Flooding Season in Mekong Delta is far from what you are usually thinking about Flooding. It's indeed an impressive natural wonder that you can't miss out when visiting Vietnam or Mekong Delta beside the famous Floating Markets. Not only the wonderful scenery, but the flooding season in Mekong Delta brings us huge wonderful foods that you can only taste it the most in Flooding Season.
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1. Siamese Fish hotpot with common sesban flower 
Siamese Fish hotpot with common sesban flower wins the top-pick food that tourists should try in flooding season because the two main ingredients only appear when the water from the Mekong river raising up in November and December. The perfect combination of fresh fish and signature sour and bitter taste from these colorful flowers could bring you the best dining experience ever. The special treat normally is served to guests who pay a visit to the local house. It could be considered to be the highlight of the meals that you should relish to get the bite of the Mekong Delta. 2. Grilled rice mice in a clay jar 
If you think of mice, do you dare to eat them? The answer should be no but in Mekong Delta, people have eaten the grilled rice mice in a clay jar for years. It is the signature dish in the country that you rarely see in the menu of restaurants for foreigners but in local food stores. The rice mice from paddy fields (they only eat leftover rice after harvest season) should be cleaned and prepared carefully then seasoned with spices to bring the best favor of the mice. After grilling, it’s crispy outside and juicy inside so why don’t try it?
3. Grilled snaked-head fish. 
Flooding season is the time when snake-head fish fully have grown up so you can get the most healthy ones to make the dish. There is no other way to taste the juicy and sweetness of the fish than grilling it. The grilling technique needs to be good to keep the heat enough to cook the flesh and get rid of the fishy smell. Just only the skillful cook can control the heat because we use a straw to make fire. Thanks to rice paper, herbs, green banana, cucumber, pineapples and tamarind sauce, such a simple dish can reach the flavorful festival in your mouth. 4. Water lilies with fermented fish sauce 
It cannot be denied that Vietnamese people love eating vegetables and even flowers. We can turn them into food. Water lilies are not an exception. Whenever the flood comes, the lilies grow and bloom in ponds and rivers. Interestingly, we eat the middle stalk but not the flower. It is spongy like an ear elephant plant. We just boil them and dip fermented fish sauce (special Mekong sauce made of fermented fish, chili, lemongrass). If you are not a fan of the sauce, you can eat the water lilies alone to understand why we love them so much. 5.Sweet and sour soup with naked catfish 
Mekong rivers have nurtured its people with a great source of seafood. Many Mekong people live on the river and that is why they love dishes made of fish. The naked catfish soup is a great balance between sweet and sour taste. When the fish season comes in October, it is time to go to the market for naked catfish. 6. Vietnamese pancake with common sesban flower. 
Tourists may get used to Vietnamese pancakes due to the popularity of the dish among in Vietnam. We have different types of pancakes which depend on where you are in the country. It can be the size of your hand filled with seafood if you are in the central. Traveling to the south of Vietnam, we are proud to have the biggest pancake in Vietnam. You will fall in love with the creaminess from coconut in the batter and unlimited filings from pork belly, shrimp to beans sprouts, coconut core. The things make the pancake in flooding season differ from ordinary pancake is that we use common sesban flower, a symbol of high water to cook the dish. If we have to pick one dish to represent for the Mekong, the pancake should be listed as one of the tops because it includes almost good ingredients in this land. 7. Stewed Siamese fish with sugarcane 
Stewed Siamese fish with sugarcane We can drink sugarcane juice and chew sugarcane and then put it into a savory dish. Nature sugary combines with fish taste, pepper, hot chili and spring onions that create the wonderful taste for the dish. Rice will be a great companion with stewed fish. Do not forget to order rice when eating them.
Author: Nhung Vu Editor: Lam Vi |
