Hưng Yên Province

Braised frog with unripe banana and tofu in a turmeric and fermented shrimp paste sauce - rice paddy frogs from Hưng Yên's fields are meatier and sweeter than farmed varieties, a delta specialty eaten at family meals throughout the province

The rarest chicken in Vietnam - bred in Đông Tảo village for centuries, recognisable by its grotesquely enlarged scaly legs, the meat is firmer and more flavourful than any commercial breed, served at royal banquets historically and now priced at millions of dong per bird

Seasonal shad fish from the Red River harvested in spring when they swim upstream to spawn - grilled over charcoal, braised in caramel fish sauce, or wrapped in lá lốt leaves, the fish is bony but intensely flavourful and available only for a few weeks each year

Delicate Hưng Yên noodle soup combining the complexity of bún thang broth with stir-fried turmeric eel - the clear chicken and pork broth is topped with shredded egg crepe, pork floss, and lemongrass eel, a local refinement of the Hà Nội classic

Steamed rice rolls from Phú Thị village - made with a batter fermented overnight for extra sourness, filled with wood-ear mushroom and pork, served with a dipping sauce sweetened with nhãn lồng longan syrup, a Hưng Yên adaptation found nowhere else

Sour tamarind soup with wild climbing perch from Hưng Yên's ancient rice paddies - the fish is fried crispy before being added to a light broth with tomato, dill, and spring onion, a simple delta dish that Hưng Yên families consider the taste of home