What should you eat to fully savor the deliciousness of Can Tho's cuisine?

Banh cong, grilled snakehead fish, bun mam,... in Can Tho, there's something that always makes people feel nostalgic.

What to eat to experience the full deliciousness of Can Tho's cuisine?

Can Tho doesn't have the ancient charm of Hanoi or the elegance of Hue, nor the laid-back vibe of Da Lat, and certainly not the youthful energy of Nha Trang. Perhaps, I am a traveler too hard to please or too sparing with compliments when I say Can Tho is just 'enough': enough safety, enough fun, and enough fullness.

Firstly, even if you travel alone, you'll never feel lonely because just by opening up a bit and asking the locals, you're sure to receive a treasure trove of interesting stories. Secondly, boating on the vast waterways in Can Tho is never boring, even people from far and wide come to the Mekong Delta to row a boat. And third, most importantly, the food is incredibly cheap and delicious. If you still don't believe this reason, let me tell you a story.

Banh cong - Nguyen Trai

Banh cong is easily found in Can Tho. As I got off the car, strolling down Nguyen Trai street, I spotted a bustling banh cong stall. With my stomach growling, I hurried into the shop without hesitation.

The plate of banh cong was presented, and I was overwhelmed by the rich, enticing aroma. Taking a bite without asking the seller, I could fully sense the combination of minced pork with fragrant purple onions. The harmony of onion flavors in the filling, along with the fresh accompanying vegetables, was simply exquisite.

Pizza hủ tiếu – Cai Rang market

Visiting Can Tho without exploring Cai Rang market would be quite peculiar. So, I went and discovered the unique dish of pizza hủ tiếu. The vendors here always greeted tourists with smiles and friendly banter while skillfully selling their products.

Although hủ tiếu pizza is unusual, it's easy to eat and surprisingly delicious, reminiscent of crispy burnt rice in Saigon. What's remarkable is that it doesn't have a greasy smell when fried, making it less overwhelming. Moreover, I had the opportunity to enter the workshop, witnessing the process of making hủ tiếu noodles with my own hands.

The preparation of crispy hủ tiếu is quite simple—just fry the seasoned hủ tiếu with a bit of bouillon and pepper in hot oil until it forms a cake. Fry until the cake is golden brown, then scoop it out. Finally, sprinkle with green onions and chili sauce, and you have an unforgettable dish with a savory, sweet, spicy, and rich taste.

Grilled snakehead fish – Ninh Kieu wharf

Another dish that left me in awe is the grilled snakehead fish at Ninh Kieu wharf. Somehow, this simple and rustic grilled fish has an enchanting allure. The answer is probably only obtained when you personally taste it, as I believe any description in this case would be superfluous.

After grilling, just pull the fish meat and dip it in chili salt, and it must be coarse salt to fully appreciate the fragrant, spicy, salty, sweet, and aromatic taste of the specialty grilled snakehead fish here. The hot, naturally sweet fish meat melts on the tongue, especially when paired with fresh vegetables in the cool breeze at Ninh Kieu wharf—absolutely delightful!

Heard that the banh xeo (sizzling pancake) in the Mekong Delta is delicious, so why not try it while standing on this land. Heading straight to Tan Dinh street – home to the famous banh xeo spot in Can Tho – I was completely conquered by this renowned dish.

There's something not everyone knows when enjoying Mekong Delta banh xeo—instead of using chopsticks to put the pancake in the bowl, put it on a leaf, roll it up neatly, and eat it that way. The lightly fragrant pancake batter, naturally sweet shrimp and meat, combined with the crispness of herbs and bean sprouts, all dipped in sweet and sour fish sauce, is simply delicious.

Fish hotpot with mud carp – Ninh Kieu wharf

Fish hotpot is a specialty of the Mekong Delta loved by Saigonese. Whenever the weather turns a bit chilly or after a sudden rain, my friend always invites me to enjoy fish hotpot. That time, in Can Tho, caught in an afternoon rain, I suddenly craved... fish hotpot.

The fish hotpot broth in Can Tho has a refreshing taste like sour soup, sometimes slightly sweet to suit the taste of the Mekong Delta people. The mud carp is put whole into the hotpot but doesn't have a fishy taste; instead, it carries the sweet and bitter taste characteristic of mud carp bile. Accompanied by various vegetables like water spinach, shredded banana flower, and especially the giang leaf—a sour leaf abundant in the Central and Southern regions—experiencing Can Tho has never been as vivid and intimate as this.

Bun mam – Ly Tu Trong

A product of culinary cultural fusion between the local Khmer people, the Central and panic-stricken Southern regions, Western-style bun mam uses ingredients that are specialties of these three regions: seafood from the Central Coast—fish, shrimp, squid, crab; and diverse vegetables from the West and Cambodia. The main attraction lies in the miraculous fish sauce broth that creates an irresistible charm of Western-style bun mam.

Grilled pepper snails – Tran Van Kheo

Another evening spent chatting with the locals around the hotel, I coincidentally discovered that I must try the dish of grilled pepper snails to truly experience Can Tho's cuisine. Guided to Tran Van Kheo street, I eagerly enjoyed this enticing dish just from its name.

There are many ways to prepare grilled pepper snails, but the main ingredient is still snail meat. After parboiling the snails, they are placed on charcoal for grilling, while simultaneously drizzling a mixture of fish sauce and garlic onto the snail mouths for marination. Grilled pepper snails have a rich flavor from the fish sauce and the fatty taste of snail meat collected from the various canals. Hot and fragrant snails, immediately put into the mouth, give a delightful sensation of sweetness and richness that is unmatched.

Fermented fish hotpot – 3/2 street

Having tasted bun mam, one cannot forget fermented fish hotpot! This dish remains etched in my memory thanks to its distinctive broth: a special fermented fish broth, usually made from mackerel, snakehead fish, catfish, and perch fermented fish.

As a dish that blends the culinary cultures of three different geographical regions, the hotpot is bustling with ingredients from the sea, ponds, and riverside fields, such as fish, shrimp, crab, squid, beef, pork, and especially a variety of diverse vegetables.

Snakehead fish hotpot – Hung Loi bridge area

Here it is, the highlight. For those with a weak stomach or unaccustomed to eating exotic animal meat, the sight of the snakehead fish neatly chopped into 6 pieces on the plate may be discomforting. However, if you overlook that factor, snakehead fish hotpot is a dish well worth savoring.

The hotpot broth is already delicious, sweet, and rich, bubbling and shimmering with golden fat, fresh onions, and crispy fried onions competing playfully in the pot. The snakehead fish meat needs no debate about its taste, tenderness, and quality, so if you go in a large group, one snakehead fish is undoubtedly not enough. Paired with various vegetables, the sweet and sour broth and the unique flavor of snakehead fish meat make me forever fond of Can Tho – the charming land where everything cooked is simply delightful.

By Yan.vn

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Reference: Mytour Travel Guide