5 delicious and unique specialties of Can Tho, famous in the river region

Sa Dec dry noodles

When talking about Can Tho specialties, people cannot help but mention dry noodles, the most famous of which is in Sa Dec. Thanks to the processing method and ingredients that are slightly different from noodles in other provinces, dry noodles in Can Tho have a more unique and attractive flavor.

Although it is dry noodles, the noodles are large, soft and chewy, served with many ingredients such as heart, liver, pork, boiled shrimp, etc. and especially mixed with a thick, deep yellow sauce, with the aroma of fried onions.

A portion of Can Tho dry noodles costs between 25,000 - 30,000 VND (Photo: @ntv.foodie, Thuy Hang).

To enhance the flavor of the dish, you can eat it with raw vegetables, add garlic, chili or fried onions. Many diners from far away who have enjoyed dry noodles commented that this is a must-try dish if you visit this place.

Phong Dien roasted pork rice vermicelli

Phong Dien District, Can Tho City is known to many diners for its famous specialty of grilled pork rice vermicelli. The rice vermicelli here is made from rice flour, thin, pure white fibers, covered with a layer of fragrant scallion oil.

This dish is served with crispy, tender roast pork and herbs, dipped in sweet and sour fish sauce with garlic and chili, making anyone who tries it once remember it forever.

Under the talented hands of the chef, Phong Dien grilled pork vermicelli must go through many meticulous and elaborate stages (Photo: @jeansfoodlab).

Grilled pork rice vermicelli is a specialty associated with the childhood of many generations of Can Tho people in general and Phong Dien in particular, often appearing in banquets, wedding parties, death anniversaries, etc. or used to entertain friends, relatives, and distinguished guests visiting the house.

Cong cake

Banh Cong is also known as Banh Cong because its appearance resembles a cylindrical ceramic container with a wide mouth, a lid, a slightly bulging body, and a convex bottom. This is also a famous dish of Ninh Kieu wharf that visitors here should not miss.

Banh Cong looks quite similar to Hanoi shrimp cake at first glance, but is made from more special ingredients. The cake is made from flour, green bean flour and fresh shrimp, with a little egg added to create a fragrant aroma and a beautiful yellow color (Photo: @nguyenfoodalic).

This dish is crispy, delicious and fatty with a full filling, including green beans, meat, shrimp, served with raw vegetables such as fish mint, mango shoots, bitter greens, lettuce, basil, or add vermicelli and dip with sweet and sour sauce.

Among many Western specialties, Can Tho Banh Cong still “wins the hearts” of tourists because of the crispy crust, the fresh taste of shrimp, and the sour and spicy taste of the dipping sauce. Although it is a rustic dish, Banh Cong has become an indispensable specialty in the “journey” to discover Can Tho specialties.

Rice vermicelli with pork skin

Although it is a rustic dish, Can Tho pork skin cake attracts customers because of its unique and delicious flavor. To have a standard cake, locals have to stir rice flour, roll it into strands and steam it. The skin will be marinated with many spices, then fried until golden brown and mixed into the cake. The soft boiled pork skin is thinly sliced and mixed with rice bran, adding garlic and chopped onions, seasoned with a little sugar and salt.

Banh tam bi is also one of the famous specialties in Can Tho that makes many tourists "dizzy" when traveling to Tay Do (Photo: @co2.kitchen).

This cake cannot lack smooth coconut milk, taken directly from fresh coconut water. The coconut milk is simmered on a small stove, add a little salt, sugar and rice flour, then stir until the mixture is smooth and then turn off the stove.

Banh tam bi has the delicious taste of meat, the crunchy texture of pork skin and fried onion and garlic, and the aroma of accompanying vegetables such as bean sprouts, raw vegetables, pickles, etc., extremely attractive.

Grilled sticky rice banana

Coming to Can Tho, tourists can easily find and enjoy grilled sticky rice bananas at many restaurants or street stalls because this is a quite famous street snack.

To make delicious grilled sticky rice banana, from the preparation to the processing steps such as stripping banana veins, soaking rice, cooking coconut milk, wrapping sticky rice, etc., all must be done meticulously and carefully.

Grilled sticky rice banana was voted “World's Best Street Food” at the World Street Food Congress (WSFC) held in Singapore in 2012 (Photo: @quick_vietnam).

Grilled sticky rice banana has a chewy, golden-brown outer layer and a soft, sweet, fragrant banana inside, served with a little roasted sesame, shredded coconut and coarsely crushed peanuts. In particular, this dish must be enjoyed with sweet, fatty coconut milk, adding chewy, crunchy tapioca pearls to create a unique flavor.

Source