Long An Province

Fermented fish hotpot from the Mekong border wetlands - a deeply pungent broth of aged mắm cá sặc fermented fish paste simmered with lemongrass and pineapple, loaded with Mekong fish, pork, eggplant, and water lily stems, eaten with an enormous plate of wild delta herbs

Snakehead fish roasted whole directly in burning rice straw without any seasoning - the straw fire chars the scales into a protective crust that is peeled away at the table to reveal perfectly steamed, sweet flesh inside, eaten wrapped in rice paper with fresh herbs and fermented fish sauce

Rice paper grilled over charcoal and spread with sa tế chilli oil, dried shrimp, and spring onion - the Long An version uses locally made sa tế with a deeper lemongrass flavour than the Tây Ninh style, eaten as a street snack at evening markets along the Mekong tributaries

Sour tamarind soup with stinging catfish from Long An's flooded fields - the tiny cá chốt has sharp defensive spines and intensely sweet flesh, simmered with tamarind, tomato, pineapple, and bạc hà taro stem into a bright sour broth, a delta dish eaten daily in homes throughout the province

Khmer-influenced coconut and fermented fish noodle soup from Long An's border districts - thick rice noodles in a creamy coconut broth enriched with mắm bò hóc and turmeric, topped with pork, shrimp, and banana blossom, a dish that crossed from Cambodia into the Mekong Delta centuries ago

Snakehead fish rice porridge with bitter herb - the fish is grilled first to add smokiness then flaked into a silky rice broth, finished with rau đắng bitter herb that grows wild in Long An's paddy fields, the bitterness cutting through the richness in a balance that defines Mekong Delta cooking