Autumn Fair: Western river cuisine 'holds' tourists

Coming to the first Autumn Fair - 2025 at the National Exhibition Fair Center (Dong Anh, Hanoi), people will be immersed in a large, lively space, recreating the rich and diverse features of Vietnamese culinary culture. In particular, the exhibition area of ​​the provinces and cities of the Southwest region, a fertile land of rivers and alluvium, also brings to the fair many typical products with rich, rustic but impressive flavors.

Many tourists are excited to participate in the Autumn Fair. Photo: Phan Phuong/VNA

Western cuisine is considered richer and more diverse than other regions in the country due to the availability of natural ingredients and the people's creative ways of preparing, eating and enjoying. The diversity of dishes, tastes and cooking methods of the ethnic groups in the region, in addition to common features, also have differences, giving the land many special dishes; therefore, it is easy to attract people to visit and enjoy.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Khang, an expert from the Ca Mau Province Tourism Promotion Center, said: “Ca Mau is a land of convergence of Southern cultural identity. Coming to the first Autumn Fair - 2025, the province assigned the Center to organize a booth to display and introduce and promote dozens of dishes and culinary culture of the province to visitors. In addition to raw products such as shrimp, crab, fish from rivers and fields, people coming to the culinary space are also introduced to fruit gardens, vegetables and fruits grown in fields or harvested from nature.”

Within the framework of the fair, the Center also organizes the introduction and promotion to the people of the province's typical dishes such as: spring rolls, pepper-braised duck, duck curry, taro-rolled shrimp rolls, fried vermicelli with grilled spring rolls, fish sauce hotpot, steamed squid with coconut water, stir-fried snails with coconut, freshwater eel, braised brown fish with dragon fruit; and seafood hotpots prepared and served with sesban flowers, water mimosa, mixed vegetables... Every day, the culinary booth of Ca Mau province at the fair attracts from 1,200 to 1,500 people to see, learn about the culinary culture and enjoy the province's dishes.

Ms. Hoang Thi Nga, Mao Khe ward, Quang Ninh province, said: “I am a resident of an area with a lot of seafood, but coming to the fair to be introduced, experience and enjoy dishes in the culinary space of the Western provinces, especially Ca Mau, I found it quite interesting. Each dish has more vegetables and spices; customers usually enjoy the food while it is still hot on a hot pot or charcoal stove. The simple preparation method, the friendly and close invitation of the diners, shows the ingenuity of the people of the river region”.

Western seafood is not only delicious but also the crystallization of rich river life, hospitality and unique culinary culture. The peaceful countryside scene is recreated through introductory clips at the booth, with the bustling and warm laughter of Western people as rich as the salty taste of the homeland sea.

Along with Ca Mau, other provinces and cities in the West such as Can Tho city, Dong Thap province, An Giang province, are not only rich in cultural traditions but also stand out with rich cuisine, imbued with the identity of the river region.

In Can Tho, there are familiar dishes such as fish sauce hotpot, pancakes, grilled snakehead fish, fish cakes, fried stuffed squid, and purple sticky rice cake. In Dong Thap, there are lotus root salad with shrimp and meat, linh fish braised with sugarcane, delicious Dong Thap fish sauce, and stir-fried water mimosa flowers with seafood.

OCOP products of Thai Thuy seafood brand, An Giang province displayed at the Autumn Fair attracted many tourists. Photo: Phan Phuong/VNA

Coming to the culinary space of An Giang province, there are Chau Doc fish sauce, Long Xuyen fish noodles, broken rice, palm cake... Mr. Huynh Hong Cum - the person in charge of the booth and in charge of the kitchen said: "Every day, the culinary booth of An Giang province has hundreds of people coming to learn about culinary culture and enjoy the dishes and buy products as gifts for family and relatives".

Coming to the first Autumn Fair - 2025, the people in charge of the display booths of each province and city in the West all attach importance to promoting and showing TV programs and introductory clips to attract tourists to the countryside.

In that introduction and promotion, the Westerners invite tourists to the land of lush green gardens, with gentle rivers and streams. There, besides the enthusiastic invitation, there are also folk melodies, songs of young men and women: "Vong co resounds, fragrant wine is sweet/ Treating guests from afar with all the heart of the homeland"... in the exchange sessions, enjoying the culinary culture of tourists.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/xa-hoi/hoi-cho-mua-thu-am-thuc-song-nuoc-mien-tay-niu-chan-du-khach-20251102173151021.htm