Diverse culinary culture of An Giang

Besides its famous historical and cultural relics and pristine, majestic mountain and forest landscapes, An Giang also boasts a diverse culinary culture thanks to the intermingling of four ethnic groups – Kinh, Hoa, Cham, and Khmer – who have lived together and been closely connected for generations.

When mentioning delicious dishes in An Giang, one cannot fail to mention those made from the palm tree in the Bay Nui region, such as: palm juice, palm sugar, jam, sweet soup, rice cake, wine, palm jelly… Among them, palm rice cake is well-known for its distinctive golden color, fluffy and airy texture resembling a flower thanks to the high-quality rice, skillful fermentation, and rich aroma of the palm fruit. The cake is soft and fluffy, with a sweet and creamy taste from the sugar and coconut, blended with the subtle, characteristic aroma of the flour ground from the palm fruit, creating an unforgettable experience after just one taste.

Besides the distinctive delicacies of the Bay Nui region, An Giang is also home to a large Khmer ethnic minority population, resulting in unique dishes that blend and combine various ingredients. A prime example is the papaya salad, made with a multitude of ingredients: shredded papaya and water spinach, long beans, herbs, lime, tomatoes, mixed with peanuts, dried shrimp, a little chili, and red onion… all blended together to create an attractive dish with a variety of aromas, colors, and flavors. Another highlight is the golden-brown, plump grilled frog, stuffed with minced meat and lemongrass, then marinated with spices and grilled over hot coals using bamboo tongs. After just two or three turns, the frog meat firms up, the fat renders out, crackling on the coals, and the aroma is captivating with its unusual flavor. Even more appealing is the O Thum grilled chicken, made from free-range chickens from the mountains, marinated with many secret spices. Arrange a layer of lemongrass and bay leaves at the bottom of the pot, then roast until the skin turns golden brown and releases an enticing aroma. The crispy, golden-brown chicken skin envelops the tender, juicy white chicken meat, infused with spices, leaving diners utterly captivated.

In addition, there are other dishes such as: Com Ni (rice with various toppings), Ca Pua (a type of spiced sausage), Tung Lo Mo (a type of fermented rice), goat curry, traditional sweets… which are characteristic delicacies of the Cham ethnic minority in An Giang. Among them, beef sausage, also known as Tung Lo Mo, is a favorite among many food enthusiasts. Made from the best cuts of beef, finely chopped, marinated with a special recipe, and stuffed back into beef casings to create the most delicious Tung Lo Mo. Grilled over hot charcoal, Tung Lo Mo has a firm, glossy skin, emitting a white smoke and a fragrant aroma. The sweet and savory taste of fresh beef and fat, the sourness of fermented rice, and the spicy flavor of peppercorns are incredibly appealing to diners.

When visiting An Giang, it would be a shame not to try the fish sauce hotpot, a dish that subtly combines rustic ingredients such as: basa fish, catfish, snakehead fish, tilapia, red snapper, perch, and loach... to snails, eels, shrimp, squid, goby fish, and many other vegetables: water spinach, bitter greens, Sesbania grandiflora flowers, pumpkin flowers, water lily flowers, water hyacinth flowers, water morning glory, amaranth, eggplant, winged beans, Sesbania grandiflora flowers, bitter melon, banana blossom, mustard greens, and coconut leaves... The rich, sweet taste of the fresh fish combined with the refreshing taste of the vegetables, blended with the salty, fragrant fish sauce, and the spiciness of lemongrass and chili, creates a taste that is both familiar and unique, an unforgettable experience. “I really enjoy eating fish sauce hotpot. It's delicious because the broth is made from flavorful fish sauce combined with fresh fish and vegetables from the river region. Every year, when we visit An Giang, my whole family has to eat fish sauce hotpot before we're willing to leave,” shared Ms. Lam Thi Thanh Binh (a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City).

An Giang is also famous for its dried and fermented fish products made from freshwater fish species such as snakehead fish, spotted snakehead fish, tilapia, catfish, eel, loach, and striped catfish. With a history spanning hundreds of years, these products, sourced from natural fish and processed skillfully by traditional villages, are renowned for their rich and unique flavors characteristic of this riverine region. Mr. Tran Quoc Huy (a tourist from Dong Nai province) shared: “My family really enjoys the dried and fermented fish products from An Giang. Therefore, every year when I visit the Lady of the Mountain Sam Shrine, I buy them to bring home to eat and give as gifts to relatives and friends.”

In addition, An Giang also has many delicious dishes, such as: Long Xuyen broken rice, crab noodle soup, Chau Doc fish noodle soup, "bun ken" noodle soup, Thoai Son shrimp noodle soup, Phu My puffed rice cakes, steamed chicken with "la chuc" leaves, grasshoppers, mountain crabs, mountain snails, delicious dishes made from "ca linh" fish, Tri Ton beef porridge with "la chuc" fruit, "goi sau dau" salad, mango pickle, Siamese sticky rice, An Phu dried snake meat, Bay Nui beef... If you have the opportunity to visit An Giang, tourists should try these rustic natural products to better understand the unique culinary culture of this land and its people.

TRONG TIN

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/da-dang-van-hoa-am-thuc-an-giang-a421570.html