What to Eat in the Mekong Delta: Coconut Prawns, Can Chua and Grilled Pork of Cai Rang

The Mekong Delta cooks with what its rivers, orchards and rice fields produce, and the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism describes the cuisine province by province. Three stops give a good picture of the range.

In Ben Tre, the coconut is the ingredient behind much of the cooking. The tourism authority lists coconut rice, a creamy coconut-based dish; coconut-braised shrimp; cu hu dua, a salad made from young coconut shoots; and hu tieu, a noodle soup with pork, shrimp and quail eggs served with lime and fresh herbs. Coconut candy, the best-known souvenir, is made simply from coconut milk and sugar.

Tra Vinh, with its large Khmer community, has dishes of its own. Banh tet tra cuon is a sticky rice roll filled with banana or mung bean, available at the local market. Banh canh Ben Co is thick chewy noodles in a clear broth with pork, liver and offal, and banh mi pha lau is a sandwich stuffed with offal and served with a rich, sweet sauce. Bun nuoc leo is rice noodles in a fish-based broth with herbs and banana blossom, served with fried spring rolls and steamed pork.

In Can Tho, the signature dish is can chua, a sour fish or shrimp soup with pineapple, tomato, bean sprouts and vegetables. Nem nuong Cai Rang, the grilled pork skewers of Cai Rang, are served with rice paper, herbs, pickles and banh hoi, fine rice vermicelli. The Cai Rang floating market itself is part of the meal: smaller boats sell noodle breakfasts and coffee between the larger boats that carry fruit and vegetables.

The Mystic Sampan, a dinner cruise run by TransMekong, circles Can Tho on the river with views of the city lights, and the tourism authority names mango salad, grilled sea bass and lemongrass chicken among its dishes. Menus, operators and prices change, so check directly with each venue.

Sources

Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, Mekong Delta travel guide.