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Ninh Thuan is known as a sun-drenched, windy region in South Central Vietnam, with a harsh climate and high temperatures year-round. However, this hot, dry climate has bestowed upon this coastal area many unique specialties and distinctive dishes. Ninh Thuan's cuisine is a harmonious blend of Central Vietnamese cuisine and Cham culinary culture. Simple and unpretentious, just like the people of this land, Ninh Thuan's dishes and specialties are not overly elaborate in terms of presentation or decoration, but primarily focus on freshness and flavor.
If you ever visit this sunny and windy land, don't forget to "note" down these must-try specialties to fully enjoy the "Ninh Thuan Culinary Journey"!
Ninh Thuan grapes
When mentioning Ninh Thuan, one cannot fail to mention grapes – a renowned fruit whose delicious taste is unique to Ninh Thuan, a land with the most suitable climate and soil conditions in Vietnam for grape cultivation. Therefore, grapes have long been a distinctive agricultural product and an irreplaceable source of high economic benefits for Ninh Thuan. It is estimated that the total area of grape cultivation in Ninh Thuan exceeds 1,200 hectares, mainly concentrated in Ninh Phuoc, Ninh Hai, Ninh Son, and along the coast of Phan Rang-Thap Cham…
Over the past five years, grape cultivation in Ninh Thuan has developed in a sustainable ecological direction by combining it with tourism. This model is particularly well-developed in Thai An grape village, Vinh Hai commune. Unlike many other tourist destinations, visitors to the vineyards in Thai An village do not have to pay any fees to visit or take photos of these lush green vineyards; they can simply stop by, enjoy the scenery, and pick their own juicy grapes to buy as souvenirs from Ninh Thuan.
When the bright golden rays of sunlight pierce through the leaves, illuminating the entire garden, the plump, juicy grape clusters shimmer in the sun. Perhaps no one would have imagined that this dry, windy land could produce such plump, sweet grapes. Ninh Thuan grapes typically come in two main varieties: red and green. Red grapes are mildly sweet with a hint of sourness, while green grapes are intensely sweet but with a slight astringency.
Ninh Thuan people make many grape-based products themselves, such as grape jam, grape syrup, and dried grapes. However, the most notable is grape wine. While called "wine," this product is actually more like "fermented fruit juice" due to its mild flavor. Ninh Thuan grape wine has a low alcohol content, a slightly tart taste, and is enjoyable for everyone as it doesn't cause intoxication like traditional spirits. The wine, with its shimmering deep red color and amber-like clarity, boasts a rich flavor distilled from the essence of heaven and earth.
Lamb
When experiencing tourism in Ninh Thuan province, visitors will have the opportunity to see hundreds of sheep grazing freely and eating natural grasses on farms distributed throughout the province.
Lamb meat is not only a traditional dish but also a distinctive cultural feature of the Cham people, with incredibly unique preparation methods. Ninh Thuan sheep are mainly raised free-range in fields, feeding on green grass and shrubs, so the nutritional value of Ninh Thuan lamb meat is highly regarded due to its richness in protein and vitamins. Lamb is prepared in many delicious ways, such as steamed, grilled, fried, lamb curry, lamb stew with grapes, etc. Through the traditional preparation methods of the people of Ninh Thuan, the lamb meat is sweet, tender, fragrant, easy to eat, and very nutritious.
Typically, if dining in a large group, grilled lamb leg or ribs are an excellent culinary choice. A whole lamb leg weighs approximately 1.3 to 1.8 kg, ideal for about four people. Depending on the restaurant's presentation, the prepared lamb leg/ribs are usually placed on a small iron rack and grilled hot right at the table, accompanied by various herbs, creating an unforgettable sweet and savory flavor. Grilled lamb dishes here are often served with mustard or salt, pepper, and lime to enhance the taste.
In Phan Rang, tourists can easily find delicious grilled lamb on the beautiful Ninh Chu beach or along Ngo Gia Tu street next to the 16/4 lake. There's nothing more enjoyable than savoring grilled lamb in the very land considered the kingdom of sheep.
Banh Can - Banh Xeo
Banh can and banh xeo are also specialties on the list of must-try dishes when visiting Ninh Thuan. Unlike other provinces and cities, Ninh Thuan's banh can and banh xeo have their own unique characteristics.
With fresh seafood as its main ingredient, Ninh Thuan's banh xeo (Vietnamese savory pancake) is distinctly different from Southern Vietnamese banh xeo, boasting a rich, oceanic flavor. Each small pancake resembles a tiny plate, with a thin batter that doesn't tear. The batter isn't overly oiled, and the thickness is just right to create a crispy texture without savoring the pancake's softness. The filling, consisting of shrimp, squid, meat, onions, and bean sprouts, creates a fragrant aroma, and the cooked batter has an appealing golden-yellow hue.
Ninh Thuan's banh can is quite similar to banh khot, but it's made with a mixture of rice flour and glutinous rice flour, and the filling uses shrimp, squid, meat, or eggs. It's baked in a clay pot with many tiny trays, creating a very special slightly charred, earthy aroma.
The dipping sauces for these two types of pancakes in Ninh Thuan are also quite special. Connoisseurs will mix all four types of sauce in their bowl: sweet and sour fish sauce, peanut fish sauce, seasoned fish sauce, and fish sauce. The vegetables served with banh can and banh xeo are fresh herbs such as mint, basil, and fish mint, along with thinly sliced cucumber, sliced starfruit, or finely chopped green mango.
In Ninh Thuan, banh can and banh xeo are sold as a daily breakfast for locals before work and can be found at small roadside stalls on every street. Besides breakfast, enjoying these two hot dishes at night in the cool coastal city is also not a bad idea!
Jellyfish noodle soup
It would be a great oversight if the list of Ninh Thuan specialties didn't include this incredibly delicious jellyfish noodle soup. Jellyfish has long been a specialty dish in restaurants in coastal cities. There are many ways to prepare jellyfish, such as jellyfish salad and jellyfish relish. However, when visiting Ninh Thuan, especially Phan Rang, there's one jellyfish dish you absolutely can't miss – a bowl of exceptionally unique jellyfish noodle soup unlike any other.
The jellyfish used to make jellyfish noodle soup are small, about the size of a thumb or toe, opaque white, with thick walls, harvested by fishermen from remote islands, unlike the common jellyfish that cause itching. Even so, the jellyfish used for preparation must be mature, firm, and fleshy.
However, the most special thing about Ninh Thuan's jellyfish noodle soup is the broth, which is made with tomatoes and scad fish – a type of fish only about three fingers long with a tail tied in a bow-like shape, boneless, and with an unforgettable sweet taste. Ninh Thuan jellyfish noodle soup is usually served with shredded water spinach, sliced banana blossom, and other fresh herbs such as basil and bean sprouts. When eating jellyfish noodle soup in this sunny and windy land, you can't miss a small spoonful of shrimp paste as an accompaniment. Sip a spoonful of broth to feel the delicate sweetness of the fish, chew a piece of jellyfish to feel the crispy texture and the pungent aroma of the sea, along with the fragrant shrimp paste and the nutty flavor of roasted peanuts.
Each hearty bowl of jellyfish noodle soup costs only 25,000 to 30,000 VND, providing diners with sufficient nutrients while remaining light on a hot, humid afternoon. Jellyfish noodle soup is sold in many places in Phan Rang city, but the most famous and highly recommended is the jellyfish noodle soup stall at 85 Le Loi Street, usually open during lunchtime and afternoon. When eating jellyfish noodle soup at this stall, diners can order a bottle of refreshing aloe vera or winter melon juice to cool down in the summer heat!
Grapevine
Ninh Thuan has long had highly developed lagoons and estuaries for aquaculture. Besides shrimp farming, in the last 5 years, people in Ninh Thuan have combined this with the cultivation of sea grapes to improve the quality of the aquaculture environment. Sea grapes grow very quickly and can be cultivated in combination with other crops, yielding incomes 2 to 3 times higher than traditional aquaculture. Ninh Hai district is currently considered the "capital" of sea grape cultivation.
Sea grapes, also known as green caviar, are a natural food belonging to the algae family. They resemble green grapes in shape and color, clustering together on long stems. Fresh sea grapes can be easily enjoyed at any seafood restaurant in Ninh Thuan. They are also readily available in clear plastic containers or convenient zip-lock bags. Currently, Ninh Thuan sea grapes are sold in two forms: fresh and salted. The fresh form is highly nutritious but can only be stored for about a week at room temperature, while the salted form can be preserved for three months in the refrigerator.
Sea grapes can be used in salads or as a side dish with main courses, easily incorporated as a green vegetable in family meals. For best freshness, they can be made into smoothies or eaten raw chilled with sauces such as mustard, soy sauce, mayonnaise, or sesame sauce. Additionally, sea grapes can be used in hot pot, soups, and desserts.
Fresh sea grapes are crunchy, refreshing, with a balanced sour and salty taste and a very unique flavor. They are a highly nutritious food source, containing many vitamins A, E, C, B12, calcium, iron, and trace minerals that are very good for health.
