Top 10 most delicious Western dishes you must try

Cuisine in Western Vietnam is diverse and unique, a combination of natural resources and multi-culture. The people who make Western dishes are extremely creative in using their available ingredients, such as shrimp, fish, vegetables, and fruits, to make unique and delicious dishes. Let’s look at the iconic cuisine with HoaBinh Airlines in this blog below!

1. Xeo pancake

Xeo pancake is a pancake originating from the Southwest region. This dish is named after “sizzling’’ when the powder is poured into the pan. Xeo pancake is made from a layer of turmeric powder and an inner layer of filling meat, shrimp, mushrooms, and bean sprouts.

The pancake will be more delicious with raw vegetables dipped in chili garlic fish sauce. Banh Xeo has become a famous street food in the southern provinces that you cannot ignore. 

Xeo pancake - a specialty in the South of Vietnam 

2. Tam rice 

An attraction in this "Tam rice" dish is the main ingredient, which is the broken rice grains. It is combined with ribs, meat, and sour vegetables. Tam rice is a popular dish for farmers and workers in the Mekong Delta.

In the years of famine, many people do not have enough good rice to sell, so they often eat broken rice for cooking because it is always available in many households. Tam rice is now a popular meal every single day.

Tam rice - a unique dish with bold Vietnamese flavor

3. Noodle soup 

Noodle soup is a traditional and popular noodle soup dish for people in the Southwest region. Originating from Cambodia and then imported to Vietnam, noodle soup has been modified to suit our people's general tastes.

Noodle soup combines many ingredients, from a sweet broth stewed with pork bones and white radish to a unique chewy noodle made from rice and stuffed with shrimp, meat, and vegetables. Diners can eat noodles with different fillings such as pate, meatballs, fish, etc. Until now, noodle soup has become a popular Vietnamese noodle soup besides Pho, rice noodle, etc. 

Noodle Soup - Unique dishes of Westerners

4. Coconut worms

Coconut worm is one of the most rustic and nutritious dishes. People can find worms in coconut trees. During the breeding season, weevils often choose healthy coconut trees to cut the tops off to produce eggs.

The eggs hatch into larvae, which then develop and eat coconut to survive. Coconut worms are light yellow; they are full of milk and round and soft when young. Depending on the type, adult weevils will be the size of a human index finger or big toe.

At first glance, the swarming coconut weevils may seem scary, but they have become a favorite dish of gourmets. With the fat and round coconut weevils mixed with the soaked chilli fish sauce, the eaters will feel the fat and sweet taste of the worms, the salty taste of the fish sauce, and a little chilli pepper. Today, coconut worms are one of the must-try dishes when coming to the West.

Coconut worms - A strange and unique dish that gourmets must try

5. Snakehead fish porridge with bitter vegetables 

In the southern provinces, porridge is a familiar dish in every family, often served with braised fish. The rice cooked in porridge is soft, has a sweet taste, and has a very fragrant aroma. The snakehead fish chosen to cook is usually the big one with little bone; the meat must be firm and fragrant.

The fish is cleaned, degreased, and removed from the fishy smell. After cleaning, the fish is blanched in boiling water with a little ginger, salt, and seasoning powder to prevent it from being pale. In addition, porridge cannot lack the combination of bitterness and aroma from vegetables.

Delicious, easy to digest, and rich in nutrients, fish porridge is a common dish and a must-try speciality when coming to the West.

Snakehead fish porridge with bitter vegetables 

6. Western hot pot sauce

The fish sauce hotpot clearly shows the unique characteristics of the gentle, hard-working people of the West. This place has fresh products such as shrimp, fish, and fruit trees. Only the West can make such a delicious and attractive fish sauce hotpot, unlike other lands.

Fish is the most important ingredient that makes up the characteristic flavor of this fish sauce hotpot. Normally, the type of fish commonly used to make fish sauce hot pot is henicorhynchus, or choke fish, because it does not cause a fishy and unpleasant smell for people to eat.

Fish sauce hot pot is processed in many complicated stages. The fish sauce must be processed at a certain time to retain the fish's flavor and not cause boredom when eating. The vegetables used to make hot pots are all grown underwater and have a strong flavor, such as coriander, bitter vegetables, madame, etc.

Western hot pot sauce - Visitors' favorite dishes

7. Tet Savor Cake in Magenta Leaf

Tet cakes in Magenta Leaf are a typical Khmer delicacy in Western Vietnam, especially in Soc Trang and Ca Mau Provinces. This is a unique version of traditional Banh Tet, made from glutinous rice and banana leaves, creating a beautiful color and a characteristically delicious taste. Soft skin combined with green or red bean filling creates a delicious taste and a special cultural spirit. Banh Tet leaves are usually cooked for a long time to ensure they are cooked thoroughly.

This Tet cake represents the creative spirit and honors the Khmer Culture of Western Vietnam because it encapsulates a long-standing rice civilization in the Mekong Delta. Banh Tet is a typical savored cake for people in the South during traditional holidays and the Lunar New Year.

Tet cakes in Magenta Leaf - Western traditional food

8. Noodle soup with sauce made from different fish

This noodle soup is also one of the specialties of Khmer origin, and it has become one of the most popular dishes among Southerners.

This dish is famous for its harmonious combination of fish sauce and snakehead fish with crispy, fatty roast meat. These ingredients are boiled together with tomatoes, onions, garlic, chili, and other spices to create a unique flavor for the broth.

The selected vermicelli is boiled and washed white vermicelli. Noodle soup is usually served with raw vegetables, shredded bananas, and other processed ingredients added on top. The boiling broth will be poured on top to create a smooth and delicious sauce.

Noodle soup with sauce made from different fish

9. Pia Cake

Pia Cake is a type of cake of Chinese origin. Throughout time, the cake has been modified and changed according to the tastes of Vietnamese people and has become a speciality of the Southern region.

The cake's ingredients include flour for the shell, taro, green beans, durian, and salted egg yolk used to make the filling. The cake is made sophisticatedly through many stages, has a unique flavor and presentation, and is not mixed with any other type of cake.

Pia Cake - The warm gift of the West

10. Western Tropical Fruits

With a tropical climate and rich soil, the West is known for its fresh, unique, and regional fruits. Some popular fruits of the West include sand mango, coconut, jackfruit, pineapple, custard apple, durian, etc. The diversity of western fruits contributes to the development of Vietnamese agricultural products in general.

Boats selling fruit on the Western floating market

Above is a list of Western dishes on your Vietnamese culinary map. To go to the western lands and discover interesting experiences, don't hesitate to contact us via Hotline: 0913.311.911 - 0939.311.911 for 24/7 support to book flight tickets quickly.