Delicious cashew-based dishes

Dong Nai is known as the country’s “cashew capital”, with a total cultivation area of more than 176,000 hectares, mainly concentrated in the northern part of the province. For many years, cashew nuts have not only been an important agricultural export product but also an ingredient for a wide range of distinctive dishes.

Fresh cashew fruits, the main ingredient for delicious cashew-based dishes. Photo: Ngoc Lien

Cashew nuts and fruits are key ingredients for numerous delicious dishes in daily meals and specialties offered as gifts. Among the most popular are salted roasted cashews, cashew candy, seasoned dried cashews, sticky rice with cashew, sour soup with cashew fruit, stir-fried Nhip leaves with cashew nuts, and braised pork with cashew fruit.

Delicious dishes for every day

When it comes to delicious dishes made from cashews, many people immediately think of sour soup with cashew fruit, braised pork with cashew fruit, sticky rice with cashew nuts, and stir-fried Nhip leaves with cashew nuts. Recently, Dong Nai was recognised by the Vietnam Records Organisation for producing Vietnam’s largest fried sticky rice ball stuffed with cashew nuts, thereby promoting the province’s unique culinary identity.

Upon arriving in the northern districts of Dong Nai, visitors can enjoy simple yet flavourful dishes such as stir-fried Nhip leaves with cashew nuts, a local favourite.

Sour soup with cashew fruit – a must-try delicacy for visitors to Nhon Trach District, Dong Nai Province. Photo: Ngoc Lien

Tran Thi Ngoc Thao, Manager of An Loc Hotel & Spa in Binh Long ward, said that to leave a lasting culinary impression on visitors, the hotel's chefs have developed a selection of exquisite dishes featuring Dong Nai’s renowned cashew specialities, each carrying the unique taste that characterises the province’s northern region. Typical examples include stir-fried Nhip leaves with cashew nuts, fish noodle soup with bamboo shoots, and cashew nut sticky rice.

According to Thao, to preserve the authentic flavour of cashew nuts, chefs at An Loc Hotel personally select the best-quality nuts and roast them by hand, ensuring their natural aroma and taste are maintained. Guests have responded positively after enjoying.

In the southern part of the province, the Nhon Trach area is also well known for its cashew-based dishes. Nguyen Thi Huyen, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City who has enjoyed cashew hotpot many times in the Nhon Trach area of Dong Nai Province, shared that her family visits Nhon Trach every year during the cashew harvest season (March–April) to enjoy the region’s specialities, especially sour soup with cashew fruit and braised pork with cashew fruit.

"I really love the delicate, sweet, sour flavour of the cashew fruit soup. Every time we visit Nhon Trach during the cashew season, this dish is a must-try on our family’s dining table,” Huyen said.

Cashew-based drinks are becoming popular among young people. Photo: Ngoc Lien

Recently, at an event marking the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day (September 2), Dong Nai's food space attracted much attention from visitors with its diverse dishes that represent the southeastern region. Among dozens of local delicacies, fried sticky rice balls stuffed with cashew nuts, which set a new national record, drew particular interest for their creative preparation and unique taste by Dong Nai chefs.

Nguyen Van Thinh, Head of the Dong Nai Chefs Association, said that the record-setting event of fried sticky rice ball stuffed with cashew nuts marks a historic milestone for the newly-established Dong Nai Province, following the merger of former Dong Nai and former Binh Phuoc. For local chefs, the record dish is not merely an achievement but also carries a profound meaning of unity and harmony within the new Dong Nai.

Cashew products reach international markets

Beyond their role in everyday cooking, cashew nuts are also among the gift items and specialty snacks many people love. Today, Dong Nai offers a diverse range of processed cashew products, many of which have been certified under the One Commune, One Product (OCOP) programme with three- to five-star ratings and meet export standards.

Stir-fried Nhip cashew leaves with cashew nuts – a delicious dish from the northern part of Dong Nai province. Photo: Ngoc Lien

Particularly since the Dong Nai Cashew Geographical Indication was granted, OCOP-standard cashew products have gained strong market advantages and consumer trust, helping to reduce counterfeit goods. Notable cashew producers include Nhat Long Export-Import Trading Co., Ltd., Gold Cashew Co., Ltd., and Vinahe Co., Ltd., all of which offer popular products such as salted roasted cashews, chilli-garlic cashews, cheese-flavoured cashews, and Thai-style cashews.

One standout brand is Ba Tu Binh Phuoc Cashew, produced by Gia Bao Corporation JSC in Binh Phuoc ward, Dong Nai province. The company has six potential five-star OCOP products, including original cashews, peeled cashews, skin-on cashews, Himalayan pink salted peeled cashews, Himalayan pink salted cashews, and 5-product flavored cashew gift sets. In addition, in Binh Phuoc ward, Ba Tu Binh Phuoc Cashew brand also attracts young people to enjoy drinks made with cashew ingredients, such as fresh cashew jars, cashew milk...

Cashew sticky rice – a daily dish enjoyed by locals in the cashew-growing region. Photo: Ngoc Lien

Nguyen Hoang Dat, Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai Cashew Association, noted that Dong Nai’s cashew industry has long reached beyond the domestic market. The province is home to over 1,400 cashew-processing enterprises, including about 10 specialising in deep processing to meet export standards.

According to Dat, Dong Nai’s cashew products contribute significantly to Vietnam’s position as the world’s leading cashew exporter, accounting for about 50% of the country’s total export volume. Dong Nai enterprises continue to innovate, diversifying product lines and packaging to meet the requirements of international markets and to enhance the global reputation of the Dong Nai cashew brand.

Assessing the quality and potential for the advancement of local agricultural specialities, at Conference on evaluating and classifying OCOP products in Dong Nai province, phase 1 – 2025 (focused primarily on cashew-based items), Member of Provincial Party Committee, Deputy Chairwoman of Dong Nai People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Hoang, praised local businesses and households for their commitment to developing distinctive local products. According to her, the results achieved in developing OCOP products by local business households and enterprises show that the province’s OCOP development program is being implemented in line with its goal of focusing on the development of local advantageous products, combined with deep processing to increase added value. The strength of the products participating in the OCOP evaluation and classification lies in their use of raw materials mainly sourced from the locality, the province’s key agricultural products.

By Ngoc Lien – Translated by My Le, Thu Ha