Boklhong, the Khmer salad made of dried shrimp, shrimp paste, peanuts, tamarind sauce, fish sauce and herbs, is introduced at the 2024 Hà Tiên Culture and Cuisine Festival in Hà Tiên City of Kiên Giang Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Kim Phương

KIÊN GIANG — Around 100 traditional dishes and specialities of the coastal city of Hà Tiên in the Cửu Long (Mekong) province of Kiên Giang are featured at the 2024 Hà Tiên Culture and Cuisine Festival.

The festival, co-organised by the Kiên Giang Tourism Promotion Centre and the Hà Tiên City’s People’s Committee, aims to introduce the beauty and cultural traits of Hà Tiên in particular, and Kiên Giang in general, to domestic and international visitors.

The event highlights boklhong, the Khmer salad made of dried shrimp, shrimp paste, peanuts, tamarind sauce, fish sauce and herbs, and grilled dried cá đỏ (redtail fusilier) served with pickled papaya and chilli, a popular afternoon snack in Hà Tiên.

Seafood lovers should try mantis shrimps and sentinel crabs, which are fat and have a lot of meat. They can be steamed, stir-fried with garlic or tamarind sauce, or cooked in a hot pot.

The city is also popular with various bún (rice noodle) dishes such as bún kèn, a traditional dish with a broth made of cá ngân (yellowtail scad), coconut juice, curry and five-spice powders, and bún nhâm (noodle salad with papaya and dried shrimp).

Apart from savoury dishes, Hà Tiên has different sweet delicacies such as sticky rice with mango or durian, and sweet buns.

Around 50 artisans will compete in the cooking contest, offering cooking demonstrations of traditional dishes for special ceremonies.

The festival has also set up stalls to showcase OCOP (One

Commune – One Product) products and specialities from Phú Quốc City, and the Kiên Lương and Châu Thành districts of Kiên Giang Province, and Bạc Liêu Province.

The event is taking place at the Chiêu Anh Các Square until July 3. — VNS