From the sweet and savory dishes to the aromatic spices, the flavors of Ben Tre will keep your taste buds tantalized.
Ben Tre, a picturesque province in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam, is renowned for its verdant scenery, meandering rivers, and hospitable locals. From the vibrant city of Ben Tre to the peaceful villages of the countryside, there is something for everyone to discover. One of the best activities to experience is savoring the scrumptious traditional cuisine. From the delectable savory dishes to the fragrant spices, the flavors of Ben Tre will tantalize your taste buds and leave you mesmerized.
Keo Dua (Coconut candy)
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| Photo: Mekongsmiletour |
When we mention Ben Tre, Keo Dua (Coconut candy) is an iconic delicacy of this land that is highly recommended to the tourists visiting here and is adored by many. This sweet treat is sure to tantalize your taste buds and leave you wanting more! From the delightful aroma of freshly grated coconut to the smooth texture of the candy, it’s no wonder why Keo Dua is considered one of the most popular treats in Ben Tre. So, the next time you’re in the area, make sure to try this exquisite local delicacy and experience the true flavor of Ben Tre!
With its signature sweet and greasy flavor, these candies come in a variety of hues, from green, milky white to brown. The delightful taste and texture is sure to make you swoon, and the candy is soft, easy to chew and carefully packaged for sale in supermarkets throughout Vietnam.
Coconut candy is a delicious treat made with simple ingredients: creamy coconut milk, malt, and granulated sugar. Crafting this sweet delight is no easy feat, however. It takes skilled and experienced candy makers to create each and every perfectly-formed piece. Every coconut candy is a reflection of the heart and love of Ben Tre, the world-renowned home of this delicious treat.
Knife-cut rice flour soup cake (Banh Canh Bot Xat)
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| Photo: Street Food Thao Vy |
Unlike other types of rice-based cakes found in Central Vietnam, the Knife-Cut Rice Flour Soup Cake (Banh Canh Bot Xat) is made with duck meat and eaten with a ginger fish sauce. Its simplicity gives it a unique and unforgettable flavor.
To make a delectable bowl of banh canh, local people must select quality rice and undergo careful manual processing so that the cake is soft, sweet, and fragrant. The broth has a cloudy hue from the rice flour when cooked, blended with the seasoning to create a unique flavor that can be found nowhere else.
The duck meat can be cooked in a variety of ways to enhance its flavor. One option is to cook it with flour soup cakes. To prepare this dish, the duck meat should be fried separately before being added to the soup. Once cooked, the soup cakes should be scooped out into a bowl and sprinkled with cilantro and pepper to add a burst of flavor and richness. Enjoy!
Banh Chuoi Nuong Ben Tre (Ben Tre flattened grilled banana)
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| Photo: Mekongsmiletour |
This is one of the typical and famous dishes in the land of coconut – Quy Nhon. The main ingredients to make this dish are ripe bananas which are peeled and then grilled over charcoal for around five minutes. After grilling, each piece of banana is placed in a plastic bag and pounded with a pestle. This dish is served with coconut milk which provides a delicious combination of the sweet and fatty taste. The unique taste of this dish is something that is truly unforgettable.
Grilled snakehead fish (Ca Loc Nuong Trui)
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| Photo: Bach hoa XANH |
If you have an opportunity to visit Ben Tre, you should not miss out on the chance to experience the scrumptious delight of grilled snakehead fish. This dish is cooked with great skill and ingenuity, highlighting the culinary talent of the local people.
This tantalizing dish uses snakehead fish caught fresh and alive and then cleaned and left whole. The fish is then skewered through and grilled to perfection using the heat from burning straw. Enjoy the flavor of this truly unique dish!
The succulent fish meat still retains its rich and sweet flavor with minimal seasoning. Hotly grilled and served with crisp raw vegetables, vermicelli, and a dash of spicy chili garlic fish sauce, this dish is sure to tantalize the taste buds of even the most discerning diners.
Banh Dua Giong Luong (Giong Luong coconut cake)
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| Photo: Bao Thanh Nien |
In Ben Tre, particularly in the Giong Luong area, a traditional dish that has been around for generations is coconut cake. This cake is small in size and has a tube shape that is quite similar to the traditional Vietnamese cake known as Banh Tet.
To make a delicious coconut cake, one must be meticulous in their approach, from choosing the right ingredients to processing them correctly. The dough for this delectable treat should be made with waxy glutinous rice, which imparts a unique and delightful aroma.
Coconut milk is expertly squeezed out and blended with sticky rice to create a unique combination of sweet and salty flavors. A dash of salt and sugar is added for extra flavor and the mixture is kneaded together by hand. When the cake is cooked, diners can savor the salty taste of salt and the fragrant, fatty aroma of coconut that infuses the soft, sticky rice.
