Culinary highlights along the Mekong River

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Eating white rice and drinking rice wine in Can Tho.

Nowhere else has rice as delicious and fragrant as in Can Tho, truly embodying the saying, "Can Tho, with its white rice and clear water." A simple bowl of white rice leaves a lasting impression on countless travelers. A foreign friend curiously asked me why Vietnamese people often greet each other with the question, "Have you eaten yet?" I replied that it's not just a question, but also a greeting, similar to how Westerners ask, "How are you?" Especially in the Mekong Delta, whenever I visit a friend's house in Can Tho, their mother will surely smile and ask, "Have you eaten yet?", and I'll greet her, "Have you eaten yet, sir/madam?"

Can Tho rice is tastier than any other in the country, yielding sweet, plump, and satisfying grains. A steaming bowl of fragrant white rice, topped with slices of beef and stir-fried cowslip flowers… makes anyone passing by turn their heads in longing. After lunch, sipping rice wine and relaxing in a hammock is a truly delightful experience.

Where there's good rice, there's good rice wine. The way people enjoy rice wine in the Mekong Delta is relaxed and down-to-earth, reflecting the character of the local people. To make a good glass of rice wine, one must carefully attend to each grain of rice, each lump of yeast, and meticulously perform each step. The rice is cooked, cooled, and then fermented; the yeast is made from ground herbal roots, or from cinnamon, cloves, tangerine peel, longan, betel leaves, etc., depending on each household. The wine is traditionally brewed using straw and rice husks, resulting in the finest flavor. However, this method is very time-consuming, so people usually only brew a few jars at home, so that when friends come to visit, the host will enthusiastically bring it out to offer.

Head to Chau Doc market to visit the "Kingdom of Fish Sauce".

Dining in this mystical Thất Sơn region, you'll see a clear cultural blend of Vietnamese, Chinese, Cham, and Khmer influences. The palm fruit is a Khmer specialty, tung lò mò (beef sausage) is a Cham delicacy, fish noodle soup has a distinct Chinese flavor, and fermented fish hotpot is very Southern Vietnamese… In Châu Đốc, you must savor a bowl of fermented fish noodle soup or enjoy a hearty fermented fish hotpot with over 20 types of vegetables and herbs with friends. Nowhere else in Vietnam has such a vibrant and refreshing culinary scene, filled with fresh vegetables, spices, and fruits, as in the Mekong Delta.

Nowhere else in Vietnam has a culinary scene as vibrant and refreshing, filled with fresh vegetables, spices, and fruits, as the Mekong Delta.

The best part about visiting Chau Doc is strolling through the fish sauce market, where you can find every type of fish sauce imaginable: Thai fish sauce, snakehead fish sauce, catfish sauce, tilapia sauce, carp sauce, anchovy sauce… These are products of the flood season, usually from around September to November each year. The fresh fish are fermented with palm sugar and roasted rice to create a unique flavor characteristic of the local people.

If you're going up Mount Sam to watch the sunset, don't forget to stop along the way and buy some piping hot, golden-brown palm sugar rice cakes. What could be better than basking in the afternoon sun, sitting on the breezy mountaintop, gazing out at the rice paddies, and savoring a sweet palm sugar rice cake? The soft, fluffy texture of the cake, the sweet richness of the sugar and coconut, and the distinctive aroma of palm sugar waft up to your nose – a truly unique experience. Palm sugar, made naturally, contains potassium, magnesium, vitamins, and antioxidants… not only nourishing but also naturally detoxifying the body. Those with a sweet tooth can enjoy them without worrying about gaining weight.

Heading to the Mekong Delta, the land of "white rice and clear water," sacred mountains, and fertile alluvial rice paddies, you will experience fascinating journeys that blend the mystique of history with the uniqueness of cultural exchange. And above all, you will find yourself immersed in the fresh and delicious cuisine as you sail down the Mekong River.

The Thanh