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South Vietnamese cuisine is not merely about delicious food. It also reflects the generous and free-spirited culture of the people living here. With the blend of many cultural influences and the richness of nature, Southern Vietnam offers a remarkably diverse culinary treasure.
Each dish in the South is more than just a combination of ingredients and spices. It carries the soul of the Southern people, who are simple, warm-hearted, and full of affection. Locals often say, "We eat to remember, to love, and to feel an entire sky of memories." Let Asia King Travel take you on a journey of Southern Vietnam tours to explore the unique dishes of this vibrant cuisine.
One of the highlights of Southern cuisine is the way it brings together different flavors in perfect harmony. Southerners have a fondness for sweetness, which shows clearly in braised dishes, soups, and even dipping sauces. Sour ingredients like tamarind, vinegar, or starfruit, along with the heat from fresh chilies, are used skillfully to balance the taste. The Southern food philosophy is simple: “Season it to suit the taste, cook it to warm the heart.”
South Vietnamese food has a variety of flavors
What makes the Southern palate stand out isn’t just the sweetness like the rich and creamy desserts drenched in coconut milk, but also the bold sourness that can make you wince, and the kind of bitterness that’s as strong as gall.
This bold way of seasoning has its roots in the region’s history. Back in the early days when people were settling the land, life was hard work. Strong flavors helped them stay energized and lifted their spirits. Today, Southern tastes have changed a bit, and dishes are often lighter, but many traditional flavors remain unchanged. Dishes like fermented fish hotpot, grilled snakehead fish, and roasted snake are still part of the region’s rich culinary identity.
On your Southern Vietnam tour, you’ll witness how the cuisine changes with the seasons. Thanks to fertile rivers and streams, fresh fish, shrimp, crabs, and shellfish are available year-round.
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Book a South Vietnamese food tour to try the best dish
When the flood season arrives, it brings with it a host of local specialties like sour fish hotpot with sesbania flowers, water lily in fermented fish sauce, fermented noodle soup, and neem leaf salad with dried snakehead fish. During the harvest season, Southern cuisine takes on another delicious form. This is the time for grilled field mice, roasted snakehead fish, and straw-grilled catfish.
Read more: Top food spots in Saigon - Michelin’s Bib Gourmand suggested
Beyond its bold and balanced flavors, South Vietnam cuisine also carries a touch of wilderness, a legacy passed down from ancestors who once cleared and settled the land. In those early days, whatever they caught from nature was cooked and eaten right on the spot. Over time, this raw simplicity evolved into a beloved feature of Southern Vietnam food culture.
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Locals always welcome visitors to try their dish
Many dishes are made using ingredients found in nature, with simple and practical cooking methods. For example, freshly caught fish might be grilled whole over an open fire, right in the field, enjoyed with wild herbs and vegetables like sesbania flowers, water lilies, or young lotus stems - all easy to find and deeply rooted in the local landscape. Once the fish is cooked, you just peel off the charred skin, roll it up with fresh lotus stems, and enjoy it while sitting on the edge of a rice field.
Southern people also have a very natural and relaxed way of enjoying meals. It’s common to see them gathering on a mat on the floor to eat together - a gesture that reflects their warmth and hospitality.
When it comes to iconic South Vietnamese food, fermented fish hotpot is a must-try. To make the broth, these fish are simmered with pork bones and coconut water, then blended with fermented fish paste and other seasonings to create a rich flavor that’s hard to forget.
Fermented Fish Hotpot
What makes this hotpot special is not only the deep, bold taste of the broth but also the variety of vegetables that go with it. These include common Southern herbs and greens like bitter herbs, water mimosa, water hyacinth, and sesbania flowers.
Crab tapioca noodle soup is a Southern favorite and a well-loved specialty of Vung Tau. A bowl typically includes thick, chewy noodles with a smooth texture, fresh crab meat, and other flavorful toppings like sliced pork and pork knuckle.
Crab Noodle Soup
What really brings it all together is the rich and slightly thick broth, seasoned just the way Southerners like it. One spoonful of this Vung Tau-style crab noodle soup and you might just fall in love with it for good.
Waking up in the heart of the Mekong Delta, surrounded by endless waterways and the soft morning light, you might be surprised to see small boats weaving through the busy floating market, carrying the warm steam and mouthwatering smell of noodle soup.
Boat Noodle Soup on the Mekong River
At Cai Rang Floating Market in Can Tho, one of the most famous floating markets in the Mekong region, enjoying a bowl of boat noodles is an experience not to be missed. Whether you sit on a small vendor boat or right on your tour boat, you’ll be served a hot bowl of “hu tieu” filled with shrimp, pork, quail eggs, and a clear, savory broth made from pork bones.
Eating a bowl of noodles in the middle of the river, with the hum of boat engines in the background and the calls of vendors echoing over the water, is a truly vibrant and unforgettable way to taste South Vietnamese food.
Read More: Vietnam Tour 12 days: Taste of Vietnam
Com tam is a humble yet iconic South Vietnamese food that has made its way onto the global food scene. The rice is soft, slightly sticky, served with classic toppings like steamed pork loaf, fried egg, grilled pork chops, and Chinese sausage. What truly brings the dish together is the thick, juicy pork chop and the sweet fish sauce with just a touch of chili, poured over the rice and toppings for a deeply satisfying flavor.
Vietnamese Broken Rice (Com Tam)
This specialty from Phu Quoc Island offers a flavor that is both fresh and unforgettable. Locally caught herring is carefully prepared while still fresh, then mixed with onions, herbs, and toasted coconut to create a light and flavorful salad. It is traditionally enjoyed with rice paper, fresh herbs, and a rich dipping sauce that ties all the flavors together beautifully.
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Herring Salad
Banh Xeo can be found in many parts of Vietnam, but the Southern version, especially in Can Tho, stands out for its crispiness and rich toppings. The golden pancake is pan-fried until crispy, then filled with shrimp, pork, green beans, shredded papaya, and more. Wrapped in fresh herbs and leafy greens, dipped into a sweet and tangy fish sauce, every bite is a perfect balance of textures and flavors.
Vietnamese Pancake (Banh Xeo)
No South Vietnamese food list is complete without grilled snakehead fish, a rustic dish that captures the essence of countryside cooking. Wild snakehead fish is grilled whole over burning rice straw until the skin is charred and the meat inside is juicy and fragrant. The fish is then split open, topped with scallion oil and crushed peanuts, and served with rice paper, fresh herbs, and fermented anchovy sauce for dipping. It’s smoky, earthy, and full of flavor - just like the Mekong Delta itself.
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Grilled Snakehead Fish
Ben Tre is famous for its delicious coconut candy, made mainly from coconut meat and malt syrup, with added ingredients like durian, peanuts, or coconut cream for extra flavor. This sweet treat is not only a symbol of Southern hospitality but also one of the most popular souvenirs for visitors to bring home from the Mekong Delta. Its rich coconut smell and chewy texture make it a delightful snack that captures the essence of Ben Tre.
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Coconut Candy
On the Southern Vietnam tour, you can't miss claypot fish - deep color and bold taste from simmering fish in caramelized sugar, fish sauce, and cracked black pepper. The rich, sweet and savory sauce soaks into the tender freshwater fish, creating a comforting dish that’s full of Southern character.
Claypot Fish
This Can Tho specialty stands out with its beautiful green-and-white layers. Made from pandan juice and rice flour, pandan rice cake is soft, chewy, and lightly fragrant. It’s usually topped with creamy coconut sauce, roasted peanuts, and sesame seeds for a delicious mix of textures and flavors. Just one bite reveals the gentle sweetness of pandan and the richness of coconut, a perfect South Vietnamese food that you shouldn’t miss.
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Pandan Rice Cake
While the Southeast is known for flavorful noodle soups and tasty street snacks, the Southwest (Mekong Delta) stands out with its rustic, everyday dishes that reflect the warmth and simplicity of local life. If you ever find yourself exploring this region, be sure to keep this list in mind or contact us for the best Southern Vietnam tour so you can enjoy all the must-try dishes along the way!
Read more: Southern Vietnam Tours
