Huynh Quang Ngai. When the sea comes alive at night, it's the time for the skilled hands to catch Sea Grapes. Grilled Sea Grapes have a delightful and nutritious taste. In the rustic setting of the casuarina forest, with the sound of waves and the rustle of the wind, enjoying grilled Sea Grapes and a bit of spicy wine is absolutely fantastic. Sea Grapes is a local dish that people catch and grill for immediate consumption. If caught to sell, the price is quite high, around 200,000 VND to 300,000 VND per kilogram, but it's quite rare, so it's only available in the Sea Grapes season.