Stir-Fried Coconut Shoots with Shrimp

Ben Tre is honored to have been selected by the Vietnam Record Organization as having 2 dishes among the Top 100 Vietnamese Specialty Dishes for the 5th time in 2021-2022, including Stir-Fried Coconut Shoots with Shrimp. The impressive experience of enjoying this dish will be the sweet and crunchy texture within each piece of coconut shoot, combined with the natural fragrant sweetness of the shrimp. 

Coconut shoots stir-fried with shrimp is one of the popular dishes enjoyed by diners. Coconut shoots are cut into pieces of thin one and soaked in ice water mixed with freshly squeezed lemon juice to maintain their crispness and white color when preparing the dish. After soaking in ice water, they are quickly blanched in boiling water. The shrimp is cleaned and then sautéed with fragrant garlic, added the coconut shoots and season with spices. When the coconut shoots stir-fried with shrimp is cooked, it is served with white rice and can be accompanied by soy sauce or chili fish sauce.

Coconut shoot salad with shrimp and pork

One of the distinctive and famous dishes of the hometown of coconuts, Ben Tre, is the Coconut Shoot Salad with Shrimp and Meat. It is a must-try when visiting there.

This dish is characterized by the main ingredient which is made from Ben Tre's fresh and crunchy coconut shoot. It has a fragrant and refreshing taste, adding a delightful sweetness to the dish.

Coconut shoot salad with braised pork and boiled shrimp is a dish that combines the flavors of Ben Tre's fresh coconut shoot, tender braised pork, and succulent boiled shrimp. The dressing used in the salad enhances the deliciousness and nutrition of the dish. With the sweet and sour taste of each piece of coconut shoot, the crispy texture of fresh shrimp, and the rich flavor of belly pork, combined with the distinctive aroma of Vietnamese coriander, fried purple onion, and roasted peanuts, one bite of this dish will leave a lasting impression.

Coconut porridge

Coconut porridge is a combination of rice and coconut milk. Ben Tre coconut porridge offers a delightful taste experience. It used to be a popular breakfast dish among rural residents in the land of coconuts and is loved by many. Coconut porridge is a simple dish made with white rice, coconut milk, and grated coconut flesh. The rice is cooked until soft and then mixed with coconut milk and grated coconut. All the ingredients are blended harmoniously to create a delicious and comforting flavor. When eating coconut porridge, one can taste the natural sweetness of the coconut, along with a hint of saltiness or dried fish, roasted shrimp, and various seafood such as catfish, snakehead fish, clams, and mussels, which add further variations to the dish when cooked together.

The soul of the coconut country through folk cakes

Through ups and downs, people of the Coconut Land have been constantly exploring, creating more and more delicious, delicate dishes. The formation of its own eating style is always associated with history, geography, and climate. Therefore, the cuisine of the Coconut Land mostly comes from the casual, brings the country-flavor. The typical dishes is the unique folk cakes. For the people of the coconut land, the cake is not only for eating but also for exchange the culture. Ben Tre is known as the land of "the spirit land", which is to absorb and preserve cultural quintessence from the reclaiming time of the ancestor, so the folk cakes in Coconut Land cuisine always reflect the rustic soul. It also shows up the love of grandmothers, mothers, and sisters, blends with the soul of local plants and flowers into each cake.

(Photo: Tuong Vi)

In memory of the Coconut Country people, no one does not remember the image of a woman who sits beside a flour store mill, watches the fire by the red stove all night to process delicious and beautiful cakes. Whether it is salt cakes or pastries, the folk cakes are made through the woman's skillful hands. They can be ordinary housewives, but sometimes they also can be skilled craftsmen and whoever they are, all folk cakes always exude the valuable love from people of Coconut Land.

Currently, Ben Tre has many kinds of folk cakes, which are made from very simple ingredients, especially those with mostly coconut materials: rice, glutinous one, beans, cereals, coconut meat, coconut milk, also known as coconut cream, .... In addition, these cakes also have many different forms of processing, with various shapes: sweat or salt cakes, cakes with staff or not; wrapped or bare cakes and cakes in round shape, flat, square, tower, pillar,… There are many kinds of cakes such as: for full eating, work eating, between meals, or serving as desserts. Some cakes have used forgiving, offering.

Ben Tre Coconut Cake (Photo: Phuong Thy)

Recently, Coconut Land folk cakes are increasingly plentiful but it still retains the rustic, simple features and inherent country soul, such as some kinds of coconut cake in Vietnamese words: bánh tét nhân chuối; bánh tét nhân đậu; bánh bò nước cốt dừa; "bánh bèo ngọt"; "bánh dừa"; "bánh cuốn ngọt nhân dừa"; "xôi mít dừa nạo"; "xôi lá cẩm"; "xôi lá dứa"; "bánh ít nhân dừa"; "bánh lá rau mơ nước cốt dừa"; "bánh da lợn"; "bánh đúc"; "bánh đuông"; "bánh tằm khoai mì"; "bánh chuối"; "bánh ú nước tro". Above all, it is also the creativity of bringing ingredients from coconut into the processing stage to increase the fatness, flavor of the cake and contribute to enhancing the distinctive flavor of the Coconut Land in folk cakes.

"Bánh da lợn", "bánh lá rau mơ", "bánh bò", "bánh chuối" mix with coconut cream (Photo: Tuong Vi)

At the same time, it is prouder and prouder when the Coconut Land folk cake is also famous in nationwide with "My Long" rice paper and Son Doc glutinous rice chapatty at the traditional craft villages "My Long rice paper" (My Thanh commune) and Hung Nhuong commune in Giong Trom district. The cakes were recognized to be included in the list of "National Intangible Cultural Heritage" in 2018. These two traditional trade villages have had over 100 years old and preserved and passed down through the generations. So they can make delicious cakes, which attract many tourists coming from far and near places

(Photo: Tuong Vi)

Coconut folk cakes always make visitors satisfied and excite so they can enjoy the cakes which are introduced in Ben Tre Traditional Culture Festival (July 1) every year; Ben Tre Coconut Festival; The Southern Folk Cake Festival taking place every year in Can Tho at the booth of artisans Ben Tre,…. However, visitors can also buy and enjoy those cakes at some markets in Ben Tre province.

The cakes here as like the gifts from the countryside bringing childhood memories back to life. Not only does the substance contain inherent traditional flavors, but also has been improved in both appearance and quality, so it is increasingly enhanced in terms of the Coconut land cultural value. Hopefully, in this globalized world, indigenous traditional values such as Coconut Land folk cakes will always be preserved and promoted.

Author: Tuong Vi

Translator: Phuong Thy

Vietnamese rice noodle soup (Banh canh)

Ben Tre has long been known as the "green coconut capital" with friendly people. Moreover, food here is always attractive and one of dishes brings delicious flavor is rice noodle soup (banh canh). Don't forget to try it when you visit Ben Tre.

The name of this dish is "banh canh" because it is made completely by hand. Firstly, we have to choose  rice that is not too flexible, soak rice into water and grind it to become flour. Next, we bring all the mixture to pour into cloth bag to squeeze out water, only take dry powder, knead smooth dough, mould the dough on glass bottle and cut into small pieces to put in the pot of boiling water. At this time, the water pot will be milky; we can add coconut milk to create fat and this is also unique feature of Ben Tre rice noodle soup (banh canh).

Ben Tre duck meat rice noodle soup (Banh canh). (Photo by Bao Tram)

This dish can be cooked with many ingredients such as: pork, chicken, shrimp, clams, mussels, ... but popularity is duck rice noodle soup. We marinate duck's meat with spices, stir fry meat in the pot first; then pour water in, wait until boiling water and add rice powder. We should choose soft, low-fat duck's meat and eat this dish with scallions, pepper, ginger fish sauce.

Welcome tourists to Ben Tre to enjoy rice noodle soup (banh canh) and feel about the beauty of coconut land, the heart of people and abundant cuisine here./.

Author: Bao Tram

Translator: Tuong Vi

Source: https://dulich.bentre.gov.vn

The rustic variation in processing snakehead fish with coconut milk

Over the centuries, the Vietnamese family meal has never had a lack of braised dishes. Each region has its own dishes with different flavors. My hometown is no exception.  Being known as "Coconut land", many dishes which are combined with coconut milk always make customers feel not only charming but also fragrance and be hard for us to resist. On rainy days, there are a lot of fish in the paddy rice fields, and I remember my grandfather often used to make braised dishes from perch, catfish, snakehead fish. My most impressed memory has been snakehead fish cooked in coconut milk.

I call this dish is a version of the countryside because my grandfather said that to cook this dish to become delicious, it must be made from natural snakehead fish. In this way the meat will have a natural sweetness and firmness. Furthermore, the coconut milk from old ripening coconut is true version with many attractive steps. Cooking is an art because of choosing ingredients to cooking techniques and we still have to put our mind, sincerity into each dish, the customers will feel the taste and never forget.

Braised snakehead fish with coconut milk (photo: Tuong Vi)

It is quick and easy for us to make this braised snakehead fish. First, clean snakehead fish, cut the fish into slices and then marinate the fish about 30 minutes with spices such as salt, sugar, pepper, fish sauce, red onions and a little coconut water to create an eye-catching color when we finished. When the pot heats up, we add cooking oil and minced garlic and minced lemongrass for being fragrant, and cook the marinated fish mixture. Next, we use a bamboo chopstick to up side down the slices of fish and wait until the meat is solid again to add coconut milk. At this time, the snakehead fish pot must be boiled over a low fire and until the mixture in the pot is almost dry, we turn off the stove, sprinkle with pepper and scallions on top. We really like to eat hot rice with it when we hear how to cook it.

Snakehead fish with coconut milk is extremely delicious attractive because of the color, good mixture and it aroma. This dish when served with rice must be used with raw vegetables such as lettuce, basil, perilla, cucumber. On the rainy days, when the whole family sits around a hot tray of rice, served with snakehead fish with coconut milk dotted with the above raw vegetables, this is not only a simple rural version but also a childhood memory of many people of coconut land.

Snakehead fish is known as a sweet, warm, non-toxic and has goad effect to blood, tendons, bones. Braised snakehead fish with coconut milk is made from very simple ingredients, easy to seek and not too picky to cook method but to process a good meal, true taste of coconut land, it requires people to cook carefully and meticulously.

Nowadays, when traveling to Ben Tre, domestic and foreign tourists can easily enjoy braised snakehead fish with coconut milk served with white rice at restaurants, hotels, and homestays. The sweet, grease, irresistible aroma of this dish will surely make visitors remember forever, it is the rustic countryside version, an idyllic beauty in culinary culture of Coconut land.

Author: Tuong Vi

Translator: Phuong Thy

Source: https://dulich.bentre.gov.vn

Unique “bananas knead with coconut” flavor

Along with coconut tree, banana is also a familiar one and planted around the garden by many people in Ben Tre province. Do not know ever since, banana and coconut are "couple" with a harmonious combination, create many featured dishes with fat, sweet flavor specially and be liked by many people, such as: banana grilled with coconut milk, banana baked with coconut, banana sweet soup, ... but there is a dish with special flavor and has imprinted into the memories of people here, that is “Banana knead with coconut”.

Bananas knead with coconut, which vegetables and sauce (photo by Bao Tram)

For the best dish, bananas are used for cooking must be old, almost ripe. Firstly, we have to wash and soak bananas into the water to reduce gum, and then sort, pour water into a pot; and cook them. When we see bananas turning soft and cracked shells with yellow color they are ok. We should choose old bananas but not so ripe because when we eat, they will be very sweet. Secondly, we take out and peel bananas; then we knead them with curetted coconut; in this process, we can add some salt, sugar into the blend and it will have a special flavor very much.

Although it is very simple, the taste of this dish is extremely unique. There are many different ways to enjoy it. In many places, people enjoy this dish with many kinds of vegetables around their garden, such as lettuce, herbs, basil, ... and eat with fish source which is mixed with garlic, chili, and fresh coconut water. We can roll “bananas knead coconut” with vegetables and sauce. The acrid flavor from vegetables; fatty, salty, sweet flavor from “banana knead coconut”; spicy, odorous flavor from fish source. Everything will be blended together and made everyone who has ever tasted always want to enjoy more. In some places, people enjoy this dish with peanut and they don’t need vegetables or fish source because they want to feel the greasy banana itself fatty. You can enjoy this dish with someways you want because the flavor is always special. Anyone who has ever enjoyed “bananas knead with coconut” also has commented that only in Ben Tre people can make it become the greasy and soft level of blend and banana’s odorous flavor.

According to the timeline with the variety of other attractive dishes but with people in Ben Tre province, this dish is really a familiar and special dish of each family. “Banana knead coconut” has imprinted in the memories of people here and anyone who has loved it because of unique and special flavor. If you have opportunity, you should visit Ben Tre province once to enjoy this dish; certainly, you will want to come back here again./.

Writter: Bao Tram

Translator: Tuong Vi

Lunar New Year and the capital of coconut in Ben Tre, Vietnam

In Viet Nam, we celebrate Vietnamese New Year marking the arrival of spring based on the Lunar calendar, a lunisolar calendar. Tet Nguyen Dan or Tet is not only the most important but also the popular holiday and festival in Vietnam, as known as, Lunar New year. 

Ben Tre is one of the 13 southern provinces in Vietnam which has many vast gardens of green coconut trees, therefore Ben Tre Province is considered the “capital” of coconuts in Vietnam. Ben Tre is also known for its cuisine that makes out mostly from coconut and provides some of the most beautiful scenery in the Mekong delta.

We have the saying that the atmosphere of Tet holiday always makes us tingled and so busy to prepare for a happy new year; perhaps Tet comes and goes, pass by like a breeze reflecting the spring flavor. All are nostalgically deposited many emotions, mood pay back, the memories as well as the excellent cuisine that we enjoy with family. The memory of Tet in Ben Tre will never be forgotten to people in Ben Tre particularly and Vietnamese in generally. In addition, we usually celebrate the New Year with generosity, lavishness and kindness with our family and others. As the economy grow, luxurious and high-class dishes have also evolved, however the traditional New Year holiday in the capital of coconut has always have been preserved by generations with countless dishes but simple and still full of meaning.

Bitter melon soup (Photo: Tường Vi)

The first traditional indispensable dish in Tet holiday could not help but mention is the meat of coconut milk, also known as the braised pork in coconut juice with eggs. Back in the old day, my family gathered around the dinning table and enjoy this dish. I have still remembered that each piece of soft cooked bacon had been mingled with the sweet, fragrant taste of coconut water and had been served with hot rice. At present, it brings not only warmth but also refresh and joy during New Year. This dish has a meaning for a whole new year full of prosperity because in the dish the bacons are sliced square symbolized the land, and the round duck eggs represent the sun like yin and yang harmony. Side by side with the braised pork in coconut juice with eggs is the bitter melon soup. We usually use minced pork or fish are stuffed with wood ear mushroom filling in the middle the bitter melon. The broth will be packed with flavor because a little bit of bitterness and sweet (from the stuffed mixture and the bitter melon). The soup always appears on the table of people in Ben Tre during Tet because they want to convey out the difficulties and hardships of the old year and wish to receive many luck, smoothness in every aspect of life and favorable for the new year.

Coconut Jam (Photo: Tường Vi)

Ben Tre people often invite guests with cake, jam, …that made from coconut, though simple, but imbued with the love. On New Year, every family here has rice paper, puff pastry, candy and jam made from coconut in their house to treat visitors. Rice paper, puff pastry which grilled on charcoal will be very crispy and tasty and will make us just want to keep eating them because the cake is made from rice flour and coconut milk combined with many other diverse ingredients such as milk, onions leaves, white sesame, and so on. In Ben Tre, coconut jam is also highly addictive, in a good way. Each piece of white coconut jam is crystallized with sugar, milk and eye-catching colors such as green of pineapple leaves, orange of carrots, red of spiny bitter gourd, purple cabbage, et cetera. It is not only eye-catching, but also chewy and rich in flavor. Moreover, coconut candy is also a traditional one and is indispensable in every Tet in Ben Tre. Coconut candy is made from malt, coconut milk, sand sugar and to add flavor, the worker adds peanuts, pineapple leaves, durian along with others.

In the spring days, when the weather is cold, with just a few soft, greasy coconut candies, and a hot tea is to die for with those who enjoy it for the first time. These are special gifts of Ben Tre that are usually presented at every souvenir shop in Ben Tre. 

Every spring, besides the traditional foods mentioned above, each home in Ben Tre will has a few other dishes depending on the preferences and economic conditions of each family such as dried shrimp, shrimp rolls, spring rolls, pork bologna, Chinese sausage, chicken porridge in the garden, coconut rice, tofu salad with coconut meat and shrimp, roasted shrimp with shrimp, fried fish served with vermicelli and rice paper, pig trotters stewed with dried bamboo shoots, and so forth. Even though 2020 New year has passed by, however, the echo of food still lingered at each house in Ben Tre

Life is becoming more and more modern and prosperous, we do not need to wait for New Year to come by to enjoy these delicious dishes which can be found at any restaurants, hotels, tourist destinations, and the like. In Ben Tre, services and reasonable prices always serve you wholeheartedly and hospitably by the idyllic people.

Writer: Tường Vi

Translator: Phương Thy

Mien Tay Riverside Restaurant

Address: No. 52-53/18 Hamlet 3, Tan Thach Commune, Chau Thanh District, Ben Tre Province

Tel: (84-275) 3860.828 - 0908.688.863

Fax: (84-275) 3860.838 

Website: mientayriverside.com

From Internet

With a capacity of 700 guests, a team of staff who are dynamic, enthusiastic, kind and pro.

Diem Phuong Restaurant

Located on Phung Islet, Diem Phuong restaurant is a campus of about 10,000 m², it is situated at No. 80/10, Tan Thach Commune, Chau Thanh district, Ben Tre province, telephone number (84-275) 3894.926, the restaurant owner Mr. Truong Van Truc.

To reach the place you can go by road or waterway combination within a period of 30 minutes. The starting point from the city of Ben Tre in length of 13 km is to be with Diem Phuong restaurant.

To serve all the dining needs of visitors from near and far, Diem Phuong restaurant delicious, typical dishes of the South as: grilled snakeshead fish, shaggily fried spadefish rolling in rice paper cake, sour soup with fish of all kinds such as: snakehead fish, catfish, …; processing European dishes to serve tourist who can not eat pure Vietnamese food. To the Demand for vegetarian food the restaurant also meets the customer’s demand.

In a spacious campus together with the wind blowing from the Tien River, you will have a cool and fresh air, helping you with comfort.

An Khanh Hotel

Address: Hamlet 1, Highway 60, An Khanh commune, Chau thanh district, Ben Tre province

Tel: (84-275) 3624.624

Email: hotel.ankhanhbentre@gmail.com

An Khanh hotel is at Chau Thanh district with 500m from Rach Mieu bridge and 5 munites by car from My Tho city. Surrounded by beautiful landscape of peaceful coconut land, openned  air hotel and modern, luxurious  meeting, karaoke and rooms, guests feel comfortable as at home.

Ba Cây Dừa Tours Cultural Tourist and Service Co., Ltd.

Address: No. 81B/6B An Thới B Hamlet, An Khánh Commune, Châu Thành District, Bến Tre Province

Tel: 0985.522.288 - 0947.278.822

Business:

- Cruising and rowing boat trip;

- Traditaional music Southern Vietnam on floating house;

- Fishing tours in canals;

- Homestay;

- Shopping tours at local market;

- Restaurant.

Floating Restaurant(Rạch Miễu Bridge)

- Southern Specialties (set-menu or buffet);

- Wedding and birthday parties, events, ...

My An Resort

My An Resort - The center where served revolutionary officers according to their deserts belongs to the Labour - Invalids and Social department of Ben Tre Province and located beside the Ham Luong river, about 02 km from southwest Ben Tre city - 18B My An B hamlet, My Thanh An commune, Ben Tre city.

The resort has three separated hotels with 36 rooms, 150 seats conference-hall, 250 seats restaurant, ... with activities such as: comfortable bedrooms with television, refrigerator, bathtub,...; Restaurant serving popular dishes and the European, Asian cuisine with reasonable price. The center also arranges inbound and outbound tours.

Please, contact:

- Reception phone number: (84-75) 3.815.588

- Office: (84-75) 3.600.948 -  0947.992.116 - 0943.764.906

- Website: khunghiduongmyan.com

Mai An Tiem Garden

No. 108E An Thuan B Hamlet, My Thanh An Commune, Ben Tre City, Ben Tre Province

Tel: (+84-75) 6566.789 - 0909.361.109

The Champagne Wedding restaurant

Address: No. 234/6 Nguyen Hue Street, Ward 1, Ben Tre City, Ben Tre Province

Tel: (84-75) 2223399 - 0909361109 - 0913189610 - 0978527412

Website: www.thechampagne.com.vn

Located in the city center of Ben Tre. With a management team experienced in weddings, events - conferences will bring to our customers a cozy dinner, luxury. Ritual extravaganza with delicious food. Definitely will make you satisfied with teh service provided by The Champagne.

Outdoor Weddings

Hung Vuong Hotel

Hung Vuong Hotel: 148-166 Hung Vuong Street, ward 3, Ben Tre city. The hotel is on the bank of the Ben Tre River, it is peaceful and romantic. The system consists of 40 luxurious rooms. Price per room is from 300,000 VND to 530,000 VND. The hotel has a restaurant service Asian and European cuisine, specialties; and gets the service for diners up to 500 people. The hall can accommodate from 50 to 400 seats with full facilities to serve the conference, Karaoke rooms with modern equipments...

With enthusiastic and attentive staff, Hung Vuong Hotel will bring you moments of relaxation and safety.

Telephone: (84-75) 3822408 - 3826134

Ben Tre Green Skin Pomelo

For the past twenty years, special fruits that have become speciality on the island of Ben Tre, is green skin pomelo. Green skin pomelo is grown in My Thanh An commune, the commune of Ben Tre city, Chau Thanh district, Mo Cay Nam, Mo Cay Bac and Cho Lach district. Green skin pomelo of pink intestine has very few seeds, the segment of the doesn’t grapefruit taste bitter, sweet, the more eating the more craving green skin pomelo product has been exported too currently, green skin pomelo planting area around Ben Tre reached over 3,000 hectares.

Visitors to Ben Tre city should spare time to visit the garden of green skin pomelo of the Cooperative Agriculture of green skin pomelo in My Thanh An – where the National Office of Intellectual Property (MOST) issued certification of the brand green skin grapefruit since 2005 (No. 160, Hamlet 2, Phu Nhuan commune, at the foot of the bridge, about 3 km from Ben Tre  city. Tel: 0752.487838). This cooperative is on 70 hectares of pomelo tree giving fruit, a member of GAP (good production and consumption of products, safety).

Restaurants – Specialty restaurants

1. Hoang Pho Cuisine Park
Address: 135D, bypass of National Road 60, Binh Phu Commune, Ben Tre city
Phone: 075.3810239

2. Huynh Anh Quan Restaurant
Address: 194 Nguyen Hue Street, Ward 1, Ben Tre city
Phone: 075.38326261

3. A Din Restaurant
Address: 17A30 Binh Khoi, ward 6, Ben Tre city
Phone: 075.3837668

4. Ut An Restaurant
Address: Bypass of National Road 60, Ben Tre city
Phone: 075.2210390

5. Hong Thuy Restaurant
Address: 311A3 bypass of National Road 60, Ben Tre city
Phone: 075.3560096

6. Mien Tay Grill Garden
Address: Bypass of National Road 60, Ben Tre city

7. Hoa Cau Restaurant
Address: 17A – 19 bypass of National Road 60, Ward 6, Ben Tre city
Phone: 075.3823590

8. Nhu Thuy Restaurant
Address: Hamlet 1, Binh Phu Commune, Ben Tre city
Phone: 075.3510754

9. Nam Son Restaurant
Address: 40 Phan Ngoc Tong Street, Ward 2, Ben Tre city
Phone: 075.3822873

10. Truong Ky I Restaurant
Address: 283A, Quarter 3, Phu Tan Ward, Ben Tre city
Phone: 075.3829283

11. Truong Ky II Restaurant
Address: 517B, 3rd Quarter, Phu Khuong Ward, Ben Tre city
Phone: 075.3813561 – 3813616

12. Mai Vang Restaurant
Address: No. 79/2, My An C Hamlet, My Thanh An Commune, Ben Tre city
Phone: 075.3817337

13. Rang Dong Restaurant
Address: 315C, Nguyen Hue Street, Phu Khuong Ward, Ben Tre city
Phone: 075.3816896

14. Chuon Chuon Ot Restaurant
Address: Binh Khoi Quarter, Ward 6, Ben Tre city
Phone: 075.3561059

15. 6 Cay Dua Restaurant
Address: 233 Nguyen Hue Street, Phu Khuong Ward, Ben Tre city
Phone: 075.3835445

To Ben Tre for using Specialty “Coconut”

From the coconut Ben Tre people processed into various specialties such as: coconut milk boiled shrimp, coconut milk fried shrimp, coconut banana stew, coconut candy, recently, more interesting dishes have been commented by visitors: Real characteristic of the coconut country, which is “coconut” – a specialty won Silver Medal at the Southern Land fair held by Saigon Tourist, 1999.

“Coconut rice” means Rice is cooked with coconut milk in a coconut. This is the dish from Mrs. Ho Thu Bach, formerly Director of Ben Tre floating Restaurants, the current work at the Ham Luong hotel, came up with the idea from the Central Highlands Lam rice (rice cooked in bamboo tubes). Coconut for cooking must be selected from drinking coconut like: Siamese coconut, small coconut, pineapple coconut … coconut in medium age; young fruit or strong enough non-sweet milk quality, non-aromatic.

The Rice used to cook must be smelled good and soft, washed clean, in a basket to drain. Coconut used as a “cooker” with an opening at the tail to pour out some milk, then put the rice into the coconut, so the rice and coconut milk get balance, the rice is just cooked, dry, plastic. After putting the rice in to the coconut milk, cover it tight put it into, for a pot of little water for distillation. Coconut meal, you must use a small spoon and chew slowly you, will enjoy the sweet taste and scent of coconut milk absorbed into the grains of rice. Coconut rice should be eaten while it’s still hot with coconut fried shrimp. It would be better.

picture of illustration

When having the opportunity to reach Ben Tre coconut country, would you please visit Ben Tre floating Restaurant or Ham Luong hotel restaurant (Ben Tre City) to enjoy the delicious taste of coconut rice. And at other destinations like Phung Islet, Qui Islet, … you also enjoy this coconut rice dish.

Translated from Lu The Nha

Coconut rice of Ben Tre

This article was sent to Tourism Information Promotion Center of Ben Tre from Tonnybao21 introduce new dishes of coconut Ben Tre "Coconut rice of Ben Tre". Invite you to "enjoy", please!:
Hello,
I would like to introduce a delicious food:
Coconut rice of Ben Tre

photo collection

 Ben Tre is known as the coconut. Recently, on the table under the shadow coconut of this country has added a new dish is equally attractive: Coconut rice.
You want to eat coconut preset phone and looks like so far only floating restaurant in Ben Tre city serves this picky. Coconut cooking time consuming as long as 02 hours to a restaurant set 10 coconuts or more, less than this number ...not even receive!
Coconut rice, they use good rice, after washed by ... coconut water, let dry and put coconut cooking does not touch water. Coconut is used to cook “Xiem” coconut, after selection is satisfactory, they are not used to the inside of the coconut, they just peel coconuts with eye-catching appearance. Then, cut part on coconut to pour water out and used thast piece as a lid to cover the "Coconut rice cooker". Next chef will park the rice in coconut, then they pour the fresh coconut water just enough and then put a lid on it.
Cooking “coconut rice”, the most difficult thing have to watch the coconut water and rice evenly, if more water, less rice and back then coconut rice will be paste or rigid, destroy the taste. Coconut rice to eat while still hot, is delicious. If so long, ưhite rice will absorb more oil from the coconut will blaze of light yellow. Price of a coconut rice about 30,000 VND.
Coconut rice served with coconut fried shrimp. Land shrimp, vote shrimp, slang shrimp and crayfish left foot, clean and spicy sugar, salt, monosodium glutamate, for a while to soak. Coconut shrimp roasted with simple, after shrimp skip to roasting pan and for coconut milk into the pan to smolder. When infused coconut shrimp turn red is deemed to have completed the coconut fried shrimp dish. Now infused coconut shrimp meat will taste tough, brittle.
You do not use coconut rice and shrimp to Ben Tre is seen as a tourist to the coconut incomplete. If you have been in this country you eat a "fruit" coconut rice to add rich culinary treasures and more impressive on land called Ben Tre stance.