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Tiền Giang is a region in the Mekong Delta. It carries the characteristics of the Southern region with vast green rice fields, winding rivers with red alluvium, and the sweet melodies of traditional music. Alongside its picturesque landscapes, Tiền Giang offers a variety of delicious dishes and specialties that attract tourists to explore and indulge. What to eat when visiting Tiền Giang? In this article, let's discover the famous delicacies of Tiền Giang when you have the chance to visit this land!
My Tho Noodle Soup – Tiền Giang
My Tho Noodle Soup has been famous for over 100 years, made from rice with clear, slightly chewy noodles, and the broth is cooked with pig bone marrow, a little dried squid, simmered over a lively flame, continuously skimmed to obtain a clear, sweet broth. When preparing, the noodles are briefly blanched in boiling water. Various vegetables like coriander, lettuce, and bean sprouts are added on top, and depending on the customer's preference, the owner can add pork bones, minced meat, pig's organs, or seafood, all submerged in the broth. A sprinkle of fried shallots and pepper on top, and you'll enjoy a fragrant and delicious bowl of noodle soup in true Western style.
My Tho Noodle Soup – Tiền Giang
Simply put, all the essence of the dish converges into the delicious bowl of aromatic My Tho noodle soup, emanating irresistible fragrances that make it hard for diners to resist. The soft chewiness of the noodles, the sweet savory taste of the broth, the tender sweetness of the meat... all blend with the sourness of the dipping sauce, not only providing a delightful taste for the eater but also leaving an unforgettable delicious flavor for the diners to savor.
Nowadays, with the development of the economy, the demand for food diversity and richness of customers has become increasingly diverse. My Tho noodle soup has been transformed into various dishes such as squid noodle soup, bone noodle soup, mixed noodle soup, beef ball noodle soup, vegetarian noodle soup, and spicy noodle soup. When it comes to spicy noodle soup, people often think it's very spicy but it's not, with its thick broth. This dish is prepared with beef, a little bean sprout, cucumber, starfruit, peanuts,... My Tho noodle soup has been awarded by the Asian Record Organization with the cup and certificate 'My Tho Noodle Soup is a dish with Asian culinary value in 2013'..
To experience this, if you have the opportunity to visit the Western region passing through Tiền Giang, you should visit My Tho to try the noodle soup, in My Tho, there are many noodle soup stalls, each with its own unique flavor, though small, they always attract many customers both domestically and internationally. Despite being a delicious dish, My Tho noodle soup has a relatively cheap price, only from 20,000 - 40,000 VND/bowl.
Sa Te Noodle Soup – Tiền Giang
For tourists visiting Tiền Giang, almost everyone wants to taste the famous dish of this land, which is My Tho noodle soup. If you have time to travel along the streets of the city, you will see many shops selling this dish that has become a famous brand. However, for food enthusiasts, Tiền Giang not only has My Tho noodle soup. There is also a noodle soup with a completely different preparation method but equally delicious, which is Sa Te noodle soup with roots from the Chinese.
Sa Te Noodle Soup – Tiền Giang
Also using noodle strands like My Tho noodle soup, but what makes the difference of this dish is the sauce. This is the important component that determines the flavor of the dish. Cooking Sa Te sauce is not simple at all, first boiling a pot of broth with beef bones to make it rich.
Next, combine sa te with spices such as garlic, shallots, ginger, lemongrass, star anise, cloves, cinnamon, dried chili, chili powder, crushed roasted peanuts, roasted sesame seeds... stir-fry with sesame oil. Then, add the prepared mixture to the beef broth and adjust the seasoning. A bowl of sa te noodle soup has a fragrant aroma of spices, with a spicy, sour, fatty, nutty, salty, and sweet taste, truly refreshing and slightly spicy.
Enjoying sa te noodle soup to feel the rich sweetness of the bone broth, the fragrant and spicy aroma of the five spices blending with the sour taste of tamarind, the aroma of sesame seeds, peanuts, cinnamon... all combined to create a very distinctive flavor for this traditional Chinese dish.
Banh Beo at Hang Bong Market – Tien Giang
Named after its delicate, round shape resembling water ferns. Some also believe it's called 'banh beo' due to a wordplay in the local dialect, as the price of each plate of cakes is quite 'beo' (cheap).
Banh Beo at Hang Bong Market – Tien Giang
Visiting Hang Bong Market (My Tho Market), travelers can easily spot the humble, familiar stalls selling banh beo. Just a simple pushcart with soft, white banh beo placed on banana leaves, ready to be brought out when someone asks to buy. Eating banh beo on the spot is the best way to fully appreciate the sweet, rustic flavor. Banh Beo at Hang Bong Market is not only popular among local tourists but also well-known to international visitors through various mass media channels, books, newspapers... contributing to the culinary culture of the Western region in general and the people of My Tho in particular.
There are two types of banh beo for travelers to choose from: sweet-filled and savory-filled. Sweet-filled banh beo carries the fragrant aroma of coconut milk and pineapple, with a firm, chewy texture. The center of the spiral-shaped banh beo is translucent with a green color from pandan leaves, filled with smooth yellow mung bean paste. Savory-filled banh beo is preferred by many tourists for its delicious, rich flavor. It usually contains mung beans, shredded pork skin, crispy fried bread crumbs, and fried shallots. Banh beo is best enjoyed hot to fully appreciate its flavor. And before eating, it's a must to drizzle some sweet and sour fish sauce for the authentic taste of the Western region.
Banh Gia – Tien Giang
The Giong Market was the former name of the market in Vinh Binh town - Go Cong Tay district. No one remembers exactly when 'gia' cakes first appeared. Some say they've been around since their grandparents' time, long before they were married or had husbands. Rumor has it that this humble and rustic cake is somehow linked to a broken love story in the land of Go, so to this day, people in Go Cong still sing the verses 'One day the girl gets married / But where is the Giong Market cake to invite him' or 'My dear, when you return to Hoa Dong / Remember to buy Giong Market cake for me!'
Gia Cake – Tien Giang
No one knows exactly when Gia cakes from Giong Market became well-known, but their taste strongly reflects the essence of the Mekong Delta. The tradition of making Gia cakes emerged alongside the process of reclaiming and establishing settlements by the Vietnamese people in this region, around the 17th century, becoming a signature dish of the Go region.
Delicious Gia cakes are the perfect combination of the richness of rice flour, the sweetness of shrimp, bean sprouts, and the aromatic flavor of peanuts. Just looking at a finished Gia cake makes one crave to taste it. In addition to the traditional Gia cake, locals in the region have created various vegetarian versions with fillings made from peanuts, straw mushrooms, cat mushrooms... Soy sauce is often replaced with soy sauce, giving it a unique but still delicious flavor. Vegetarians can still enjoy this delicious Gia cake.
Turmeric Cake Gò Công – Tiền Giang
For as long as anyone can remember, at parties in the Gò Công region, one can often find a very unique dish that is rarely seen elsewhere: turmeric cake. Turmeric Cake Gò Công is entirely handmade, with each finished product intricately woven strands of dough, cut into small pieces on banana leaves, resembling a handcrafted masterpiece, crafted with meticulous care by skilled artisans.
Turmeric Cake Gò Công – Tiền Giang
The process of making this type of cake is very meticulous. The broth used in making the cake must be rainwater, new sticky rice, fragrant rice, and coarse rice flour (rice flour soaked in coarse rice water). The technique of making turmeric cake is also quite elaborate. To have a smooth and soft cake, the rice must be soaked for several days beforehand, then gradually ground to obtain a smooth, elastic dough, without lumps, to ensure the strands of cake are deliciously sweet.
Crafting a turmeric cake demands the skilled hands of artisans, deftly kneading the dough to achieve its desired elasticity. While kneading, oil must be applied to prevent the strands from breaking and sticking together. It requires expertise to determine the right level of moisture in the dough before steaming. The color of the cake varies depending on the artisan's technique, typically appearing green or gray. Before serving, each cake is wrapped into round tubes like vermicelli.
Turmeric Cake Gò Công is a popular appetizer served with roasted pork, pork skin, and pork sausage. The sausage is finely sliced and mixed with shredded pork skin and crushed peanuts. Accompanying greens include bean sprouts and finely chopped herbs. The dipping sauce is specially prepared with a perfect balance of sour, spicy, salty, and sweet flavors.
The fragrant and chewy texture of turmeric cake, combined with the crunchiness of bean sprouts, the aroma of herbs, blends harmoniously with the savory sweetness of the sausage, the chewiness of pork skin, and the richness of peanuts. Enhanced by the complex flavors of garlic-chili fish sauce, each bite leaves an unforgettable impression of this special dish in Gò Công's culinary culture.
Old-style Rice Vermicelli Salad – Tiền Giang
This is a specialty dish of Tiền Giang that locals adore, with the distinctive flavor of shrimp, sour tamarind, and ground chili sauce in the broth. Travelers' experiences in the Mekong Delta often suggest that to enjoy bun goi gia, one must arrive early to avoid long queues.
Old-style Rice Vermicelli Salad – Tiền Giang
Old-style Rice Vermicelli Salad boasts the characteristic taste of shrimp, sour tamarind, and ground sauce. A bowl of bun goi gia typically contains rice vermicelli, shrimp, freshwater shrimp or young pork ribs, pork belly, shredded lettuce, broth, and various accompanying greens like water spinach, shredded banana flowers, and coriander. When indulging in bun goi gia, travelers experience the rich flavor of the broth, the tanginess of tamarind, and the richness of peanuts, shrimp, and meat. If you have the chance to travel to Tiền Giang, don't forget to savor the aroma and taste of My Tho's bun goi gia.
Grilled Pork Sausage – Chợ Gạo, Tiền Giang
Grilled Pork Sausage from Chợ Gạo is one of Tiền Giang's delightful specialties, deeply aromatic and unforgettable for locals even when they're far away. This dish is typically enjoyed on festive occasions or ancestral death anniversaries, featuring simple ingredients like pork shoulder, shallots, garlic, duck eggs, rice paper, banana leaves, and assorted herbs.
Grilled Pork Sausage from Chợ Gạo – Tiền Giang
To prepare this delicacy, the meat is boiled until tender, thinly sliced, then stir-fried with shallots and garlic for aroma before being mixed with duck eggs, garlic, various spices like pepper, fish sauce, and seasoning powder. After preparation, locals in Tiền Giang grill the sausage in a cast iron pot to ensure even cooking from inside out. Notably, banana leaves are placed at the bottom of the pot to facilitate easy removal of the sausage without breakage and enhance the aroma of the dish. Sausages grilled over charcoal are the most delicious, sliced and rolled with rice paper, accompanied by fresh herbs and dipped in sweet and sour fish sauce, creating a flavor profile that lingers in the memory of locals wherever they go.
Gò Công Duck Clear Noodle Soup – Tiền Giang
Gò Công Township is renowned not only for its shrimp paste but also for its clear duck noodle soup, benefiting from its abundant rivers and the vast Tan Thanh beach where there's a large reserve of iron shrimp. Iron shrimp, though smaller in size compared to other shrimp, boasts a superior taste.
Clear Duck Noodle Soup from Gò Công – Tiền Giang
The golden clear noodles are made from iron shrimp, served with duck thigh and wing, presenting an enticing sight. Making this noodle dish may seem simple, but it's not. Fresh shrimp are peeled, ground, mixed with spices, then shaped into clear noodle-like forms on banana leaves. The term 'clear noodles' or 'suông' is a mystery, possibly derived from its resemblance to the husk of a coconut crab.
If you've visited Gò Công Township and missed trying a bowl of clear duck noodle soup, you've missed out greatly. The broth, rich and slightly sweet, redolent with the essence of shrimp, takes you on a flavorful journey with every sip.
Cai Lậy's Sliced Rice Cake Soup – Tiền Giang
Tiền Giang is renowned as the 'kingdom of fruits,' boasting delicacies like Cai Lậy Durian, Gò Công Soursop, Tân Phước Star Apple, Lò Rèn Breast Milk Fruit, Hòa Lộc Sand Mango, and Chợ Gạo Dragon Fruit. Among these, one particularly enticing name stands out: Cai Lậy's Sliced Rice Cake Soup.
Cai Lậy's Sliced Rice Cake Soup – Tiền Giang
This dish earns its name because to make the rice cake dough, people use soaked, softened rice, which is then ground into rice flour. The flour paste is then wrapped in cloth, squeezed to remove excess water, spread onto a tray, and hot water is evenly poured over it. The dough is kneaded thoroughly by hand, a crucial step to ensure it's neither too dry nor too sticky. A small amount of wheat flour is added to provide the dough with the right amount of elasticity and prevent it from breaking apart in the soup. Next, the dough is cut into small pieces, either flattened and stuck onto glass bottles or sliced with a chopping board. The cook holds the bottle's neck, rolls it while cutting the dough with a sharp knife, creating strands that fall into a pot of boiling water. It's essential to cut the dough evenly for delicious and visually appealing noodle strands. Once all the dough is sliced into the boiling water, the noodles are scooped out and soaked in cold water to remove excess flour, making the soup clearer and more appetizing.
Preparing duck meat is quite interesting. Duck blood is mixed with a bit of rice or glutinous rice, spring onions, and pepper on a plate, then duck neck is cut to get blood which is left to coagulate. After that, the coagulated blood is boiled in boiling water until cooked just right. It shouldn't be boiled for too long as the rice will swell too much and the texture won't be very good. The best duck is the Muscovy duck. Cai Lậy residents prefer Muscovy ducks because they have a distinctive chewy, sweet flavor. After plucking and cleaning the duck thoroughly, marinate it to remove the characteristic smell of duck. Prepare a pot of boiling water, then add the duck. Cook the duck until tender, season to taste, and then add the sliced noodle dough.
Cai Lậy's Sliced Rice Cake Soup has a thick, cloudy broth, not watery like the clear rice cake soup often found elsewhere. The sliced rice cake soup is not eaten with chili lime fish sauce but with ginger fish sauce to create an enticing flavor. If you have the opportunity to visit Cai Lậy, you won't have difficulty finding a street-side stall selling duck sliced rice cake soup. Choose any random stall and order a hot bowl of sliced rice cake soup to savor the rich flavor of Cai Lậy's sliced rice cake soup. The soft, chewy noodles, sweet and tasty Muscovy duck meat, fragrant broth, spicy pepper, aromatic spring onions, and a bowl of flavorful ginger fish sauce will make many people remember this Cai Lậy's sliced rice cake soup after just one taste.
Tan Phong Rice Snail – Tiền Giang
Rice snails are a famous specialty of Tan Phong area in Cai Lậy district. Rice snails are large, with green shells and full insides. Rice snails usually reproduce around the lunar month of July of the previous year and are harvested until May of the following lunar year. During the snail season, boats come to the Tan Phong basin to harvest snails. The product obtained after harvesting snails for a few days is delicious boiled snails. The boiled rice snails are served with chili lime fish sauce and a bit of ginger to warm the stomach and remove the fishy smell.
Tan Phong Rice Snail – Tiền Giang
Freshly boiled snails are still hot, all golden-yellow, rich and sweet in meat, crispy, and delicious, without feeling overwhelmed. Tan Phong Rice Snails are also processed into many dishes such as garlic-fried snails, snails cooked in coconut water, butter-fried snails... Tan Phong rice snails are tastier and healthier than other snails because they do not have mucus, so you can eat to your heart's content without feeling heavy.
Gò Công Seaweed - Tiền Giang
Not only famous for various types of fish and naturally gifted shrimp, in the coastal areas of Vàm Láng commune, Tân Thành district, Gò Công Đông is also home to the rare delicacy of seaweed. Seaweed has a hard shell like a horseshoe crab, a round and flat body, about the size of a palm, eight small legs under the abdomen, and a sharp triangular head that is very flexible and about 20 cm long.
Gò Công Seaweed - Tiền Giang
Tourists visiting Tiền Giang during the sam season (from October to February lunar calendar) have the opportunity to enjoy delicious grilled seaweed. Cleaned seaweed is placed directly on the charcoal stove until the shell changes color and releases a fragrant aroma, indicating it is ready to eat. Sam eggs are fatty, fragrant, rich in protein, delicious, and nutritious. Grilled seaweed is often served with sour pomelo segments, pickled radishes, mint leaves, coriander, roasted peanuts, and a dipping sauce made from lime, garlic, and chili.
Snakehead Fish Porridge with Bitter Vegetables - Tiền Giang
This dish carries the distinctive rustic flavor, not only delicious but also helps cool down and relieve cold symptoms. Snakehead fish has tender, sweet flesh, while bitter vegetables serve as a medicinal ingredient to prevent and treat various diseases. Try this snakehead fish porridge with bitter vegetables once to experience its delicious taste.
Bitter Melon Snakehead Fish Porridge - Tiền Giang
While not overly complex in preparation, creating a bowl of porridge so delicious that it makes the eater ecstatic is no easy feat. The rice used to cook the porridge must be sticky, sweet, and fragrant. It should not be boiled directly like plain rice but rather toasted in a pan until the grains turn golden and emit a fragrant aroma.
The snakehead fish chosen for cooking is usually a large one to minimize bones. However, instead of opting for large farmed snakehead fish with plenty of meat, meticulous chefs in Mỹ Tho often choose wild-caught snakehead fish. Although smaller in size, this type of fish has firm and fragrant flesh. The water used to cook the porridge must absolutely not be tap water with a chlorine odor.
To add an enticing element to the porridge, after seasoning with all the spices, cooks often add shallots. In addition, finely chopped scallions and cilantro are two indispensable ingredients. Finally, a plate of bitter melon, a Southern specialty known for its bitter taste followed by an incredibly sweet aftertaste, is added. It's not the industrial-grown type with large stems and leaves like the sam vegetable, but rather the Mỹ Tho bitter melon grown in the backyard with small leaves and stems, with a bitterness stronger than ordinary bitter vegetables.
Tân Hiệp Cow Eye Porridge - Tiền Giang
Tân Hiệp is a location in Châu Thành district, situated at the gateway of Tiền Giang province along the QL1A highway from Sài Gòn. For a long time, Tân Hiệp cow eye porridge has become a renowned dish for travelers passing through this route.
Tân Hiệp Cow Eye Porridge - Tiền Giang
What sets apart Tân Hiệp cow eye porridge is that the porridge is cooked directly from rice with husk, not toasted to preserve the natural aroma of the rice. When ordering a portion of porridge, visitors will be surprised by the variety and intricacy of the accompanying dishes. The meal includes: a steaming hot bowl of porridge, a small plate of cow eyes containing intestines, liver, tripe, and sausage, accompanied by a plate of fresh vegetables including mustard greens, bean sprouts, shredded banana flowers, a plate of rice noodles, and several pieces of rice paper. Notably, a cow eye or pig cheek is always a tempting addition.
Crispy Fried Elephant Ear Fish - Tiền Giang
The Elephant Ear Fish resembles a large fan-shaped ear, with a flat body and shiny silver scales covering its entire body. This fish species enjoys consuming plants, and people in the Mekong Delta often raise them in canals and ponds, feeding them with vegetables and leftover rice. Its meat is sweet, tender, and flavorful.
Crispy Fried Elephant Ear Fish - Tiền Giang
When frying the fish, it must be fresh to ensure sweetness and flavor. The oil in the pan must be hot and plentiful, enough to submerge the fish, so that when frying, it releases a delightful aroma and the scales turn uniformly crispy and golden. The rich aroma entices diners.
Deep-Fried Elephant Ear Fish is presented on a large, visually appealing plate, whole and golden, with its scales crisped up, accompanied by various fresh vegetables from the gardens of the Mekong Delta. Gentle diners delicately peel off each piece of still-warm meat, wrapping it with fragrant herbs, basil, vermicelli, and a thin layer of rice paper. The dipping sauce is made from fish sauce blended with the tangy taste of lime, the spicy kick of chili, garlic... enhancing the dish with unforgettable richness.
Bông súng mắm kho – Tiền Giang
“To eat Bông súng mắm kho
Head to Đồng Tháp to satisfy your craving.”
If you ever find yourself in the Dong Thap Muoi region of Tien Giang province, don't miss the chance to indulge in the delicacy of pickled Bong sung, a rustic dish that embodies the essence of the countryside.
Pickled Bong sung – Tien Giang
Bong sung is a wild plant that thrives in low-lying areas with stagnant water and mud. In May and June of the lunar calendar, during the flood season, Bong sung shoots emerge along the water's edge. People paddle boats to harvest Bong sung, bundling ten stalks together to sell at the market. Despite its humble nature, Bong sung has become a favorite daily dish of rural folks.
During the flood season in Dong Thap Muoi, Bong sung flourishes, adorning the fields with its rapid growth. Though lacking in fragrance, its white color softens the harsh midday sun, providing a sense of gentle tranquility. Nature generously bestows Bong sung upon the people of the interior, wherever there is water, there is Bong sung. Its tubers are both flavorful and nourishing, while its shoots, stems, and tender leaves suit the palate of the earnest folks of Dong Thap Muoi.
The best dish is Bong sung served with pickled fish sauce, and not all Bong sung is equally delicious. Only the white, small-stemmed Bong sung, about the size of chopsticks, is tender and has a sweet aftertaste. After harvesting, Bong sung is washed, peeled, and cut into pieces about the length of two fingers, then placed in a basket to drain.
Pickled Bong sung – Tien Giang
The pickled fish sauce must be made from freshly caught river fish, fermented in ceramic jars suspended from fresh guava branches, which adds to its deliciousness. The sauce has a deep red color and a fragrant aroma, best enjoyed raw with cold rice.
Bong sung dipped in pickled fish sauce is a delicacy cherished by sophisticated palates in the South, especially in the Dong Thap Muoi region. It's a daily staple for locals, and the amount of pickled fish sauce prepared depends on the number of diners. To prepare the sauce, it is first soaked in water, brought to a boil, then strained to remove the bones. The first batch of water is set aside, while the pot is refilled with more water and seasoned with salt, MSG, chili, and lemongrass – essential ingredients for pickled fish sauce.
Adding pork belly, also known as pork belly, to the pickled fish sauce pot enhances its fragrance and richness. The fat from the pork blends into the sauce, making it aromatic and flavorful. Additionally, we can add other ingredients such as freshwater fish, snakehead fish, or freshwater shrimp to the pot for extra deliciousness. Once the pot of pickled fish sauce is boiling, pour in the concentrated fish sauce to bring it to a vigorous boil, skim off the foam, then remove from heat. While cooking, we can add tomatoes to the pot, making the broth clearer and slightly sour, very appetizing.
Pickled fish sauce is best enjoyed hot. In addition to water lily stems, we can also eat pickled fish sauce with various other herbs according to individual preferences. The crispy texture of the water lily stems, the aroma of the fish sauce, the richness of the pork belly, the crunchiness and sweetness of the freshwater shrimp, and the fragrant lemongrass and spicy chili combine to create a rustic and excellent dish.
Visiting the Dong Thap Muoi region of Tien Giang province, travelers will experience the warm hospitality of the locals with many unique countryside dishes, among which pickled fish sauce with water lily stems is a specialty worth trying.
Grilled snakehead fish – Tien Giang
Grilled snakehead fish wrapped in banana leaves is a dish sought after not only by the people of the Mekong Delta but also by many others who come to enjoy it. This is a specialty of Tien Giang - once you've tasted it, its flavor will linger in your memory.
Grilled snakehead fish - Tien Giang
Selecting snakehead fish weighing around 500 - 600 grams is ideal, avoiding overly large fish that may not cook evenly. Skewer the fish with branches, standing them upright over a fire until they emit a fragrant aroma indicating they're cooked. Once the straw burns off and the charcoal layer is gone, remove the skewers, peel a banana leaf, clean it, then remove the fish from the skewers, discarding the charred skin before serving on the banana leaf.
In some places, grilled snakehead fish is enjoyed with tamarind fish sauce, accompanied by a shot of rice wine, a few herbs, wrapping the fish, dipping in chili salt... ensuring a more delightful taste than anything else, an unforgettable experience!
Pickled horseshoe crab - Tien Giang
'Wandering winds, back to the fields for horseshoe crabs,
Back to the rivers for fish, back to the streams for melons...'
The fields are a land of brackish water. The horseshoe crab is a species of crab but smaller. In the field area, there are many different types of horseshoe crabs: Red horseshoe crab, Blue horseshoe crab, Spiny horseshoe crab, Green horseshoe crab. The windy horseshoe crab lives in the beach area. The mangrove horseshoe crab lives along the brackish water creeks. Among these, the red horseshoe crab is capable of producing premium quality pickled crab that captivates the palates of diners.
Horseshoe crab pickles - Tien Giang
Throughout the leafy forests, mangrove swamps, and rafters... there are plenty of mud-burrowing horseshoe crabs making their nests. When the water rises, they crawl up to find food. Around the 5th of May (Duanwu Festival), the horseshoe crabs shed their shells. They crawl out of their burrows, lie on the mud surface, under the roots of mangroves or rafters to slowly molt. Around 1-2 in the afternoon, they finish molting, shed their shells, expose their soft bodies to the light, and absorb air until evening when their shells harden again, then they crawl back into their burrows. Seeing the red horseshoe crabs lying on the riverbank, people paddle along the riverbank, canals, looking for places where there are horseshoe crabs and stop. There are usually two ways to make horseshoe crab pickles.
The first method, clean the shedded horseshoe crabs, put 10 bowls of horseshoe crabs in a mortar along with 1 bowl of chili garlic. Grind them together, then put them in a jar, mix with alcohol to remove the strong odor. Leave it to dry for about 3 days until it's sunny, then take the horseshoe crab essence and dry it again until it's ready to use. When serving, mix the horseshoe crab with lime, pineapple, sugar, garlic, and chili.
The second method, clean the shedded horseshoe crabs, drain the water, dip in boiling water if you want to sterilize, put two bowls of horseshoe crabs, one garlic bulb, ten chili peppers. Mix all together and put in a jar, then dry in the sun until evenly soaked. When ready to eat, season with lime, pineapple, sugar, garlic, and chili... Horseshoe crab pickles are a famous specialty of the Go Cong region. To make delicious horseshoe crab pickles, mix them with pork belly or grilled meat and serve with plenty of raw vegetables.
Shrimp paste from Go Cong - Tien Giang
Shrimp paste from Go Cong has been a traditional dish since ancient times, personally brought into the royal court of Hue by Queen Tu Du, becoming an unforgettable specialty of Tien Giang. The delicious paste is fermented from fresh, clean shrimp along with intensely spicy garlic and ripe red chilies.
Shrimp paste from Go Cong - Tien Giang
Shrimp paste can be enjoyed in various delicious ways and can be stored for the whole year without spoiling. The pure shrimp paste, without adding any spices, is used as a savory dish to accompany white rice, make sour fish soup with tamarind leaves, or dip with mangoes, green bananas... Another type of shrimp paste mixed with a little vinegar, lime, sugar, garlic, and chopped chili is perfect for boiled pork belly rolls with rice paper, raw vegetables, and vermicelli.
Coconut-wrapped banana - Tien Giang
Coconut-wrapped banana is a rustic, simple dish but incomparable to any other. Traveling to Tien Giang without tasting the flavor of coconut-wrapped banana would be a regrettable omission. At first glance, coconut-wrapped banana looks like flattened sticky rice, but upon closer inspection, there are many differences.
Coconut-wrapped banana - Tien Giang
The ingredients for making coconut-wrapped banana include green saba bananas and grated coconut. The preparation process is simple, not intricate, but it requires the cook to be skilled and experienced. To add more appeal to coconut-wrapped banana, a sprinkle of roasted peanuts can be added. Served with coconut-wrapped banana are various aromatic herbs such as betel leaves, water spinach, laksa leaves, mint leaves... and rice paper. Sweet and sour dipping sauce is essential when eating coconut-wrapped banana. Coconut-wrapped banana has the fragrance of bananas, the sweetness of sugar, the richness of grated coconut combined with the refreshing sweetness of the accompanying herbs, providing travelers with a unique and delightful culinary experience.
Coconut leaf cake - Tien Giang
If you've ever been to the Mekong Delta, you've probably come across the sight of cylindrical cakes with long, thick layers resembling cucumber. Those are coconut leaf cakes.
Coconut leaf cake - Tien Giang
When visiting the area of Con Thoi Son - My Tho - Tien Giang, traveling along the riverside roads, tourists will witness locals making this type of cake. Basically, it's similar to Southern cylindrical sticky rice cakes, made primarily from glutinous rice and various beans. For coconut leaf cakes, glutinous rice and black beans are used for the outer layer, while the filling can be mung beans or bananas. What's unique is that the cakes are wrapped in coconut leaves – a type of tree widely grown in the Mekong Delta. Coconut leaf cakes are sold in bundles (10 pieces) at very affordable prices.
Candied winter melon soup - Tien Giang
'Mother longs for me to marry into the garden
Eating boiled pumpkin flowers, candied winter melon soup
Candied winter melon soup - Tien Giang
Perhaps the folk verse has become familiar to every Vietnamese from cradle to grave through the lullabies of grandmothers and mothers. Few may know that verse also refers to a rustic but distinctive dish of people living on the sandy lands of Tien Giang. It's just nearly ripe watermelon (also known as cantaloupe or hong melon) cooked with fresh shrimp or pond-raised snakehead fish, but it's delicious and rich in flavor, as simple and genuine as the temperament of the Western people. Surely this dish was created in the early days of reclamation when the ingredients were readily available from the fields. According to Eastern medicine, cantaloupe has a cooling property, very suitable for cooling off and quenching thirst... fitting for the hot climate of the South.
Fried puffed glutinous rice - Tien Giang
If someone has the opportunity to visit Thoi Son Island (Tien Giang province) and enjoy the charming scenery of rivers and canals, they will inevitably be amazed by the dish of fried puffed glutinous rice. This is a specialty dish of this island, served on the table to entertain every visiting tour group.
Fried puffed glutinous rice - Tien Giang
What's special about this dish is that it's made on the spot so that tourists can learn how to make it and enjoy it while it's still hot. The main ingredients for making delicious fried puffed glutinous rice are mung beans and glutinous rice.
After washing the mung beans, soak them until soft, steam until cooked, then grind into a smooth paste. The glutinous rice is also washed and soaked until soft, then steamed with salt. Both main ingredients need to be just cooked right; if they are undercooked, the rice cakes won't puff up when fried, but if overcooked, they'll lose their inherent elasticity.
Mix the rice, mung beans, sugar, and cooking oil thoroughly in a plastic bag, kneading until smooth. Once the dough is smooth, add baking soda and baking powder and knead again until evenly mixed.
Now, onto the frying stage. It's best to use a cast-iron skillet to maintain heat for frying the cakes. Add oil to the skillet and wait for it to heat up, then gently place each round, thinly rolled glutinous rice cake into the pan. During frying, continuously flip the cakes and press them gently to prevent them from deforming and to ensure even cooking. Initially, gently press the cakes, but when they start to float to the surface of the oil, press firmly to ensure the cakes absorb oil evenly and turn golden brown. When the cakes are golden and have puffed up, increase the heat to make the outer crust of the cakes crispy.
Once the cakes are cooked, remove them and place them on a plate, resembling a ball. When eating, press the cakes down to flatten them and cut them into rectangular or square pieces as desired. This dish is served with fried chicken, fried fish, and fresh vegetables. At the restaurants on Thoi Son Island, it's especially served with deep-fried elephant ear fish. The rich, sweet, and chewy texture of the glutinous rice, combined with the crispy crunch of the fish, creates a delicious meal that guests will fondly remember.
Water morning glory – Tien Giang
Water morning glory, also known as water spinach, is a type of climbing vine in the morning glory family, naturally growing in the edges of forests or in deserted places, especially in areas lightly contaminated with saline in Tan Phuoc district. The vine's stem is very long (up to about 20 meters), with many roots clinging tightly to the stems of other plants (especially bamboo) for support. Its leaves resemble bird feathers, with a length of nearly a meter. The young leaves are brown mixed with a soft green hue, and at the top of the young leaves, they curl, reminiscent of a rolled-up mat.
Water morning glory – Tien Giang
This is a type of fresh vegetable with a characteristic fragrant, mildly sweet taste, tender and is skillfully processed by housewives into delicious dishes such as: blanched water morning glory with dipping sauce (or garlic chili fish sauce), sour soup with wild carp, sour soup with eel and sesbania flowers, hotpot, stir-fried shrimp, raw (or boiled) water morning glory with fried fish sauce for a delightful taste.
Just tasting it once will forever remember this rustic yet sophisticated dish because of its delicious and unique flavor. If you have the opportunity to visit Tan Phuoc, Tien Giang, remember to enjoy this delicious and rustic water morning glory dish.
Son Qui Sweet Soup – Tien Giang
For the people of Go Cong, no one is unaware of Son Qui Bridge. The bridge is nestled by the emerald river because of the green water hyacinths. This place is familiar to many generations of students with the sweet soup served at the foot of the bridge. Son Qui Sweet Soup is a dish that people often call 'worth a penny, effort of a stick'.
Son Qui Sweet Soup – Tien Giang
Son Qui Sweet Soup is elaborately prepared, meticulously from the selection of ingredients to the layering process in the cup. The attraction of this sweet soup lies in the transparent tapioca pearls encasing roasted peanuts inside. The dessert becomes even more delightful with the hint of pandan leaf aroma, the sweet taste of sugar, and the nutty texture of peanuts.
Nowadays, the taste of the sweet soup may have changed slightly due to customer preferences. However, the image of these cups of sweet soup nestled under Son Qui Bridge always remains a nostalgic memory for many who have fallen in love with this renowned dessert.
Lo Ren Milk Cow - Tien Giang
Exploring Tien Giang without indulging in Lo Ren Milk Cow would truly be a missed opportunity. Lo Ren Milk Cow is remarkable for its exceptionally large and round size, with the biggest fruit possibly larger than a rice bowl. When ripe, the skin of the milk cow fruit will become glossy and have a beautiful pale green color. As it ripens further, the skin will start to turn slightly purple or brownish.
Lo Ren Milk Cow - Tien Giang
Not only renowned domestically, but Lo Ren Milk Cow has also become a top-tier fruit, exported to many countries worldwide. When eating Lo Ren Milk Cow, people often cut it in half for convenience. Upon cutting, a small amount of milky white liquid resembling milk will flow out from the fruit. The flesh is very fragrant, tender, and sweet. Amidst the scorching noon, enjoying a few ripe Lo Ren Milk Cow fruits straight from the tree to the bottom of the heart is nothing short of wonderful.
What to eat when visiting Tien Giang? Above are the most famous specialties of Tien Giang. Some dishes are very easy to eat, while others may be relatively challenging for some people. However, if you try them a few times, you might really enjoy them. If you have the opportunity to travel to Tien Giang, don't forget to savor the famous specialties of Tien Giang that we introduced here.
Posted by: Hong Tham Hoang Thi
Keywords: What to eat when visiting Tien Giang?
