Bac LieuIf you ever have the chance to visit the hometown of the famous Bac Lieu playboy—a vast and beautiful riverine land—don’t miss out on these local delicacies such as bánh tằm, spicy beef noodle soup, or fermented fish hotpot.
Bac Lieu is not only famous for the legendary playboy who famously burned money to impress women, its vast bird sanctuary, or the historic Commissioner’s House. This Mekong Delta province also boasts a rich, fresh, and nutritious cuisine that fascinates many visitors eager to explore.
Fermented fish hotpot, fermented fish noodle soup
Here, locals often prepare this hotpot using fermented gourami fish combined with fresh coconut water, lemongrass, and fragrant fried garlic. The hotpot is served with pork belly, snakehead fish, basa fish, and vegetables such as celery, water spinach, Malabar spinach, purple mustard greens, lotus stems, sesbania flowers, and water hyacinth…
Fermented fish noodle soup is cooked with linh fish or gourami fish, which are abundant in the Mekong Delta
Bánh tằm bì
As one of the signature dishes of the Mekong Delta, any visitor setting foot in Bac Lieu will want to try bánh tằm bì. Made from cooked rice flour shaped into thick strands and steamed, the dish is served with meatballs, shredded pork skin, boiled lean pork, crushed roasted peanuts, sliced cucumber, and fresh herbs. Bánh tằm in Ngan Dua town is especially famous.
Longan
Longan is one of the well-known local specialties, loved for its delicate sweetness and enticing aroma. The best longan can be found in orchards in Hiep Thanh Commune—also a popular tourist destination in Bac Lieu.
Xuồng longan is the largest variety among longan types on the market. Golden-flesh xuồng longan has thick flesh, firm texture, and is not overly soft or watery like other varieties…
Bánh xèo
One of the most well-known culinary brands in Bac Lieu is A Mat’s bánh xèo, filled with chopped scallions, red shrimp, thinly sliced onions, soft-cooked mung beans, and a few strands of jicama. This dish is enjoyed with fresh herbs and dipped in sweet-and-sour chili fish sauce.
Bánh xèo can be found throughout Vietnam, with each region offering its own distinct flavor. Notably, Mekong Delta bánh xèo carries a rich, rustic taste that reflects the character of Southern people.
Spicy beef noodle soup
Although it carries flavors typical of Central Vietnam, spicy beef noodle soup has become a humble, familiar dish for local people. A bowl includes beef cooked with chili paste, white rice noodles, and is served with aromatic herbs and bean sprouts. One of the best places to enjoy this dish is Ward 5.
Bún nước lèo
In the southernmost region of the country, you will find bún nước lèo sold everywhere—from street vendors to famous family-run eateries. A good broth must be cooked in an earthen pot to preserve the sweetness of shrimp, fish, and coconut water, while releasing the aroma of fermented fish. The noodles are served with shredded banana blossom, bean sprouts, basil, and more. Some places also add fresh squid, roasted pork, spring rolls, or bánh cống.
Crabs, mud whelks, spiral snails…
With over 56 km of coastline, this fertile land is renowned for its abundance of fresh seafood that captivates visitors from the very first visit. Must-try specialties include tamarind crab, spicy stir-fried mud whelks, and coconut stir-fried spiral snails…
Xá pấu
Xá pấu is the Chinese-Vietnamese name for pickled radish. The preparation is quite simple: radishes are washed, cut into thin strips, sun-dried, then pickled with sugar and five-spice powder. This dish is best enjoyed with plain rice porridge and crispy fried tofu.
Though the name sounds unusual, the ingredients are quite familiar. Xá pấu is made from white radish that has been partially sun-dried, then marinated with coarse salt.
Bồn bồn
Bac Lieu is one of the provinces famous for its delicious pickled bồn bồn. Besides pickling, the tender stems are also used in various appealing dishes such as stir-fried with shrimp and pork, cooked in soups, hotpots, or mixed into salads.
Bồn bồn is a flowering plant in the cattail family (Typhaceae), commonly found in wetlands with fresh or brackish water.
10. Ba khía
Ba khía is a type of crab with large claws, typical of Southern Vietnam, living in brackish and salty waters. It is named “ba khía” because of the three distinctive ridges on its back. Besides boiled and pickled ba khía, fermented ba khía with its spicy, salty, and sweet flavor is a famous specialty, often enjoyed with crispy scorched rice.
Ba khía live in brackish water environments at river mouths and estuaries, and are most commonly found in Ca Mau and Bac Lieu provinces.
Ash lye rice dumplings are a traditional dish for the Dragon Boat Festival in Southern Vietnam. Nowadays, ash lye rice dumplings also appear at festivals, holidays, and ancestral commemoration ceremonies.
For those born in the 1980s and 1990s in the Mekong Delta, the sweet taste of grilled bananas combined with the rich, fragrant savoriness of scallion oil is surely unforgettable. Saigon may have everything, yet it somehow lacks that subtle salty note found in grilled bananas with scallion oil.Grilled xiêm bananas brushed with scallion oil...
Grilled snakehead fish in bamboo tubes is very popular in Vietnam due to its unique flavor, white flesh, and high nutritional value, especially the gallbladder which leaves an unforgettable taste.
Braised pork belly can be eaten with many things such as white rice, pickled onions, pickled bean sprouts, but perhaps most commonly it’s served with pickled mustard greens. The salty, sweet, and rich flavors of the braised pork belly combine with the sour and slightly spicy taste of the pickled mustard greens, creating an unexpectedly...
The soft, naturally sweet fish meat, combined with the broth’s distinctive golden color from turmeric and its rich, savory flavor, are the signature characteristics of Chau Doc fish noodle soup. Fish noodle soup has long been a familiar dish for people in the Mekong Delta. Variations can be found such as Soc Trang fish noodle...
When the rice fields are left with only stubble, the field mice are full of rice, fat, and have firm meat. During this season, if you travel to the Mekong Delta, you'll easily see many farmers selling field mice. Grilled field mouse with salt and chili is a prominent dish among the Mekong Delta's specialties, often prepared by locals after the harvest.
The method for making grilled snails with green peppercorns is quite simple. This is a unique and appealing dish because of the crunchy texture of the snails combined with the spicy, pungent flavor of the green peppercorns, and the tingling sensation on the tongue that makes anyone want to try it. Ingredients 200 g green...
When people mention Sóc Trăng, they don’t just think of bánh pía but also another highly appealing dish: Sóc Trăng bánh cống (fried rice cake with toppings). Each locality may have slight variations in preparation. However, to enjoy the most delicious bánh cống in Sóc Trăng, food lovers must head to the roadside market along...
If you ever travel to the West and pass through Tien Giang, be sure to stop by My Tho for some noodle soup. My Tho noodle soup (Hu tieu My Tho) is the finest specialty of the region. What creates the unique flavor that has made My Tho noodle soup famous since the 1960s is...
Bee pupa porridge cooked with coconut milk is considered the best; the rich, sweet flavor of the bee pupae, combined with the creamy richness of the coconut milk, is unlike anything else in the world, and sometimes even money can't buy it.
Snakehead fish is a freshwater fish with firm, chewy flesh that can be prepared into many delicious dishes such as: fried or steamed snakehead fish patties, stuffed with bitter melon, deep-fried until crispy... Grilled okra stuffed with snakehead fish is a very easy dish to make but very tasty.
Shoots of the choại fern can be considered a dish deeply imbued with the pioneering spirit of our ancestors during the early days of land reclamation. This clean vegetable has a distinctive aroma, a mild natural sweetness, and a slightly mucilaginous texture./ Hearing the two words “đọt choại” (also called chại or chạy), memories suddenly...
How to make lye water rice dumplingsAsh lye rice dumplings are a traditional dish for the Dragon Boat Festival in Southern Vietnam. Nowadays, ash lye rice dumplings also appear at festivals, holidays, and ancestral commemoration ceremonies.
Grilled bananas with scallion oil – a rustic dishFor those born in the 1980s and 1990s in the Mekong Delta, the sweet taste of grilled bananas combined with the rich, fragrant savoriness of scallion oil is surely unforgettable. Saigon may have everything, yet it somehow lacks that subtle salty note found in grilled bananas with scallion oil.Grilled xiêm bananas brushed with scallion oil...
Grilled Catfish in Bamboo TubesGrilled snakehead fish in bamboo tubes is very popular in Vietnam due to its unique flavor, white flesh, and high nutritional value, especially the gallbladder which leaves an unforgettable taste.
How to cook braised pork bellyBraised pork belly can be eaten with many things such as white rice, pickled onions, pickled bean sprouts, but perhaps most commonly it’s served with pickled mustard greens. The salty, sweet, and rich flavors of the braised pork belly combine with the sour and slightly spicy taste of the pickled mustard greens, creating an unexpectedly...
Change things up this weekend with Chau Doc fish noodle soupThe soft, naturally sweet fish meat, combined with the broth’s distinctive golden color from turmeric and its rich, savory flavor, are the signature characteristics of Chau Doc fish noodle soup. Fish noodle soup has long been a familiar dish for people in the Mekong Delta. Variations can be found such as Soc Trang fish noodle...
Go to the Mekong Delta to eat grilled field rat with salt and chili.When the rice fields are left with only stubble, the field mice are full of rice, fat, and have firm meat. During this season, if you travel to the Mekong Delta, you'll easily see many farmers selling field mice. Grilled field mouse with salt and chili is a prominent dish among the Mekong Delta's specialties, often prepared by locals after the harvest.
How to make grilled snails with green peppercornsThe method for making grilled snails with green peppercorns is quite simple. This is a unique and appealing dish because of the crunchy texture of the snails combined with the spicy, pungent flavor of the green peppercorns, and the tingling sensation on the tongue that makes anyone want to try it. Ingredients 200 g green...
Soc Trang rice cakeWhen people mention Sóc Trăng, they don’t just think of bánh pía but also another highly appealing dish: Sóc Trăng bánh cống (fried rice cake with toppings). Each locality may have slight variations in preparation. However, to enjoy the most delicious bánh cống in Sóc Trăng, food lovers must head to the roadside market along...
Bee pupa porridge, rich in rustic flavors.Bee pupa porridge cooked with coconut milk is considered the best; the rich, sweet flavor of the bee pupae, combined with the creamy richness of the coconut milk, is unlike anything else in the world, and sometimes even money can't buy it.
How to make grilled okra stuffed with snakehead fish.Snakehead fish is a freshwater fish with firm, chewy flesh that can be prepared into many delicious dishes such as: fried or steamed snakehead fish patties, stuffed with bitter melon, deep-fried until crispy... Grilled okra stuffed with snakehead fish is a very easy dish to make but very tasty.
Boiled Đọt choại, a dish that evokes memories.Shoots of the choại fern can be considered a dish deeply imbued with the pioneering spirit of our ancestors during the early days of land reclamation. This clean vegetable has a distinctive aroma, a mild natural sweetness, and a slightly mucilaginous texture./ Hearing the two words “đọt choại” (also called chại or chạy), memories suddenly...
