Mentioning Ninh Thuan is mentioning a South Central region full of sunshine and wind, harsh climate with high temperatures all year round. However, the hot and dry climate has bestowed this coastal region with many specialties and unique dishes. Ninh Thuan cuisine is the fusion and harmonious combination of Central cuisine and Cham culinary culture. Simple and rustic like the people in this land, Ninh Thuan's dishes and specialties are often not too fussy about form or decoration but mainly focus on "freshness" and "flavor".
If you ever visit this sunny and windy land, don't forget to "note" these must-try specialties to fully enjoy the "Ninh Thuan Culinary Journey"!
Ninh Thuan Grapes
When talking about Ninh Thuan, we cannot help but mention grapes - a famous fruit that only Ninh Thuan can produce such a delicious taste in the entire S-shaped strip of land. Ninh Thuan is the land with the most suitable climate and soil conditions in Vietnam for grape growth and development. Therefore, grapes have long been a typical agricultural product and brought irreplaceable high economic benefits to Ninh Thuan. According to estimates, the total grape growing area in Ninh Thuan is more than 1,200 hectares, mainly concentrated in Ninh Phuoc, Ninh Hai, Ninh Son and along the coast of Phan Rang-Thap Cham...
In the past 5 years, the grape growing industry in Ninh Thuan has developed in a sustainable ecological direction when combined with tourism. This model is typically developed in Thai An grape village, Vinh Hai commune. Unlike many other tourist areas, visitors to the vineyards in Thai An village will not have to pay any fee to visit or take pictures of these lush green vineyards, just stop by and pick the juicy bunches of grapes to buy as a gift from Ninh Thuan.
When the golden rays of sunlight shine through the trellis, shimmering the entire garden, it is also the time when the plump bunches of grapes "shine" in the sunlight. Perhaps no one expected that this dry, windy and sunny land could produce such plump, sweet bunches of grapes. Ninh Thuan grapes usually have the main types of red grapes and green grapes. Red grapes are sweet and sour, green grapes are sweet but have a slight astringent taste.
There are many grape products that Ninh Thuan people make themselves such as: grape jam, grape honey, raisins, etc., but especially grape wine. It is called "wine" but in fact this product is more like "fermented fruit juice" because of its mildness. Ninh Thuan grape wine has a light alcohol content, a slightly astringent taste and anyone can enjoy it because it does not cause intoxication like traditional wines. The glasses of grape wine are shimmering, dark red, clear as amber with a passionate flavor distilled from the quintessence of heaven and earth.
Lamb
Experiencing tourism in Ninh Thuan, visitors will have the opportunity to see with their own eyes hundreds of sheep grazing and eating natural grass on farms distributed throughout the province.
Lamb is not only a rustic dish but also a typical cultural feature of the Cham people with extremely unique recipes. Ninh Thuan sheep are mainly raised by people in the fields to eat green grass and bushes, so the nutritional value of Ninh Thuan lamb is highly appreciated because it is rich in protein and vitamins... Lamb is processed into many delicious dishes such as: steamed lamb, grilled lamb, fried lamb, lamb cooked with grapes... Through the traditional processing method of Ninh Thuan people, lamb is sweet, soft, fragrant, easy to eat and very rich in nutrients.
Normally, if you go in a large group, grilled lamb leg or grilled lamb chops are definitely a great culinary choice. A whole lamb leg will weigh about 1.3 to 1.8 kg, very suitable for about 4 people. Depending on the arrangement of each restaurant, the lamb leg/ribs after being pre-processed are often placed on a small iron rack, grilled and eaten right at the table with herbs, bringing an unforgettable sweet and fragrant flavor. Grilled lamb dishes here are often dipped in mustard or salt, pepper and lemon to enhance the flavor of the dish.
Coming to Phan Rang, tourists can easily find fragrant grilled lamb pieces at the blue Ninh Chu beach or on Ngo Gia Tu street next to the 16/4 lake. There is nothing more interesting than enjoying grilled lamb in the land considered the kingdom of sheep.
Banh can - banh xeo
Banh can and banh xeo are also specialties on the list of dishes not to be missed when coming to Ninh Thuan. Different from other provinces, Ninh Thuan banh can and banh xeo have their own unique characteristics.
With the main element of the dish being the taste of fresh seafood, Ninh Thuan pancakes are completely different from Southern pancakes because of the rich flavor of the sea. Each cake is small like a small plate, the dough is thin but not torn. The cake does not use much oil to coat the mold, the amount of dough is just thick enough to create crispiness without losing the elasticity of the cake. The filling includes shrimp, squid, meat, onions and bean sprouts on top, creating a fragrant aroma, the color of the cooked dough is slightly golden brown and eye-catching.
Ninh Thuan Banh Can is quite similar to Banh Khot, but is made from rice flour mixed with sticky rice, and the filling can be shrimp, squid, meat or eggs. It is baked on a clay pot with many tiny trays, creating a very special, burnt, pungent aroma.
The dipping sauces for these two types of cakes in Ninh Thuan are also quite special. Gourmets will mix four types of dipping sauces into their bowls, including: sweet and sour fish sauce, peanut fish sauce, fermented fish sauce, and braised fish sauce. Vegetables served with banh can and banh xeo are fresh herbs such as perilla, cinnamon, fish mint, etc., along with thinly sliced cucumber, sliced star fruit, or finely chopped green mango.
Banh Can and Banh Xeo in Ninh Thuan are sold as a daily breakfast for people before going to work and appear in small roadside stalls on every street. Besides breakfast, having a late night snack with these two hot cakes in the cold of the coastal city is not a bad idea either!
Jellyfish noodles
It would be a mistake if the list of Ninh Thuan specialties did not mention this extremely delicious jellyfish noodle dish. Jellyfish has long been a specialty dish in restaurants in coastal cities. There are many ways to prepare jellyfish dishes such as: jellyfish salad, jellyfish salad... However, when coming to Ninh Thuan, especially Phan Rang, there is a jellyfish dish that cannot be missed - that is a bowl of jellyfish noodle soup that is extremely unique and unlike any other bowl of jellyfish noodle soup anywhere.
Jellyfish used to make jellyfish noodles are small, the size of a big toe or thumb, opaque white, thick-walled, caught by fishermen from faraway islands, completely different from the types of jellyfish that usually cause itching. Although the jellyfish are like that, the jellyfish used to make this dish must be old, firm and thick-fleshed.
However, the most special thing about Ninh Thuan jellyfish noodles is the broth made from tomatoes and catfish - a type of fish only as big as three fingers with a tail tied like a small bow, boneless and with an unforgettable sweet taste. Ninh Thuan jellyfish noodles are often eaten with split water spinach, shredded banana stems and other raw vegetables such as basil, fresh bean sprouts... When eating jellyfish noodles in this sunny and windy land, you cannot miss a small spoonful of shrimp paste to go with it. Try a spoonful of broth to feel the sweetness of the fish, chew a piece of jellyfish to feel the crunchy taste of the sea along with the strong aroma of shrimp paste, the rich taste of roasted peanuts.
Each full bowl of jellyfish noodles costs only 25,000 to 30,000 VND, providing visitors with enough nutrients while still feeling light on a hot, sunny afternoon. Jellyfish noodles are sold in many places in Phan Rang city, but the most famous and "whispered" by many people is the Jellyfish noodles restaurant at 85 Le Loi, usually sold at noon and in the afternoon. When eating jellyfish noodles at this restaurant, visitors can order an additional bottle of aloe vera or cold winter melon juice to drink to cool off in the summer!
Sea grapes
Ninh Thuan has always had very developed lagoons for aquaculture. In addition to shrimp lagoons, Ninh Thuan people have in the past 5 years combined with raising seaweed to improve the quality of the aquaculture environment because they grow very quickly and can be planted and intercropped, bringing in 2 to 3 times higher income than pure aquaculture. Ninh Hai district is currently considered the "capital" of seaweed.
Sea grapes, also known as green fish eggs, are a natural food, belonging to the algae family, with the shape and color of green grapes, clustered together in clusters on long stems. At any seafood restaurant in Ninh Thuan, you can easily enjoy fresh seaweed. Buying is also easy when seaweed is sold in transparent plastic boxes or in convenient zip bags. Currently, seaweed in Ninh Thuan is sold in 2 types: fresh and salted. The fresh form is rich in nutrients but can only be kept for about 1 week at room temperature, while the salted form is packaged and preserved for 3 months in the refrigerator.
Sea grapes can be processed into salads or vegetables to be eaten with main dishes in meals, easy to use as a green vegetable in family meals. Normally, to ensure the best freshness, it can be made into smoothies or eaten raw, chilled with sauces such as mustard, soy sauce, mayonnaise, sesame sauce... Besides, sea grapes can also be used to cook hot pot, soup, sweet soup,...
Fresh seaweed is crunchy, refreshing, has a moderate sour and salty taste and a very special flavor. This is a very nutritious food source, containing many vitamins A, E, C, B12, calcium, iron and trace minerals that are very good for health.
