Dong Nai specialties draw in diners

At the National Achievements Exhibition on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day, September 2 (Exhibition A80, held in Hanoi), Dong Nai province’s exhibition area stands out as one of the key attractions, drawing large crowds eager to explore its economic achievements and sample local specialties.

Le Thi Ngoc Loan, Member of Provincial Party Committee, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism (4th from right) and delegates take souvenir photos at the exhibition space of Dong Nai province

Famous Dong Nai specialties such as grapefruit salad, crispy fried sticky rice, and vermicelli with catfish and bamboo shoots were showcased by chefs from the Dong Nai Provincial Chefs Association and served free of charge throughout the event week. Nearly 3,000 portions featuring dozens of dishes made from locally sourced agricultural and aquatic ingredients were enthusiastically served to visitors.

Treat guests with local specialties

During the A80 Exhibition, the booth displaying and promoting Dong Nai province's cuisine was always full of visitors coming to visit and enjoy Dong Nai specialties, served by professional chefs.

Nguyen Van Thinh, Head of the Dong Nai Provincial Chefs Association, said that with nearly 30 dishes, including crispy fried sticky rice with cashew nuts, Dong Nai river prawn and pomelo salad, beef salad with cashew nuts and wild herbs, and vermicelli with catfish and bamboo shoots, Dong Nai’s chefs successfully fulfilled their culinary showcase mission, serving visitors with excellence and ensuring each dish was prepared with authentic flavor. Notably, during the A80 event, to recreate Vietnam’s largest crispy fried sticky rice cake with cashew nuts, which was recognized as a national record last August, the chefs transported a massive cast-iron pan from Dong Nai to Hanoi, along with hundreds of kilograms of pre-prepared ingredients kept carefully preserved before cooking.

Visitors enjoy Dong Nai specialties served by professional chefs at event A80. Photo: Ngoc Lien

Thinh shared: “We devote all our heart and ability to ensure the successful serving of our hometown specialties to diners in the capital. Being tasked with promoting local specialties at such an important event of the country, the chefs are very honored and proud, regardless of the difficulties, ensuring to bring the best dishes to tourists. Therefore, the culinary performances of Dong Nai chefs are all successful and highly appreciated for their quality.”

As part of the display space at Exhibition A80, the famously delicious vermicelli with catfish and bamboo shoots, a specialty from the northern region of Dong Nai province, made a strong impression on visitors in the capital.

Tran Thi Ngoc Thao, Manager of An Loc Hotel & Spa (An Loc Hotel, Binh Long Ward, Dong Nai Province) shared: The dish of catfish vermicelli with bamboo shoots was researched and created by the chef of An Loc Hotel. It is a famous dish of the hotel because of its unique flavor. As a rustic dish, catfish vermicelli with bamboo shoots has a slightly bitter taste of bamboo shoots and a light, fatty taste of fresh catfish. When eaten with the leaves of the fern, it is very tasty and "appetizing" to tourists. With these characteristics, the dish of catfish vermicelli with bamboo shoots is also in the top 121 delicious Vietnamese dishes and was well-received by tourists at the A80 culinary event.

Bringing Dong Nai cuisine closer to the public

Dong Nai is home to many dishes that have been recognized as culinary highlights by both domestic and international food organizations. Dishes such as canh thuc, bun ca lang dot may (vermicelli with catfish and bamboo shoots), crispy fried sticky rice, and pomelo salad were honored by the Vietnam Culinary Culture Association as representative dishes of Vietnam. Notably, in 2023, the crispy fried sticky rice was recognized by the Asian Record Organization as a Culinary Record – Asian Specialty. In addition, other signature local dishes, such as mango salad with dried Tri An Lake octopus, Tan Trieu pomelo sweet soup, and cashew nut cake, have also received multiple awards at national culinary competitions.

In recent times, Dong Nai has intensified communication and promotional efforts, organizing tourism and culinary events to bring the province’s nature, culture, cuisine, and people closer to the public.

Visitors enjoy vermicelli with fish and bamboo shoots at event A80

Nguyen Ngoc Yen, Director of the Dong Nai Provincial Museum, the unit assigned primary responsibility for organizing the province’s economic achievements exhibition space at the A80 Exhibition, shared that the team has concentrated its resources to design an exhibition area that reflects the distinctive identity of Dong Nai. The province is not only a hub of strong industrial and agricultural development, but also a region rich in the cultural heritage of the southern frontier, with unique historical, cultural, and culinary values.

Among the highlights, the culinary showcase area received special attention from the Organizing Committee, with maximum support provided to introduce a wide array of Dong Nai’s signature dishes to a nationwide audience. With that spirit, thousands of visitors have come to explore and enjoy Dong Nai’s cuisine. Tourists highly praised the dishes for their distinctive flavors, fresh ingredients, and food safety standards.

Dong Nai is stepping up tourism promotion efforts to effectively tap into the region’s strengths and potential in tourism and cuisine, both domestically and internationally. In addition to actively developing high-quality tourism products, the province is also placing strong emphasis on promoting its local cuisine to visitors through cultural, tourism, and culinary programs and events held both within the province and in other localities across the country.

The Center is working with relevant units to develop a digital culinary map that highlights local specialties and reputable processing facilities across different areas. This map not only helps tourists easily access information about delicious dishes and trusted dining locations, but also contributes to promoting the distinctive cultural and culinary values of Dong Nai.

Tran Thi Thu Trang, Deputy Director of the Dong Nai Center for Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion

To ensure double-digit growth in the tourism sector by 2025, from the very beginning of the year, the People's Committee of Dong Nai province has directed departments, agencies, the Provincial Tourism Association, and related entities to actively promote tourism development, aiming to achieve the province’s economic growth targets.

Based on the implementation of Resolution No. 04-NQ/TU dated December 30, 2021, issued by the Provincial Party Committee on developing tourism into a key economic sector, along with the Government's directives on tourism development, the Provincial People's Committee has called on departments, agencies, localities, and businesses to strengthen coordination and deploy comprehensive solutions to boost tourism.

Key priorities include innovating promotional methods and content, enhancing the application of modern technology, and ensuring consistent, professional, and effective implementation. The province is also focusing on building and positioning its tourism brand around a distinctive, signature image that reflects Dong Nai’s unique identity.

Additionally, the role of media in tourism marketing is being emphasized, in tandem with efforts to raise public awareness of the sector’s importance and strategic role in the province’s development.

By Ngoc Lien – Translated by Quoc Dung, Minho