Top 34 Must-Try Can Tho Specialties

Can Tho is a charming destination with its picturesque rivers and friendly atmosphere. Moreover, it's also known for its delicious Western-style dishes. If you're traveling to Can Tho and wondering what to eat, check out these Can Tho specialties recommended by Mytour Blog!

Can Tho's Specialties

Purple Leaf Tet Cake – Can Tho Specialty Cake

When you visit Can Tho, you'll have the opportunity to hear stories about the old Ninh Kieu wharf. This is where the famous purple leaf Tet cake originated nationwide.

The specialty of Can Tho made by the Huynh family here has become famous and has been passed down through many generations. This type of cake combines many flavors to give you an interesting experience of the cuisine of this land of rivers and fields.

Banh cong

Originating from the Khmer people, these cakes are made with similar ingredients to banh khot but with thicker shells and more filling. The richness of the flour and mung beans blends well with the sweetness of shrimp and crispy crust.

Despite being deep-fried, they don't feel greasy when eaten. Banh cong is eaten similarly to banh xeo, where you roll it with raw vegetables and dip it in chili garlic fish sauce.

Grilled banana sticky rice – Can Tho delicacy

When it comes to Can Tho's delicious snacks, grilled banana sticky rice stands out as the main attraction. This fragrant delicacy is surprisingly simple to make.

The fragrant sticky rice wraps around the sweet banana filling, topped with a layer of creamy coconut milk, perfect for satisfying hunger on lazy afternoons.

Banana blossom hotpot

The bần fruit is a familiar fruit to people in the Mekong Delta and is often used to create various dishes. The Can Tho specialty dish called Phu Sa bần hotpot is famous in the Phu Sa tourist area.

Unlike the rich flavor of fermented fish hotpot, the bần hotpot broth has a distinctive refreshing taste, making it enjoyable to eat. Additionally, the combination of various types of local vegetables found only in this region will provide you with a unique culinary experience.

Duck hotpot with fermented tofu - Can Tho specialty hotpot

Duck hotpot with fermented tofu is a Can Tho specialty dish that boasts a unique flavor that lingers in everyone's memory. The name of the dish already indicates its simple main ingredients: duck meat and fermented tofu. The broth, made from fermented tofu, has a rich and sweet flavor that, combined with carefully prepared tender duck meat, creates an irresistible taste experience.

For many tourists, fermented tofu might be unfamiliar, but this fermented bean curd is a typical dish of the Mekong Delta and particularly renowned in Can Tho. Paired with duck meat, it creates a delightful meal.

Rice crackers with braised pork

In each region, rice crackers with braised pork are prepared differently to suit local tastes. However, they generally maintain their simple and rustic characteristics.

In Can Tho, this dish is enhanced with new ingredients like coconut milk, making it a must-try specialty when visiting this land. Just passing by rice cracker stalls, the tempting aroma will draw you in for a taste.

Can Tho-style Pancakes

Banh xeo is also a specialty in Can Tho that you can't miss. The main ingredients often include shrimp, pork, bean sprouts, jicama, and in some places, even duck meat to enhance the flavor and create a unique taste. Banh xeo is usually crispy and golden, served with fresh vegetables and delicious fish sauce.

Grilled Frogs on Charcoal

Grilled frogs on charcoal is a rustic dish but no less special due to its unique flavor. This Can Tho specialty is marinated with rich spices and grilled over charcoal. Grilled frogs on charcoal are often served with fresh vegetables, grilled meat, and dipped in lemon salt or chili salt. Enjoying it with some strong rice wine will let you experience the essence of the riverside region.

Cai Rang Grilled Spring Rolls

Grilled spring rolls, though simple, have a strangely enticing appeal. Even the most discerning diners have to marvel at the delicious aroma that is hard to find anywhere else.

Spring rolls are made from freshly ground pork, kneaded, marinated according to a unique recipe, rolled into round shapes, skewered, and then grilled over charcoal. The sweet aroma emerges when dipped in a mixture of soy sauce with a bit of spicy garlic and crushed roasted peanuts, creating an irresistibly rich flavor.

Three-spice fried clams with tamarind sauce

Three-spice fried clams with tamarind sauce is one of the famous specialties of Can Tho, with a unique flavor that will leave diners with an unforgettable memory. The preparation of this dish is not too difficult but requires skillfulness.

Diners should enjoy this dish with a handful of Vietnamese coriander and crushed roasted peanuts to enhance its flavor.

Hạ Châu strawberry braised chicken

This is a Can Tho specialty featuring a unique combination of chicken and Hạ Châu strawberries – a famous fruit grown in the Mekong Delta. Hạ Châu strawberry braised chicken has a sweet and sour taste, with the gentle aroma of Hạ Châu strawberries permeating each piece of chicken. Add a touch of Vietnamese coriander to create a new and unique dish.

Grilled snails with green pepper

Grilled snails with green pepper in Can Tho can be said to be one of the top dishes with the rustic flavor of the Mekong Delta. Snails are usually soaked in rice water to remove mud, then briefly boiled before cooking. This is a dish you must try when visiting Can Tho.

Rice noodle cake with shredded pork skin

Can Tho's special shredded pork skin rice noodle cake is not only made in a traditional way but also appeals to diners with an unforgettable flavor of the river region. The soft rice noodle cakes blend with coconut water, crispy skin, tender sweet meat, and the gentle aroma of various herbs, creating an incredibly wonderful dish.

Rice vermicelli with roasted pork belly in Phong Dien

If you have the opportunity to visit Phong Dien, don't forget to try the rice vermicelli with roasted pork belly prepared by the garden owners themselves. The rice vermicelli is served with a layer of pre-sliced roasted pork belly, some sliced cucumber and herbs, dipped in spicy, salty, sweet garlic chili fish sauce, creating a wonderful flavor.

Six-Ray Plum Wine

Six-Ray Plum Wine is produced using traditional handmade methods. The longer the plum wine is soaked, the better it tastes. It has a sweet and gentle plum flavor, with a slight spicy sensation on the tongue and a warm feeling in the stomach.

Thuan Hung Rice Paper

Thuan Hung Rice Paper originates from a long-standing village known for making rice paper in Can Tho. It's soft and fragrant with a rice aroma, neither too crispy nor too brittle. Thuan Hung Rice Paper can be rolled with shrimp, meat, fresh vegetables, or even sausage, all tasting delicious.

Fermented Fish Hotpot - Ninh Kieu Specialty, Can Tho

The reason why Can Tho's fermented fish hotpot is beloved by tourists both domestic and international is because of its rich broth made primarily from linh fish sauce. This Can Tho specialty becomes even more delicious and enticing with additional seafood such as fish, shrimp, crab, squid, octopus, etc. The accompanying fresh vegetables like water spinach and sesbania flowers also enhance the dish's completeness.

Dried Shrimp Noodle in Can Tho

Don't miss out on this famous dried shrimp noodle in Can Tho. The noodles come with broth made from duck giblets and dried shrimp, offering the characteristic sweet and savory taste of the Mekong Delta. A bowl of noodles also includes spring rolls, beef, crab paste, tomatoes, green vegetables, all to be enjoyed with a touch of shrimp paste, resulting in a fantastic dish.

Long-legged Showgirl (Dried Squid)

Long-legged showgirl, also known as dried squid, is a Can Tho specialty highly favored by tourists. It's an indispensable dish for drinking sessions. You can easily find this dish at markets in the Mekong Delta or at famous dried food villages in Can Tho.

Flower Crab in Điền Điển Fields

If you travel to Can Tho during the flood season, don't forget to enjoy a pot of flower crab in Điền Điển fields. When the flood season arrives and flowers start to bloom, shrimp and fish flock to the fields. These natural phenomena create a delicious sour soup with flower crab, a signature dish of the Mekong Delta during the flood season. Additionally, there are also flower crab salad, sour soup with flower crab, and more, all very delicious.

Savory Steamed Rice Cakes

Savory Rice Cakes in Can Tho are made from fragrant sticky rice flour, combined with the rich flavor of coconut milk and the savory taste of shrimp and meat, making this dish a famous specialty of Can Tho. Savory rice cakes are not only delicious but also a cultural beauty of the people of Can Tho.

Dry Hu Tieu in Can Tho 

This familiar yet unique Can Tho specialty is loved by tourists and chosen as a breakfast option during their Mekong Delta tours. The special feature of this dish is the shiny golden broth that blends perfectly with the noodles, capturing the hearts of tourists during their Can Tho trip.

Grilled Snakehead Fish

Grilled snakehead fish is a delicious and enticing dish of Mekong Delta cuisine. Grilled snakehead fish is often served with fresh vegetables, rice paper, ... dipped in delicious fish sauce. This is a rustic dish that tourists love the most when traveling to the Mekong Delta.

Can Tho's Specialty Fruits at Cai Rang Floating Market

Wandering around the floating market area, tourists will see many boats filled with various types of fruits such as avocado, mango, guava, and mangosteen, flowing along the river. Each boat will sell different types of goods. Cai Rang Floating Market is not only famous as a culinary village on the river but also the main market for fruits and agricultural products in the region.

Muoi Cuong Cocoa - Can Tho Specialty Restaurant

Muoi Cuong Cocoa can be consumed fresh or made into powder, mixed with milk or water, all of which are very good for health. You can visit Muoi Cuong Cocoa garden directly to experience and buy as gifts.

Dried Snakehead Fish - Can Tho Specialty Gift

Dried snakehead fish is an ideal gift because it is easy to eat and can be preserved for a long time. Dried snakehead fish has a slightly salty, sweet, and fragrant taste from the fish meat. This salted and sun-dried dish is definitely a worthy Can Tho specialty to buy as a gift for family and friends.

Folk cakes of Con Son

Visiting Con Son, you will have the opportunity to enjoy various unique folk cakes. Each tray of cakes offers guests a variety of types, colors, and beautiful presentations, from jackfruit cakes to banana cakes, tapioca cakes, and more.

These cakes use local ingredients and fragrant coconut milk. You will experience a taste that is both sweet and savory depending on the type of cake.

Address and other unique dishes 

Grilled nem baguette

Baguette may not be unfamiliar to Vietnamese people, but in Can Tho, it is served with grilled nem, a bit of pickled vegetables, cilantro, sauce, making the familiar baguette much more enticing.

Rice paper rolls, crispy rice - Mrs. Hung's rice paper

Mrs. Hung's rice paper is surely well-known to many when they come here. The eatery has long been famous for its mixed rice paper dish. The mixed rice paper here is made from slightly fatty, small and fragrant rice paper. Combined with ingredients including two quail eggs with special flavors, especially fragrant pork floss that makes everyone want to try it.

Address: 16 Nguyen Cu Trinh, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City

Peanut snails

Peanut Snail Restaurant is a familiar gathering place for local snail lovers as well as tourists. What could be better than sitting by a steaming bowl of snails, inhaling deeply in the cool air of autumn days.

The plate of snails with its characteristic strong aroma here will enchant the passing tourists. Reasonable prices and comfortable space are also a plus for this Can Tho specialty.

Address: 136 Xo Viet Nghe Tinh Street, District Ninh Kieu, Can Tho City

Crispy fried pig skin

Crispy fried pig skin is a popular snack in Can Tho loved by many young people. Although it's a simple dish, it's prepared with the rich and distinctive flavors of the Mekong Delta, making it even more famous among tourists.

Can Tho beef noodle soup

Can Tho beef noodle soup is a familiar breakfast dish for many people. So, when you visit Can Tho, you can also enjoy this dish. The dish features soft noodles, rich broth with beef tendon, meat, and sausage.

Enjoying a bowl of Can Tho beef noodle soup with lime slices, chili, and fresh vegetables, you will experience a unique sour, fragrant flavor like never before.

Rice paper rolls

Rice paper rolls are a popular dish loved by many Vietnamese people. Depending on each region, there will be different flavors. Can Tho rice paper rolls are served with fish sauce leaning towards a sweeter taste compared to other regions. Enjoying a plate of soft rice paper rolls with fried shallots and sweet and sour fish sauce will not disappoint you.

Pizza noodle

Pizza noodle may sound unfamiliar but it is a beloved dish in Can Tho. This dish originated from the Chinese community and combines innovative preparation methods with familiar ingredients.

Imagine biting into a crispy pizza noodle, accompanied by the savory taste of coconut milk, coriander, roasted peanuts... You will be pleasantly surprised by the flavor of this dish.

Can Tho always captivates visitors with the warmth of its people and the richness of its diverse culinary scene. Hopefully, through this article, you've gained insights into the cuisine and specialties of Can Tho for your upcoming trip. Mytour wishes you a delightful journey to Can Tho filled with exciting experiences.