A series of specialties of the flood season that people in the West crave

Every year, during the flood season around August - November, many tourists return to the West to enjoy unique specialties.

Wild shrimp and sesbania flower salad Wild shrimp or muong rut is a familiar flower to people in the Western region, often combined with other ingredients in cooking, making soup, salad, hot pot, vermicelli... In particular, wild shrimp and sesbania flower salad is one of the unique dishes that are rarely found anywhere. The main ingredients of this dish include shrimp and sesbania flowers, all of which are quickly stir-fried over the fire until cooked. When eating, diners will feel the characteristic aroma of sesbania, the salty and crunchy taste of shrimp. This dish is served with spicy chili fish sauce to make it even more delicious.

Loạt đặc sản mùa nước nổi nhắc là thèm của người miền Tây — Shrimp and water mimosa flower salad is a famous specialty of the Western region. Photo: Foody

Chives with fish sauce Chives, also known as water pearls, are a type of seaweed that grows naturally in freshwater and alum soil in the West, commonly appearing during the flood season. Because they are deep in the muddy water, after picking them, the workers must wash and shake the chives clean. The young chive leaves are succulent, have a cool, crispy taste, and the white stem near the base is the most delicious. Chives are often eaten raw with fish sauce. In addition, this plant can also be used to cook sour soup.

Braised Dolphins Dolphins are a type of catfish, quite rare and beautiful in appearance, often living in the freshwater of the Mekong Delta. When diving underwater or caught and brought ashore, the fish often makes a "gurgling, squealing" sound like a pig, so it is called dolphins. Dolphins are only about the size of three adult fingers, usually have their heads, tails, scales cut off, and their intestines removed, washed with vinegar to reduce the fishy smell and slime. After the fish is processed, put it on the stove and simmer until the water has receded, the fish meat is soft and viscous, then you can enjoy it. Diners love this dish because the fish meat is delicious, the skin is tough and fatty, and it is not always possible to enjoy it in the West because dolphins are becoming increasingly rare.

Grilled snakehead fish Snakehead fish appear a lot during the flood season. In addition to being processed into sour soup, people in the West often grill the fish - grill the whole fish without having to gut, scale or clean it to keep the fish flavor rich. The fish will be skewered on bamboo sticks, stuck in the ground, covered with straw and smoked until fragrant. Snakehead fish is most delicious when it is just cooked, the inside is still moist but the outside is charred, the skin is golden and crispy. This dish is often dipped in salt, pepper, lemon, rice paper rolls and herbs, green banana, cucumber, star fruit, and tamarind fish sauce.

Linh fish hotpot with water mimosa flowers It would be a big mistake if you come to the West without trying Linh fish hotpot with water mimosa flowers. A full hotpot will include linh fish, coriander, typical Western vegetables, water spinach, pickled mustard greens... Linh fish is only as small as a little finger but has soft bones, fatty and rich taste, it is the soul of the hotpot. In particular, the fish cooks quickly so do not give it in advance but put it in as you eat. A hotpot of linh fish hotpot costs from 200,000 - 300,000 VND.