While wandering around one local market in the Mekong Delta, you can find it easy to catch the image of rats, scorpions, snakes, etc. being sold everywhere. From fish noodle soup to flavorful bee worm salad, these are a lot of specialty foods in Mekong Delta that you should not ignore while visiting this beautiful and peaceful region.
Bee worm salad in Ca Mau
Ca Mau has a favorable location (in the Mekong Delta of Southern
Vietnam). That is why it is endowed with a plentiful source of food supply, ranging from the tropical forests to sea source. So, it is not hard to understand the cuisine here is more special and impressive. It seems a pity to ignore its delicacy, called bee worm salad. Taken from U Minh tropical forest, bee worm dazzles tourists with buttery, greasy and even strange flavor.
After dipped in boiling water, bee worm will be then fried on the pan. Other ingredients, including fried onion, pepper, fish sauce, and a bit sugar, will be also added. The next step is to soak sliced banana flower in salty water. To tickle gourmets’ taste buds, fried bee will be mixed with fried groundnuts, sliced banana flower, some kinds of herbs, and finally seasoned with chili, vinegar, and fish sauce. You can sense all kinds of flavor from this bee worm salad, from sweet, salty, sour and spicy, to buttery and greasy. These are all flawlessly combined to leave an unforgettable impression on your mouth.
Dishes from mouse
Food from mouse is considered a delicacy in Mekong Delta. On the whole, the locals are keenly fond of catching mice that have been grown in the rice fields. Mice are often found damaging coconut trees. That is why people tend to hunt them for food. For them, if the mice ate what they use and eat, they have to be eaten as well.
There are many ways to cook mouse in various dishes, like steamed rats, grilled rats, deep fried rats, and so on. The chef will carefully remove the mice’s heads, feet and fur. In addition, their organs are also cautiously removed because they may become poisonous without being carefully handled. Residents fall in love with eating mice because it was also part of their delicacy during the war. Thus, do not be hesitant to give this food a try once you set foot in Mekong Delta!
Gourami fish
As a specialty dish in Mekong Delta, Gourami fish (or Elephant ear fish, to the way local residents often call this fish) is always added to a list of many visitors who step into this region. Although its name sounds a bit weird because of its appearance which looks like an elephant ear, enjoying the fish can be a great experience. The dish is often found in many restaurants or kinds of homestay in the delta.
You are quite able to enjoy this dish in several restaurants in
Ho Chi Minh City. But, to gain its true flavor and taste, it should be cooked in a traditional Mekong style. At that time, the chef will fry the whole fish to crispy perfection. Then, it will be cut into pieces and served upright. To get the most out of its flavor, you should roll a piece of fish, pickles, and vegetables in rice paper and then dip the roll in fish sauce, lemongrass and chili.
Various insects
If you do not want to stay anywhere near smelly food but still want to challenge yourself with adventurous food, go for fried insects. In many Asian cultures, eating insects is a common thing. The types of edible insects vary from grasshoppers, bee larvae, and white crickets to scorpions.
But why insects? Are we running out of food or is there any particular reason to eat those bugs? Lately, the United Nations has recommended people to consume insects instead of meat as it is a great source of protein, fat, and vitamin. In fact, it might sound weird but very healthy to ingest.
Frog
Frog is a “less scary” food compares with many others that will follow in the list and it is not only just a beer snack but Vietnamese also have it as a meal. The frogs used in cooking are small ones with long legs. They can usually be spotted in the Mekong Delta all year round, but the high season is in spring or during the rainy season. After skinning and gutting, it will be fried, steamed or grilled and then served on the dining table. You can enjoy it with rice or just have BBQ frog with lemon, salt, and pepper. Other than boiled or grilled, you can choose to eat frog curry, frog porridge, or sauteed frog with lemongrass and chili.
Source Internet
