Vietnam's Best Cuisines by Province

Vietnam has 63 provinces in total, and each area bears a distinctive culture and history. We believe that the best way to learn about an area’s lifestyle is to explore its signature cuisines, as not only is it incredibly appetizing, but you can learn about the background stories over the years that are condensed into one flavorful dish. Here is the full list of Vietnam’s best foods by province from north to south.

Vietnam's Best Cuisines by Province: Northwest Vietnam

Northwest Vietnam is adjacent to China’s borders and is an area with a high density of ethnic minority groups. As a result, the food culture has certain influences from Chinese food and the ethnic people’s culinary creations.

Ha Giang - Au Tau Porridge (Rice Porridge with Au Tau Roots)

Au Tau is supposed to be a poisonous root in nature, but thanks to the skillful cooks, Au Tau becomes a yummy and nutritious porridge

Other honorary dishes in Ha Giang: stir-fried veggies with Ha Giang’ signature rice cakes, banh cuon nuoc xuong (steamed rice batter with bone broth), bayberry wine

Cao Bang - Banh Cuon (Steamed Rice Rolls)

Banh Cuon in Cao Bang is usually enjoyed with a bowled of broth with a poached egg in it, as well as some pickled bamboo shoots as a side dish

Other honorary dishes in Cao Bang: pho with roasted pork/duck, smoked sausages, khau nhuc (Cao Bang’s take on Chinese braised pork)

Bac Kan - Caramelized Plums

Other honorary dishes in Bac Kan: Na-Ri people’s glass noodles, Cooc-mo’s sticky rice cakes

Lang Son - Roasted Pork with “Mac Mat” Leaves

Other honorary dishes in Lang Son: Sour Pho, Mau Son Wine, Peach Wine

A bottle of Mau Son Wine is excellent as a souvenir

Thai Nguyen - Green Tea

Other honorary dishes in Thai Nguyen: stir-fried snails, banh chung (square sticky rice cakes)

See more on Vietamese Tea Growing Regions

Bac Giang - Mi Chu (Chu Rice Noodles Soup)

Other honorary dishes in Bac Giang: Van Village’s rice wine, Yen The’s chicken

Tuyen Quang - Wild Bamboo Shoots

Other honorary dishes in Tuyen Quang: persimmons, sticky rice wrapped in wild banana leaves

Phu Tho - Banh Gun (Stuffed Sticky Rice Cakes)

Other honorary dishes in Phu Tho: sour pork, braised fish with salted vegetables

Quang Ninh - Squids and (Cha Muc) Deep-fried Squid Paste

Cha Muc is widely popular in the north

Other honorary dishes in Quang Ninh: Quang Ninh’s mixed salad, Yen Tu’s baby bamboo shoots, seafood

Vietnam's Best Cuisines by Province: Northeast Vietnam

Similar to the Northwest region, Northeast Vietnam’s cuisines also have significant traits of the ethnic groups’ cultures. In addition to that, the ingredients are indigenous to the mountainous region and can be easily found in the forests.

Lao Cai - Thang Co (Stewed Horse Meat)

Other honorary dishes in Lao Cai: herbs and spices from the forests, Sa Pa’s salmon, San Lung’s rice wine

Lai Chau - Pa Pinh Top (Thai People’s Grilled Fish)

Yen Bai - Bamboo Shoots

Other honorary dishes in Yen Bai: dried buffalo meat, black chicken

Smoked ox meat is great to pair with some rice wine

Son La - Plums

Plums are grown widely in verdant terraced fields in Moc Chau (Son La)

Other honorary dishes in Son La: rice with boiled chicken, grilled chicken, buffalo skin salad

Dien Bien - Khau Xen (Traditional Thai People’s Crackers)

Other honorary dishes in Dien Bien: soup with buffalo skin, bitter bamboo shoots, deep-fried rice doughnuts

Read more on Vietnam's Furthermost Points

Hoa Binh - Mountain’s Snails

Mountain’s snails are much crunchier and can only be found in stone caves

Other honorary dishes in Hoa Binh: grilled fish, Da’s river fish, chicken with sour bamboo shoots

Vietnam's Best Cuisines by Province: the Red River Delta

As the biggest delta in Vietnam, the Red River Delta is a prosperous land so you can spot a variety of main ingredients of the area’s signature dishes. Since the land has been established for thousands of years, the history of the food is also interesting to take in.

Vinh Phuc - Banh Gio (Glutinous Rice Cake)

Other honorary dishes in Vinh Phuc: Yen Lac’s grilled meat, Lap Thach’s fish paste

Hanoi - PHO!

You can find pho virtually everywhere, but Hanoi is famed for being the birthplace of this Vietnamese soul food

See Where You Can Find the Best Pho in Hanoi

Other honorary dishes in Hanoi: egg coffee, baby glutinous rice, bun dau mam tom

Bac Ninh - Banh Phu The (“Spouses” Cake)

Other honorary dishes in Bac Ninh: pho with pork liver

Hai Duong - Cha Ruoi (Sandworm Paste)

Other honorary dishes in Hai Duong: sandworm hotpot, fried fish noodle soup

Hai Phong - Crab Noodle Soup

Other honorary dishes in Hai Phong: water fern cakes, spicy fish noodle soup, baguette sticks dipped in whipped egg cream

Hung Yen - Longans

Other honorary dishes in Hung Yen: longans sweet soup, eel noodle soup, Dong Tao’s chicken

Ha Nam - Fish Noodle Soup

Other honorary dishes in Ha Nam: Phu Ly’s steamed rice rolls, Vu Dai Village’s braised fish

Thai Binh - Bun Bung (Noodle Soup with Banana Flower and wild Betel Leaves)

Nam Dinh - Xiu Bao (Stuffed Pastry with Meat Fillings)

Other honorary dishes in Nam Dinh: baguette with pate spread, Nghia Hung’s candy, sticky rice

Ninh Binh - Grilled Mountain Goat and Scorched Burnt rice

Grilled goat in Ninh Binh

Other honorary dishes in Ninh Binh: scallion rolls, Kim Son’s salad

Vietnam's Best Cuisines by Province: North Central Coast

The North Central Coast is the area that usually has to face frequent storms and floods, and nature here is not as prosperous as in the major flatlands of the country. As a result, the food here is typically more simple, yet that taste is no less delectable.

Thanh Hoa - Nem Chua (Fermented Pork)

Other honorary dishes in Thanh Hoa: fish salad, deep-fried shrimp paste, steamed rice rolls

Ha Tinh - Ram and Banh Muot (Crunchy Spring Rolls and Steamed Rice Batter)

Other honorary dishes in Ha Tinh: Cu Do’s candy, deep-fried rice doughs coated in sugar

Nghe An - Xao Ga (Chicken Soup with Tumeric)

Other honorary dishes in Nghe An: eel porridge, eel glass noodle soup

Quang Binh - Melaleuca Mushrooms

Other honorary dishes in Quang Binh: rice noodle soup, braised fish with turmeric

Quang Tri - Duck Tapioca Noodle Soup

Other honorary dishes in Quang Tri: tapioca noodle soup with seaweed, fish soup with green bananas

Thua Thien - Hue - Com Hen (Baby Clams Rice)

Other honorary dishes in Hue: traditional sticky rice cakes, Bun Bo Hue (beef noodle soup), sweet soup with roasted pork

Com Hen in Hue is accompanied by a soup bowl of baby clams broth

Vietnam's Best Cuisines by Province: South Central Coast

Food in the coastal region obviously carries the taste of the sea. Fresh seafood is abundant here and the locals have always been so creative with the omnipresent ingredients.

Da Nang - Mi Quang (Quang Noodles)

Mi Quang has little soup at the bottom with multiple toppings and thick noodles

Other honorary dishes in Da Nang: vermicelli with fermented shrimp paste, Nam O’s fish salad, vermicelli soup with deep-fried fish cakes

Quang Nam - Tapioca Starch Soup

Other honorary dishes in Quang Nam: smoked goat meat, Hoi An’s cao lau, Tam Ky’s chicken rice

Quang Ngai - Ram Bap (Crunchy Springrolls with Corns)

Ram Bap and BBQ skews

Other honorary dishes in Quang Ngai: baby jackfruit salad, steamed water fern cakes

Binh Dinh - Banh Xeo (Vietnamese Pancakes)

Banh Xeo in the Central is smaller compared to that in the South, and much crunchier

Other honorary dishes in Binh Dinh: banh hoi (ice vermicelli rolls) with pig’s offals, triangle sticky rice cakes

Phu Yen - Tuna Vermicelli Soup

Other honorary dishes in Phu Yen: banh can (steamed mini pancakes), chives tapioca soup

Khanh Hoa - Nha Trang’s Fish Sticky Rice

Other honorary dishes in Khanh Hoa: banh mi stuffed with deep-fried fish paste, banh can (steamed mini pancakes)

Read more on What to do in Nha Trang

Ninh Thuan - Phan Rang’s Vietnamese Pancakes

Other honorary dishes in Ninh Thuan: sea snails, seafood, wild goat

Binh Thuan - Phan Thiet’s Herring Fish Salad

Other honorary dishes in Binh Thuan: mi Quang with duck meat, duck vermicelli soup, roasted spring rolls

Vietnam's Best Cuisines by Province: Central Highlands

As highlands terrain with great coverage of forestry and cool climate, the Central Highlands is blessed with amazing conditions for temperate fruits and vegetables that normally are not grown widely in a tropical country like Vietnam.

Kon Tum - Goi La (Wild Vegetables Salad)

Other honorary dishes in Kon Tum: chicken hotpot with wild vegetables, sticky rice with bamboo shoots

Dak Lak - Ca Dang (Bitter Tomatoes)

Dak Nong - Avocados

Lam Dong - Persimmons

Other honorary dishes in Lam Dong: Vietnamese pizza, banh can (steamed mini pancakes), tea

See also: What to do in Da Lat

Gia Lai - Dried Pho/Two-bowl Pho

Gia Lai’s pho has the broth and the noodles served separately, and ultimately it is an amazingly unique version of the typical pho

Other honorary dishes in Gia Lai: roasted chicken over charcoal, crab “stinky” vermicelli soup

Vietnam's Best Cuisines by Province: Southeast Vietnam

Southeast Vietnam has a strong influence of Chinese cuisines on the local cuisines due to the high population of Chinese residing in the area. Nonetheless, the local dishes here still acquire the unique taste of each province.

Ba Ria - Vung Tau - Banh Can (Mini Rice Pancakes)

The bite-sized crispy pancakes

Other honorary dishes in Vung Tau: seafood, fish spring rolls, Chinese hollow doughnuts

Binh Duong - Mangosteen Salad

Binh Phuoc - Cashew Nuts

Dong Nai - Shrimp Hotpot

Tay Ninh - Mountain’s Snails

Other honorary dishes in Tay Ninh: Trang Bang’s tapioca noodle soup (banh canh Trang Bang)

A serving of banh canh Trang Bang

Ho Chi Minh City - Com Tam (Broken Rice)

Com Tam is perfect for any meal of the day

Other honorary dishes in Ho Chi Minh City: banh mi, mixed rice paper

Check out our private motorbike tours with professional local guides for fun and insightful trips in Ho Chi Minh City!

Vietnam's Best Cuisines by Province: the Mekong Delta

Apart from the Chinese trademarks, the impact of the Khmer’s culture on the Mekong Delta’s food is much more significant. Food in the Mekong Delta is generally sweeter and much more flavorful than in other provinces.

Can Tho - Vietnamese Gumbo Hotpot

Other honorary dishes in Can Tho: stewed duck with fermented bean curd

An Giang - Fermented Fish

Other honorary dishes in An Giang: sponge cake made with palm sugar, buffalo hotpot,

Bac Lieu - Dried Snakehead Fish

Other honorary dishes in Bac Lieu: banh tam bi (tapioca noodles and meatballs with fish sauce and coconut milk)

Ben Tre - Everything with Coconuts

Ben Tre’s locals put coconut in almost every food of their daily lives

Other honorary dishes in Ben Tre: rice starch noodle soup, grilled bananas, rice paper wrapper

Long An - Glutinous Rice Wine

Ca Mau - Crabs

Ca Mau is famous for all kinds of crabs

Other honorary dishes in Ca Mau: shrimps, three-striped crabs

Soc Trang - Vermicelli Soup

Hau Giang - Bronze Featherback Fish Paste

Tra Vinh - Makapuno Coconuts

Dong Thap - Fermented Pork

Other honorary dishes in Dong Thap: roasted mice, Sa Dec’s rice noodle soup

Vinh Long - Plum Mango

Kien Giang - Phu Quoc’s Fish Sauce

Other honorary dishes in Kien Giang: bun quay (mixed vermicelli soup), fish vermicelli soup

Bun Quay earns its name as you can mix your own sauces for a personalized taste on the dish

Tien Giang - Dong Market’s Fried Shrimp Cakes

Other honorary dishes in Tien Giang: My Tho’s rice noodle soup

In Conclusion of Vietnam's Best Cuisines by Province

It is a fact that each province boasts more than just one famous dish and only when you spend sufficient time to savor different dishes in each area can you truly acquire the characteristics of each place’s cuisine. However, should you have time to venture out to multiple provinces of Vietnam, this list can be a starting point to have a taste of what Vietnamese cuisine has to offer.