Cu Chi specialties have long attracted many tourists to visit this heroic land.

Cu Chi District (Ho Chi Minh City), the "steel citadel", is not only famous for its tunnel system during the resistance war, but is also known for many attractive dishes made from ingredients available in the region.

When describing cuisine, many tourists will immediately think of adjectives such as: "unique", "extremely delicious", "rustic". Cu Chi's specialties are so memorable that after just one bite, you will want to come back.

Bamboo shoot salad mixed with shrimp and meat

Fresh bamboo shoot salad mixed with shrimp and meat. (Source: traveloka)

The dish originated from family meals and is favored by most people here because bamboo shoots are easy to prepare. The bamboo shoots must be fresh and boiled according to a "secret recipe" so that they do not become bitter or change color after boiling.

Prepare pork belly and peeled shrimp, combine spices such as garlic, chili ... to make the dish more delicious and flavorful, then mix with sweet and sour fish sauce. However, there are also many places that sell it so that diners can dip it themselves when eating to make the dish most delicious.

Steamed cassava

Boiled cassava with sesame salt. (Source: traveloka)

It may not sound special, but steamed cassava is a culinary culture that has existed since the resistance war against invaders in Cu Chi until now.

Steamed cassava with pandan leaves and sesame salt is a must-try dish when visiting this place. The dish has a special historical value, related to the period of resistance against the US of the Vietnamese people, when cassava became an important food source to relieve hunger.

Cassava is steamed, mixed with pre-cooked coconut milk, soft, fragrant and fatty, with a sweet taste that satisfies diners. This dish is very popular in the Cu Chi Tunnels area.

Cassava rolls with rice paper and dipped in fish sauce, garlic and chili

Cassava rolls with rice paper and dipped in fish sauce, garlic and chili. (Source: traveloka)

A unique dish found only in Cu Chi is boiled cassava rolled in rice paper and dipped in garlic fish sauce. This is a special dish that cannot be found anywhere else outside of Cu Chi.

The preparation of this dish begins with boiling the cassava in fresh coconut water until soft. The cassava is then mashed, mixed with sugar, salt, scallion oil and other spices to create a rich flavor.

To enjoy the dish, you just need to scoop a spoonful of soft cassava onto rice paper, then add raw vegetables, chopped boiled meat or stir-fried shrimp and dip it in delicious garlic fish sauce. Combining the unique flavor of cassava, the crispiness of rice paper, the freshness of raw vegetables and the attractive taste of garlic fish sauce, the dish of boiled cassava rolled in rice paper and dipped in garlic fish sauce creates a wonderful culinary experience that cannot be missed.

Grilled beef in betel leaves

Grilled beef in betel leaves. (Source: Cu Chi Golden Land)

For Cu Chi people, great snacks are often mentioned as grilled beef wrapped in betel leaves or beef wrapped in betel leaves, beef wrapped in betel leaves, beef wrapped in betel leaves. The main ingredients are beef and betel leaves processed by grilling method, possibly accompanied by caul fat.

The characteristic of this dish is the grilled meat combined with betel leaves, which brings an extremely delicious flavor. It can be eaten with many types of vegetables such as: lettuce, basil, fish mint, green banana, cucumber, star fruit and dipped in fish sauce.

Cu Chi beef

Cu Chi veal. (Source: Hong Dao veal)

The most famous specialty of Cu Chi is certainly the veal dish. Cu Chi veal has long been attractive with its delicious taste, the beef is soft and fragrant. The veal dishes here are processed into diverse dishes such as: veal wrapped in rice paper, veal hotpot with wild vegetables, veal dipped in vinegar, crispy rice with braised veal, grilled veal, grilled sesame...

Among them, beef wrapped in rice paper and wild vegetables is a must-try dish. This is a simple dish but will not disappoint you. This dish includes grilled beef, wrapped in rice paper with wild vegetables and a special dipping sauce. Once enjoyed, diners cannot resist the harmonious combination of flavors.

Grilled chicken in charcoal oven

Grilled chicken in charcoal oven. (Source: traveloka)

In addition to the famous specialty of young beef, Cu Chi is also known for its attractive chicken dishes, including the charcoal-grilled chicken. The grilled chicken has a distinctive flavor of the marinade combined with the faint scent of smoke, making the chicken golden brown, crispy skin, tender meat without being dry, and a rich flavor that captivates diners. When enjoying, the grilled chicken is often combined with crispy rice with scallion oil and fragrant lemongrass salt to create an interesting flavor.

Young jackfruit salad mixed with shrimp and meat

Young jackfruit salad mixed with shrimp and meat. (Source: traveloka)

Another Cu Chi specialty dish that seems simple but brings visitors a wonderful taste experience. Young jackfruit mixed with meat brings a delicious, rustic flavor. Because there is a lot of jackfruit in Cu Chi, the locals here have taken advantage of it to create attractive dishes.

Young jackfruit mixed with meat, shrimp, add some spices and it's done. This dish can be eaten with white rice or used as a snack on the drinking table.

Beef porridge

Beef porridge. (Source: traveloka)

Beef porridge is a delicious dish, suitable for all ages, especially pregnant women and children because it contains many nutrients. The porridge is a combination of beef hooves, beef tendons cooked with green beans, peanuts, white beans, potatoes, and cassava. When the porridge boils, add pennywort, Malabar spinach, and cabbage to increase flavor and nutritional value.

Green prawn

Green prawn. (Source: traveloka)

The giant freshwater prawns in Cu Chi are naturally raised along the East Canal and the Saigon River, so the meat is very fresh, delicious and firm. When coming to Cu Chi, visitors should try this dish. Giant freshwater prawns are often processed into dishes such as grilled giant freshwater prawns, steamed giant freshwater prawns, hot pot, etc.

Cu Chi beef noodle soup

Cu Chi beef noodle soup. (Source: traveloka)

Beef noodle soup is probably not strange to many people, but when you enjoy this dish in Cu Chi, you will immediately feel the distinctive difference. Cu Chi beef noodle soup is famous for its extremely soft and delicious beef, true to the reputation of the beef specialty here. When enjoying, you will feel the blend of fresh beef flavor combined with rich broth. Eaten with soft noodles, this will be an unforgettable culinary experience for visitors.

Pickled Malabar Spinach

Watercress and Chinese yam served with steamed beef. (Source: traveloka)

Pickled rau mop is a famous specialty of Cu Chi. With a sour, crunchy and refreshing taste, pickled rau mop is a unique and attractive dish. In particular, pickled rau mop is cleaned and used in its entirety, without discarding any part, thereby maximizing the value of the rau mop plant. The leaves and young shoots of rau mop are often pickled, creating a unique dish. In addition, rau mop can also be used to stir-fry with garlic, cook sour soup, steam with chicken or make salad with chicken, shrimp, beef, etc.

Eel porridge

Eel taro porridge. (Source: traveloka)

Recently, Cu Chi cuisine has emerged with eel and taro porridge. This is a delicious and very unique dish, because the taste of eel and taro porridge is completely different from eel porridge of Nghe An and the northern provinces. Cu Chi eel and taro porridge is unique with the combination of spicy taste and rich aroma from lemongrass and shrimp paste. The porridge uses sweet eel meat and when combined with soft cooked taro, it creates a truly attractive culinary experience.

Sugarcane durian juice

Sugarcane and durian juice. (Source: traveloka)

Sugarcane juice is very familiar to everyone, but the “unique and strange” combination with durian and green beans is only available in Cu Chi. The unique flavor of the drink is the refreshing taste of sugarcane juice combined with the strong aroma of durian or green beans.

When traveling on Highway 22 in Cu Chi, visitors will see many places selling delicious durian sugarcane juice. This is also one of the specialties that diners must try at least once.

Cu Chi rice paper

Cu Chi rice paper. (Source: traveloka)

In Cu Chi district, there is a village famous for making rice paper called Phu Hoa Dong. People cannot remember exactly when Phu Hoa Dong rice paper was born, but it was probably more than 50 years ago. Residents in the area recounted that since they were children, they saw many people making rice paper and over time, the rice paper making profession has been passed down from generation to generation.

Grilled Arapaima with salt and chili. (Source: traveloka)

In addition to the above specialties, when coming to Cu Chi, visitors can also enjoy dishes with a strong countryside flavor such as: crispy fried snakehead fish, stir-fried squash with basil leaves, grilled sea elephant fish with salt and chili, grilled birds, grilled sparrows... all very delicious and attractive.