Story: Chi Hoa
Concept: Nguyen Minh Ngoc (ZnGemie)
Photos: DZ

As well as mesmerizing visitors with its calm and fertile delta landscape of exuberant orchards and its genuine and friendly locals, Vietnam’s Southwest charms us with its delectable local specialties. Join Heritage in sampling three signature Southwest dishes

Fish sauce hotpot (Lẩu mắm)

The Mekong Delta’s most famous specialties include fermented fish sauce and homegrown vegetables – ingredients used to make fish sauce hotpot. Linh and sặc fish sauce are added to steamed bone broth. Side pork is sliced, stir fried with garlic and chili and added to the hotpot, which is delicious thanks to the broth and the wide range of greens and vegetables it contains, including sesbania sesban, water lilies, spearmint, common knotgrass, nhút vegetables, squash flowers, banana flowers, sliced water spinach, aubergine, and chili. Fish, prawns, squid and fish balls are added along with the vegetables and rice vermicelli.

Vietnamese rice crepes (Bánh xèo)

Rice crepes are a signature treat in Vietnam. Each region has its own recipe that yields unique tastes. Unlike rice crepes in the Central region that are poured into alloy molds only slightly larger than a person’s palm, rice crepes in the Southwest are poured into a large alloy pan. They are bigger, thinner and crunchier. The cover is made from a mixture of rice and wheat flour, coupled with some tumeric powder to add color and coconut milk to make it more buttery. The stuffing includes bean sprouts, prawns, squid, and mung beans. In Can Tho, the stuffing includes bamboo shoots, duck, mushrooms, and mung beans. Southwestern rice crepes are incomplete without some rustic local herbs like lettuce, mustard greens, basil, pineapple, or cucumbers, etc. The dipping sauce is typically sweetened fish sauce with chili and pickles.

Savory rice cakes (Bánh đúc mặn)

Rice cakes are ubiquitous throughout the three regions of Vietnam. While the Northern version is served with fermented soybean paste, the Central region makes oily rice cakes with fried spring onions. The Southwestern version is a salty rice bun. To make this dish, rice flour is mixed with cassava powder and coconut milk. Water is added and mixed in a pot until smooth, then poured into a mold. The savory stuffing comprises pounded dried shrimp stir fried with oil and greasy spring onions. Carrots, onions and grated bacon are sometimes added to the stuffing. Once served, the rice cake is cut into moderate pieces and garnished with sweetened fish sauce, chili, and coconut milk to add contrasting tastes. Rice cakes can also be sweet. In place of savory stuffing, the sweet ones contain aromatic green pandan leaves.