Specialty Cuisine In Regions Of Vietnam

Vietnam's territory stretches from North to South, Vietnam is divided into 3 geographical regions that are North, Central and South. These 3 geographical regions have a total of 63 provinces and cities, 54 ethnic groups are living in all regions, of which the Kinh ethnic group is the majority.

In terms of cuisine, architectural style, accent, customs, etc., each region in Vietnam has its own characteristics. Thanks to that, it creates a valuable diversity for the whole Vietnamese culture.

I. Three geographical regions of Vietnam's territory

According to natural geography, Vietnam is divided into 3 regions: North, Central and South

1. Northern

The North consists of 25 provinces and is divided into 3 small territories:

- Northwest: includes 6 provinces, which are Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Dien Bien, Hoa Binh, Lai Chau, and Son La. This area is mainly located on the right bank of the Red River. Particularly, Lao Cai and Yen Bai are sometimes still classified in the northeast sub-region.

- Northeast: Including 09 provinces, which are Ha Giang, Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Tuyen Quang, Thai Nguyen, Phu Tho, Bac Giang, and Quang Ninh.

- Red River Delta: Including 09 provinces and 01 city, which are Bac Ninh, Ha Nam, Hanoi, Hai Duong, Hai Phong, Hung Yen, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Thai Binh, Vinh Phuc.

The Northeast, Northwest and West of Vietnam are mountainous and midland regions including many mountain ranges and massifs, plateaus and hills. It is also home to many ethnic minority groups.

2. Central

The central provinces include 19 provinces divided into 3 different territories:

- North Central: Including 06 provinces, namely Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue.

- South Central Coast: includes 7 states and 1 city in the order North - South: Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan.

- Central Highlands: Including 05 provinces, which are Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Lam Dong.

The two regions of the North Central Coast and the South Central Coast (the South Central Coast is sometimes referred to as the South Central Coast for short) are collectively known as the Central Coast. Bach Ma massif, where Hai Van pass is located, is considered the boundary between the North and South Central Coast.

3. South

Southern provinces include 19 provinces divided into 2 different geographical areas:

- Southeast: Consists of 5 provinces and 1 city, namely Binh Phuoc, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Tay Ninh, Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Ho Chi Minh City.

- Mekong Delta (West Side): Includes 12 provinces and 1 city, which are Long An, Dong Thap, Tien Giang, An Giang, Ben Tre, Vinh Long, Tra Vinh, Hau Giang, Kien Giang, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu , Ca Mau and Can Tho City.

See more: Traveling To Provinces Of Vietnam 

II. What are the specialties of each region?

Vietnamese cuisine is very diverse in each region, the dishes have different flavors and characteristics. It is the richness of that culture that has made Vietnamese cuisine praised and loved by many international friends. The difference is made from the use of ingredients, processing, mixing spices and eating habits of each region. But all still have certain things in common because they are Vietnamese dishes.

See more: All About Food In Vietnam

1. What is the specialty dish of Northern Vietnam?

Most of the dishes of the Northern people are frugal, light, not too spicy and often emphasize the natural freshness of each food. The meals of the people of the North are popular with many vegetables and freshwater aquatic products such as crab, fish, mussels, shrimp, etc. A common feature that can be clearly seen in the dishes of the Northern people is that it is less sweet, less spicy and has a distinctive aroma during processing. Northern Vietnamese specialties represent the quintessence of longstanding national cuisine.

Some of the dishes include:

+ Phở

+ Bún chả

+ Cốm làng Vòng

+ Bánh đa cua Hải Phòng

+ Trâu gác bếp Tây Bắc

+ Bánh gai Hải Dương

+ Bún Thang

+ Bún đậu mắm tôm

Some dishes can be mentioned such as:  nem cua bể, bánh cốm, bánh đậu xanh, etc., are also specialties of the North of Vietnam.

• - Phở

Referring to Northern specialties, many people will immediately think of Hanoi Phở - a dish representing the whole Vietnamese culinary culture and honored to be included in the list of 50 most delicious dishes in the world. The soul of the dish comes from the sweet, fragrant broth, soft noodles mixed with juicy slices of beef, a little more bean sprouts and green onions.

• - Bún chả

Bun Cha is the most durable food of Ha Noi. The delicious rolls are made from minced shoulder meat, round balls, add a few slices of pork belly, grilled golden served with vermicelli, and diluted fish sauce. The delicious dish also has the sour taste of melon and the harmonious aroma of garlic and the freshness of raw vegetables.

In 2016, former US President Barack Obama had a visit to Vietnam. During the visit, Mr. Obama had the opportunity to enjoy Vietnamese rustic dishes with the late famous chef Anthony Bourdain at a bun cha restaurant in Hanoi.

See more: Traditional Food In Vietnam: 10 Dishes You Need To Try 

• - Cốm làng Vòng

A dish associated with the beauty of autumn in Hanoi is Cốm làng Vòng. It is a young green flat rice dish made from glutinous rice with yellow flowers that has just passed the milking period. Com is wrapped in lotus leaves, diners will eat small pieces to feel the slight sweetness of young sticky rice mixed with the sweet scent of lotus.

• - Bánh đa cua Hải Phòng

Bánh đa cua is the most famous delicacy in cuisine and one of the famous Northern specialties. The dish has the ability to attract all diners because of its very own delicious taste made from many kinds of ingredients such as red rice paper, shrimp, fish, crab meat, lolot rolls, etc.

• - Trâu gác bếp Tây Bắc

Trâu gác bếp Tây Bắc made from fresh buffalo meat, seasoned with rich spices. Then, the meat is smoked from firewood taken from the caves to obtain a finished product with a characteristic delicious taste. To enjoy, this northern specialty is usually grilled or steamed in water.

• - Bánh gai Hải Dương

With a smooth soft shell and sweet filling, Bánh gai Ninh Giang is a unique product of Hai Duong cuisine. The cake is made of glutinous rice flour with yellow flowers mixed with hemp leaf powder, honey to have a shiny black color, the inner package is the filling including: green beans, fatty meat, lotus, coconut, peanuts, ... With an aromatic flavor Delicious, different, Ninh Giang gai cake is a specialty of the North that is loved by many people.

• - Bún Thang

Bún thang is an equally sophisticated dish, with alluring flavors that make up a specialty dish of Hanoi. The name bun thang y chi bowl is made up of many ingredients that combine to form fried eggs, shredded chicken, shiitake mushrooms, sliced pork rolls, and laksa leaves cleverly arranged to create satisfaction. Mix on top of vermicelli, then add broth.

To make an attractive bowl of bun thang for people to enjoy is a complicated process and requires the ingenuity and experience of the cook. What makes bun thang special is that it is added with a little special essential oil to bring up the smell of the whole bowl of vermicelli, making the audience conquered at the first time when smelling the aroma.

• - Bún đậu mắm tôm
  

It seems that northern cuisine is associated with rustic, traditional dishes and Bún đậu mắm tôm is also one of the typical dishes of this region. Not only favored by the people of the North, but today to please the guests, Bún đậu mắm tôm has been found everywhere stretching from the North to the South.

Bún đậu mắm tôm is a popular snack from easy going people to gourmets who also suffer from the characteristic taste of shrimp paste. A delicious noodle soup must of course have all the ingredients from fresh vermicelli, crispy golden fried tofu, well-blosed fried rice nuggets, pork, served with coriander.

2. What is the specialty dish of Central Vietnam?

Unlike the Northern people, the dishes of the Central people are more spicy but the sweetness is less than the South, along with the colors are mixed richly, brightly, in favor of red and dark brown. Referring to Central cuisine, it is impossible not to mention the charming cuisine of Hue people, dishes for commoners or kings all use a lot of spices, especially sour and spicy like in fish sauce, shrimp paste, etc.

Some of them are: 

+ Mì Quảng

+ Bún cá and Bún sứa

+ Bánh tráng cuốn thịt heo

+ Bún bò Huế

+ Bánh cuốn Tây Sơn

+ Cơm hến

+ Bánh bèo chén

+ Súp lươn

+ Nem chua Thanh Hóa

+ etc.

• - Mì quảng (Quang noodles)

Referring to Central delicacies, we can imagine countless dishes in our heads, but the most typical dish must be Quang noodles. In fact, the name Quang noodles is probably a common way of saying that temporarily borrowed the word "noodles" because the composition of Quang noodles is made of rice flour, not with flour like the types of noodles we still enjoy, it has a slightly yellow color. Served with Quang noodles are quail eggs, shrimp, pork or chicken, in addition to creating a special feature for Quang noodles, it is indispensable to include vegetables, grated bananas, basil and broken rice cakes.

• - Bún cá and bún sứa Nha Trang (Fish vermicelli and jellyfish vermicelli)

Nha Trang fish vermicelli is a specialty dish of Khanh Hoa province with a special flavor that is hard to confuse. The vermicelli dish has a clear and sweet broth, the rich flavor of crispy fish cakes. Fish noodle soup is a wonderful blend of colors and flavors of many types of ingredients such as: vermicelli, steamed fish cakes, fried spring rolls, pickled rolls, jellyfish and a variety of vegetables. This is an extremely attractive Vietnamese specialty dish that can satisfy all fastidious diners in the journey to Nha Trang.

• - Bánh tráng cuốn thịt heo - Đà Nẵng (Rice paper rolls with pork)

Bánh tráng cuốn thịt heo is one of the specialties of Da Nang. A piece of rice paper, which is soft and chewy, rolled with a thin slice of greasy boiled pork, dipped with a distinctive salty, sweet, and spicy seasoning sauce.

Bánh tráng cuốn thịt heo also has the presence of many vegetables and fruits to serve such as: lettuce, herbs, mango, sour star fruit, green banana, cucumber, etc. Thanks to its delicious taste, it is both fresh and delicious. Both delicious and delicious, this Vietnamese specialty dish makes many visitors fall in love the first time they taste it.

• - Bún bò Huế (Beef Noodles)

Bún bò Huế  is a Vietnamese specialty from the ancient capital, a dish that makes diners from all over the world remember it by its eye-catching color and rich flavor. The difference of this Hue specialty is the large noodles, slices of sweet and fragrant beef, pork blood, fatty crab cakes served with onions, coriander, bean sprouts, and cool shaved bananas. The soul of the dish is a rich sweet broth that is simmered from beef bones, adding a little fish sauce and lemongrass to bring up a strong aroma.

• - Bánh cuốn Tây Sơn (Spring roll cake)
  

Bánh cuốn Tây Sơn is a traditional dish but has a very simple and rustic part. Just one cake is enough for a full meal but enough quality. Because the filling consists of crispy spring rolls, soft fried beans mixed with a little bit of fat, boiled duck eggs, grilled meat, and some coriander. The outer layer of rice paper is also very special, moderately chewy, adding a little special sauce to create a very unique flavor for bánh cuốn Tay Son, definitely when traveling to discover Vietnamese cuisine, visitors must taste it once. 

• - Mussel rice

If you think that certain dishes must be eaten hot to be delicious, then when using mussel rice in the Central region, you have to think again. Mussel rice is a combination of cold rice mixed with boiled mussels, mint, deep-fried pork skin with a bit of fat, a little richness of fish sauce, and the flesh of roasted peanuts, adding the pungent taste of chili peppers. Mix it all together and enjoy. Talking about mussel rice, perhaps the only mussel broth used as a side dish must be hot to combine to taste delicious.

• - Bánh bèo chén

Banh beo, although few people use it for the main meal, it is a familiar dish to eat in the morning or late afternoon. Like most traditional cakes, the main ingredient of banh beo is rice flour, but it has a different processing method. Banh beo cup attracts people because the cake is molded in a small bowl, when the main part is added to the filling made from pureed shrimp, sprinkled with a little fried onion, roasted beans, paprika, scallions, etc. When eating, add a little fish sauce to add more flavor. This is a popular dish that is quite affordable, but it is a specialty when it comes to Central delicacies.

• - Eel soup 

Although it is a rustic dish, Nghe An eel soup makes many diners fascinated with its special taste. Eel soup is honored to be a Vietnamese specialty voted by CNN as one of the 7 best breakfast dishes in the world. The dish impresses with sweet and firm eel meat mixed with a light fatty soup and the spicy aroma of onion, turmeric, pepper and chili. Traveling to Nghe An, you will easily encounter many shops selling eel soup on the street and street vendors on the street corner.

• - Nem chua Thanh Hoá (Sour Spring Rolls)

If you have the opportunity to come to Thanh Hoa, do not miss the opportunity to enjoy the famous spring rolls. Thanh Hoa spring rolls have a cylindrical shape, the crispy taste of pork skin, the sour taste of fermented meat and the pungent taste of garlic and chili, etc.

The people of Thanh also cleverly combine the leaves of cloves to create a unique strong aroma. This Vietnamese specialty is made according to an heirloom recipe with a flexible incubation time according to the seasons to create just the right amount of sourness. Thanks to the unforgettable aftertaste, spring rolls are chosen by many tourists after their trip to Thanh Hoa.

3. What is the specialty dish of Southern Vietnam?

Southern cuisine brings a feeling of generosity to the taste buds, mixed in with a little sweetness in the use of seasoning sugar. With a favorable geographical position combined with a mild climate, the South is favored by nature for diverse natural products. This place is also the intersection between regions and has gathered many ethnic groups to live for a long time such as Khmer, Chinese, etc. Create a rich culinary background.

Southern cuisine is quite sweet and sour, often adding sugar and coconut milk to the dish. This land produces countless Vietnamese specialties from the rich source of saltwater and brackish water, creating typical rustic dishes. The following are attractive dishes that you must try when traveling to the South:

+ Cơm tấm Sài Gòn

+ Gỏi cuốn

+ Bánh tráng trộn

+ Bánh mì

+ Lẫu mắm

+ etc.

• - Cơm tấm Sài Gòn

Cơm tấm is a popular dish familiar to the people of the South. On the way, we can easily see shops selling breakfast and lunch with the sign "cơm tấm sườn bì chả". Hearing the name, we can already guess what the main ingredient of this dish is.  It is a combination of hot white rice cooked from rice. The meat is seasoned and then grilled with charcoal until fragrant. Add a little bit of Bì, and finally, it is indispensable to have a cup of fish sauce made with a slightly sweet taste, all creating an extremely familiar but delicious dish.

• - Gỏi cuốn (Salad rolls)

Gỏi cuốn with an eye-catching appearance have a clear white color, see through the inside, stimulate the taste, a little green of chives, white of fresh vermicelli, add the sliced pork, and are made highlighted by the red color of shrimp. The skillful way of wrapping the hand creates beautiful salads that attract visitors. The dipping sauce of spring rolls is also very diverse depending on each person's taste, including made fish sauce, rich seasoning fish sauce or a cup of dipping sauce is a combination of the typical fatty taste of soybeans mixed with lightly fragrant roasted peanuts. No matter what kind of dipping sauce is served with, it is an irresistible combination of Southern cuisine.

• - Bánh tráng trộn (mixed rice paper cake)

In Saigon, this Vietnamese specialty is present in every street and restaurant and is varied with many super attractive flavors such as: rice paper mixed with fat, satay, butter rice paper, ... Therefore, the mixed rice paper can satisfy and conquer the taste of all diners.

• - Bánh mì 

In Vietnam, in 1859, bread was called Baguette bread. At that time, because of economic conditions, bread was only used as a snack.

After that, under the creativity and ingenuity of Vietnamese bakers, bread rolls bearing the very nature of Vietnamese people were born. Initially, there were only a few small but very famous places like Hoa Ma bread, then the bread continued to be improved and the length as it is today. Experiencing many ups and downs in history, today bread has become a special highlight in Vietnamese cuisine.

The main ingredients for making Vietnamese bread are spring rolls, shumai, roast pork, pate, stewed minced meat with spices, etc. There are also eggs, sardines, shredded chicken, onion fat, ham, butter... Going around the three regions of the country you will find that each region will have its own unique flavor of bread, but it's delicious everywhere. sobbing the hearts of many diners.

Today's rustic cake is sold all over the roads in big cities to the countryside, making many foreign diners excited. People no longer consider bread as a toy anymore, but bread has become the main dish for all subjects, it is both delicious, cheap and very convenient.

See more: Beyond Pho and Banh Mi: 9 Must-Eat Traditional Vietnamese Food

• - Lẩu mắm, bún mắm Miền Tây (hotpot fish sauce)

Lẩu mắm is a combination of diverse foods from hot pot, seafood to vegetables. To create a great flavor, people often use two types of fish sauce, which are Linh fish sauce or snakehead fish. When the hot pot boils, put in it roast pork, fish, squid, snails, scallops... Don't forget to dip the vegetables, which are extremely diverse, including more than a dozen typical vegetables. Talking about the variety of ingredients used in a dish, perhaps nothing compares to Lẫu mắm.

Above are the special dishes in 3 regions of Vietnam. Thanks to the differentiation of nature and the creativity of the people, each region has its own typical dishes, forming Vietnamese culture and attracting international tourists. If you have the opportunity to come to Vietnam, hope you will choose delicious food and enjoy it.

See more: Discovering The Tasty Vietnamese Street Food