Delights from the Tiền River will bring fascinating delicacies of the Mekong Delta to Saigon. VNS Photo Thành Chương

HCM CITY – A special culinary culture event to highlight the best cooking styles and standout dishes of the Tiền River region in the Mekong Delta will take place this Friday, December 6, at HCM City’s Thảo Điền Residence.

The food event titled Delights from the Tiền River will feature the cooking performances by food artisans from the three provinces of Tiền Giang, Bến Tre and Vĩnh Long, which are famous for their tradition in making fascinating traditional cuisines and cakes.

A selection of 13 local stunning dishes and cakes will be exquisitely prepared and served at site to satisfy the taste buds of connoisseurs.

Alongside food expert Chiêm Thành Long and culinary artisan Bùi Thu Sương, who have devoted nearly all their lifetime to travelling around the country and exploring the fine foods at each place, Master Chef Võ Chiêu Kha, deputy head of Bến Tre Culinary Culture Association, will join the event to present the most special food items of Bến Tre.

Among the favourites, most of them are cooked with coconut including the exceptionally beautiful and tasty bánh tét Chữ (cylindrical sticky rice cake), tép bạc đất rang nước dừa (small river shrimp stir-fried with coconut water), cơm nấu trái dừa (rice cooked with coconut water) and bánh lá dừa (coconut milk and sticky rice cake rolled in coconut leaves).

Lovers of Bến Tre specialty dishes should not miss hủ tiếu Mỹ Lồng (noodle soup with pork ribs, pork liver paste and shrimp) and bì cuốn Bến Tre (shredded pork skin roll with herbs, Bến Tre style).

Meanwhile, those crazy for Vĩnh Long’s fine food items will have a chance to sample the difference of cháo gà bồ ngót (chicken porridge with star gooseberry leaves), cá kèo nướng ống sậy (goby fish grilled in straw) and bánh pía Vĩnh Xương (similar to the Cantonese mooncake).

Tiền Giang, famous for delicious delicacies, some of them on the list of the Nguyễn Dynasty’s royal culinary delights, will surprise connoisseurs with its irresistible dishes including nham Gò Công (green banana and sour star fruit salad with crab, Gò Công style), cuốn thịt luộc chấm mắm tôm chà Gò Công (boiled pork roll served with Gò Công style shrimp paste), bánh giá Chợ Gồng (deep-fried rice cake with shrimp, pork and bean sprouts) and many more.

Foodies will find the sweet items xôi vò - cơm rượu Gò Công (sticky rice cooked with green bean and coconut milk, served with fermented glutinous rice, Gò Công style) tasty and aromatic.

Held in the evening, the event is a part of the Vietnamese culinary programme Taste of Home, which Mặn Mòi Restaurant in HCM City has designed to celebrate and promote the specialty dishes of each region across Việt Nam. VNS