Famous delicacies fit for royalty in Vietnam.

Since ancient times, Vietnam has had hundreds, even thousands, of unique dishes. A small fraction of these dishes held a special and prestigious place, being served to the royal court as offerings to emperors and kings.

1.Scar:Among the most luxurious and rare delicacies offered to the emperor, the "thick-lipped" fish known as Anh Vu stands out. This carp-like fish is a specialty of the Viet Tri river junction in Phu Tho province, where the Lo, Thao, and Da rivers converge. With its firm, white flesh and particularly its crunchy, cartilaginous lips, Anh Vu is considered by food connoisseurs to be tastier than any other river fish. Therefore, since ancient times, Anh Vu has been used as a delicacy offered to the emperor, as recorded in historical texts.

Scar

2.Bird's nest:Made from the saliva of swallows, bird's nest is a delicacy with a very appealing flavor and high nutritional value. Since ancient times, bird's nests have been harvested from the swallows' islands off the coast of Khanh Hoa province to be offered to emperors. Today, it remains an expensive tonic, largely harvested for export to earn foreign currency.

3.Wild goose of West Lake:A famous dish, it has been immortalized in the folk rhyme "La cucumbers, Lang mint, Dam water spinach/Dam Set perch, West Lake wild goose" of Thang Long (Hanoi). It was also a favorite dish of Emperor Tu Duc. Due to its legend and its status as a precious product offered to the emperor, the wild goose was hunted extensively, and today it has almost disappeared.

Sâm cầm

4.Dong Tao chicken:A rare breed of chicken found only in Khoai Chau district, Hung Yen province, Dong Tao chickens are also known as elephant-footed chickens due to their large, rough, elephant-like legs and sturdy build. This breed is very difficult to raise, requiring meticulous care, and the older the chicken, the more valuable it becomes. Their meat has a distinctive, delicious flavor unlike any other chicken. Dong Tao chickens can be cooked in many ways, but the most unique dish is "dragon scale stew with medicinal herbs," made from their oversized legs.

Dong Tao chicken

5.Ha Yen shrimp paste(Ha Trung district, Thanh Hoa province) is a precious and unique specialty of the low-lying plains of Thanh Hoa, formerly used as an offering to the king. To make this fish sauce, local officials had to send people to the Gia Gia stream, Co Dam village (now Bim Son area) to catch a special type of shrimp, the small, translucent green river shrimp. The best cook in the region was also selected for the fish sauce. When finished, the fish sauce has a golden hue and shimmers like honey.

6.Nam O fish sauce:Nam O village (Hoa Hiep Nam commune, Lien Chieu district, Da Nang) has long been famous for its traditional fish sauce, considered "fit for the king." The Nam O fish sauce brand is made from black anchovies, resulting in a pure and superb quality.

7Phu The cake:As the birthplace of the Ly Dynasty, Dinh Bang (Tu Son, Bac Ninh) is often called the land of kings. It is also the land of a famous specialty, even brought to the imperial capital of Hue to be presented to the emperor: Phu The cake. True to its name (Phu The means husband and wife), this cake is not sold individually but in pairs. Behind the layers of banana leaves, the cake reveals a glistening, bright yellow outer layer made of glutinous rice flour. The filling is made of mashed mung beans, mixed with sugar, and sometimes coconut. The taste of the cake is as sweet as the bond between husband and wife.

8.Hung Yen longan:Hung Yen longan has thick, fan-shaped flesh, is juicy and plump, and has a small seed. It has a distinctly sweet and fragrant taste, like rock sugar. Legend says that longan was grown in Pho Hien, the capital city, right in the Hien Temple, and a stele was erected to commemorate its origin. Hung Yen longan was offered to the king, hence it is also known as "longan offered to the king."

Hung Yen longan

9.Thanh Ha lychees:Among the lychee-growing regions in Vietnam, Thanh Ha lychees from Hai Duong are the most famous. Thanh Ha lychees are also known for their very small seeds, thick flesh, and firm texture, making them incredibly delicious. In the past, this fruit was frequently included in the list of local products offered as tribute to the emperor.

10.Dien pomelo:Originally a precious gift offered to the emperor, Dien pomelo (from Tu Liem, Hanoi) has long been considered a specialty fruit of Hanoi. The fruit is only slightly larger than an orange, but its sweetness is unmatched. Dien pomelo has a distinctive aroma; even before seeing the fruit, you can already smell its subtle, captivating fragrance. The pomelo has a beautiful bright yellow color, a characteristic sweet and refreshing taste, and a rich flavor. Although small, the peel is very thin, and the segments are juicy. Remarkably, the pomelo can be stored for 3-4 months. While the peel may wither over time, the inside remains very sweet and juicy. Therefore, Dien pomelo is a suitable choice for displaying on the five-fruit offering tray during Tet (Lunar New Year) or for ancestral worship.

11.Vong Village's Green Rice Flakes:This distinctive product of Thang Long (Hanoi) has been famous for 1,000 years, since it was offered as a tribute to the kings of the Ly dynasty. Today, every autumn, this snack made from young rice is carried by street vendors throughout Hanoi's streets. Vong rice flakes are often bought to eat with ripe bananas or to make rice flake sweet soup. It is also the main ingredient of Hang Than rice flake cake, another very typical Hanoi dish.

12.Royal bananas:Legend has it that during the Tran Dynasty, from Thien Truong Prefecture to the outskirts of Nam Dinh City, many areas were the homelands and estates of the Tran Dynasty's kings and officials. Out of admiration for the talent and virtue of these rulers, the people of Nam Dinh cultivated a precious product to offer to the king: the "royal banana." Still grown today, the royal banana produces very small fruits that, when ripe, have a yellowish hue like silk, a fragrant aroma, and a subtly sweet and alluring taste.

According to Dulich.vn