Discover a rich and flavorful culinary experience.

Nestled between the majestic Truong Son mountain range on one side and the vast ocean on the other, Central Vietnam boasts a rich source of culinary ingredients with very distinctive flavors.

Stretching along the central coast of Vietnam, Central Vietnamese cuisine leaves a lasting impression on visitors with its rich and refined flavors, reflecting the deep affection of the local people. From everyday snacks to traditional dishes and desserts, each dish possesses a unique character and depth, creating the distinctive culinary identity of Central Vietnam.

Ẩm thực miền Trung: Khám phá món ăn phong phú và đậm đà hương vị

Hue cakes are one of the famous "specialties" of the ancient capital region.

The Central region of Vietnam, with its narrow, elongated shape stretching from North to South, is bordered on one side by the majestic Truong Son mountain range and on the other by the vast ocean. This geographical and climatic diversity has endowed the region with a rich source of culinary ingredients, and combined with a long-standing tradition of fishing, has created a very distinctive flavor in Central Vietnamese cuisine: spicy and savory.

The spicy flavor is appealing.

Chili peppers are considered the soul of Central Vietnamese cuisine. In cooking, from breakfast dishes to dipping sauces, from gourmet meals to everyday street food, the sour, spicy, and salty flavors are enough to leave any visitor with a lasting impression.

Located north of Hai Van Pass, the cuisine of the North Central region tends to be spicier and more flavorful than that of the North, with a rich and vibrant array of colors, leaning towards red and dark red hues. The most prominent cuisines in the North Central coastal region are those of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, and Hue.

Thanh Hoa shrimp patties.

As the northernmost region of Central Vietnam, Thanh Hoa cuisine is a fusion of the refined flavors of Northern Vietnamese cuisine and the rich tastes of Central Vietnam. Thanh Hoa's cuisine is diverse in dishes, rich in preparation methods, delicious in quality, beautiful in presentation, and imbued with the unique folk traditions of the region.

Notable local specialties include fermented pork sausage (nem chua), sticky rice cake (bánh gai), sticky rice cake (chè lam), rice porridge (cháo canh), steamed rice cake with sauce (bánh đúc sốt), steamed rice rolls (bánh cuốn), shrimp cakes (chả tôm), and dishes typical of the coastal region such as Dam Set perch, crab paste (mắm cáy), shrimp paste (mắm tép), and dipping sauce (nước chấm chẻo chắt)... The fermented pork sausage here is made from lean meat, thinly sliced pork skin, pepper, chili, garlic, and betel leaves. When eaten, visitors can taste the sweet and savory flavor of the fermented meat, the spicy kick of pepper, garlic, and chili, and a slight pungency from the betel leaves, all creating an unforgettable flavor and making it a famous gift from Thanh Hoa province.

Deep within Nghe An province, the cuisine is simple, flavorful, and rustic, just like the people of this region. A special feature of Nghe An cuisine is its unique use of spices, combined with skillful hands and the utilization of readily available ingredients such as shallots, soybeans, and young jackfruit, creating many specialties like Thanh Chuong fermented bamboo shoots, Nam Dan soy sauce, steamed rice rolls, and most famously, eel dishes that have become a trademark of Nghe An, such as eel soup, eel porridge, eel salad, eel stewed with banana and peanuts, eel stir-fried with lemongrass and chili, and eel served with rice crackers…

The eels used in this dish are freshwater eels, known for their freshness, delicious taste, and firm flesh. After being carefully and meticulously cleaned, the eels are deodorized with vinegar and chili peppers, and marinated with various spices, especially shallots – a characteristic spice of this sunny and windy region. When cooked, the eel meat becomes rich and firm, blending with the sweet and savory broth and the aroma of turmeric, pepper, chili, and shallots, leaving diners praising its deliciousness.

Eel soup with rice noodles is a famous dish from Nghe An.

The most outstanding highlight in the culinary journey of Central Vietnam is undoubtedly Hue cuisine, considered the pinnacle of Vietnamese culinary excellence due to its exquisite, elegant, and captivating flavors. In Hue, cuisine is a cultural aspect, embodying a refined and gentle style – characteristics typical of the ancient capital where emperors once reigned.

Hue cuisine is divided into two categories: royal cuisine and folk cuisine. Regardless of the category, Hue cuisine is always meticulously prepared, meeting the criteria of beautiful presentation, nutritional value, delicious taste, and harmonious flavors, from delicacies like peacock spring rolls, phoenix sausage, deer tendons, bird's nest... to clam rice, beef noodle soup, Hue sweet soup, sticky rice cakes, sesame candy, and famous pastries.

Rich in flavor from the sea.

Traveling southward, each locality reveals distinct culinary variations, creating a diverse culinary landscape in the South Central region.

Besides its long coastline with beautiful beaches and bays, the South Central region of Vietnam is also blessed with fresh seafood, from which the local people have created many famous specialties such as steamed tuna eyes with lotus seeds, tuna salad, Nam O fish salad from Da Nang, bird's nest soup with lotus seeds, shark skin, shark fin, oyster porridge, sea urchin porridge, Quy Nhon jellyfish salad, Quy Nhon fish cake, Chau Truc black eel stewed with banana and peanuts, Tay Son grilled beef rolls with sugarcane, as well as street food snacks like fish noodle soup, fish cake noodle soup, grilled spring rolls…

With their long coastlines, the coastal provinces of Central Vietnam are considered a "paradise" for seafood and swimming enthusiasts.

When visiting the South Central region of Vietnam, tourists shouldn't miss Banh It La Gai (sticky rice cake wrapped in thorny leaves) – a traditional cake of Binh Dinh province. The cake has a unique flavor, a harmonious blend of sweetness from sugar, richness from mung beans, creaminess from coconut, a hint of spiciness from ginger, and the fragrant aroma of sticky rice and thorny leaves. Banh It La Gai has become a specialty of Binh Dinh, leaving an unforgettable taste that, no matter how far they travel, people from this martial arts land still fondly remember this cake, whose shape resembles an ancient Cham tower.

Located at the southernmost tip of the South Central Coast, the Cham people, primarily residing in Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan provinces, have their own unique cooking methods that create distinctive flavors. For the Cham, cuisine reflects the pure and simple nature of their spiritual life, such as white rice porridge – a traditional dish often eaten for breakfast, symbolizing their aspirations for a peaceful and tranquil life.

Along with plain rice porridge, fried eggplant is one of the traditional dishes favored by the Cham people. Eggplant is a large type of eggplant with a mild aroma and a very soft, chewy interior, often prepared by frying or stir-frying. On rainy or chilly days, what could be better than gathering with family and enjoying a bowl of hot rice with the savory, fragrant, slightly spicy flavor of chili and fried eggplant!

Depending on the weather and climate, whether it's the rainy or dry season, Cham cuisine varies in terms of coolness, sourness, or spiciness. Typical Cham dishes include sour fish soup, mixed vegetable soup (made from various wild vegetables), various types of fish sauce, goat meat, taro leaf soup, shrimp spring rolls, etc. In addition, the Cham also have many types of cakes, mainly served in religious ceremonies and weddings, which have become attractive specialties for tourists, such as banh tet, banh it, ginger cake, and banh duc…

For the people of Central Vietnam, their resilient, hardworking nature and skillful, diligent hands have transformed the wonderful produce of their homeland into renowned delicacies that attract many tourists who visit and experience the region.

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