What delicious food to eat when traveling to the South to celebrate the traditional Tet holiday? Nostalgic Southern Tet dishes

Spring and Tet in the South are not only an occasion for reunion, but also an opportunity to explore the colorful culinary culture during the first trip of 2025.

Tet Holiday 2025 – An ideal occasion to explore Tet in the South

According to the 2025 Lunar New Year holiday schedule, cadres, civil servants, public employees, and workers in administrative agencies, public service agencies, political organizations, and socio-political organizations will have 9 consecutive days off from January 25, 2025 to February 2, 2025 (Saturday, December 26 to Sunday, January 5). And at least 5 days off for At Ty Tet for normal workers (depending on the official holiday schedule of the company).

This is the perfect time for you and your family and friends to explore the South, where the Tet atmosphere is more bustling and warmer than ever. Tet in the South is not as cold as in the North, but is filled with gentle spring sunshine, making the atmosphere more relaxed and gentle. And there is nothing more interesting than experiencing typical Tet dishes when traveling through new lands.

Southern food tray – The beauty of harmony and warmth

Different from the elegant taste of the Northern tray, or the strong spicy taste of the Central region, the Southern tray is a harmonious combination of sweet, fatty and aromatic flavors. The Southern Tet tray is not elaborate but light and familiar. The dishes below are proof of the richness and harmony in the Southern Tet cuisine that anyone celebrating Tet in the West in particular or the South in general cannot miss.

1. Braised pork with duck eggs – A Tet dish with the flavor of love

Without being elaborate but full of the homeland, a pot of braised pork and duck eggs with shimmering coconut water always appears on the Tet meal tray of every family in the South, especially in Ben Tre - the place known as the land of coconut. The soft pork belly, soaked in sweet coconut water, and the fatty duck eggs are a perfect combination that anyone who eats it once will remember forever.

Braised pork with duck eggs is not only a delicious dish but also a symbol of abundance and fulfillment in the new year. If you are looking for the answer to the question "What to eat on Tet?", then this is definitely the loving dish you should try first during the Lunar New Year 2025.

>> Tour Reference:
1. Western Region - Pilgrimage to Long An - Tien Giang - Explore ancient temples - enjoy vegetarian cuisine (1 Day)
2. Western Region: My Tho - Ben Tre - Can Tho - Experience the Newest Expressway of the Western Region (2N1D)

2. Banh Tet – The Soul of Southern Tet

If banh chung is the symbol of Tet in the North, then banh tet is the pride of the people in the South. The green banh tet loaves are skillfully wrapped, the filling inside is a combination of fatty meat, green beans, and fragrant sticky rice. In particular, banh tet in the South often has sweet fillings such as Siamese banana, creating an irresistible delicious flavor. This is also one of the indispensable Tet dishes on the tray of offerings of Tra Vinh people.

Not only a dish, banh tet also carries the meaning of wishing for a prosperous and complete new year. Imagine sitting together, cutting the fragrant sticky banh tet, sipping it with crispy pickled vegetables, what could be better!

3. Bitter melon soup stuffed with meat - A dish that "takes away sadness and welcomes good luck"

Don’t be surprised when a dish called “bitter melon” appears frequently on the Southern dining table. For Westerners, this dish not only helps to cool down the body but also has a deep meaning: hoping that all difficulties and sorrows will “pass” in the old year, so that the new year will be filled with joy.

A bowl of green bitter melon soup, the broth is clear and sweet from the stuffed meat. Eating it is not only delicious but also warms the heart when you understand the heart put into each dish.

4. Chinese sausage – Rich Tet flavor

If you ask which Southern Tet delicacy is the most memorable, the answer is definitely Chinese sausage. The bright red, plump, sweet, fatty Chinese sausages are an indispensable dish in every home during the traditional Tet holiday. Whether served with bread, sticky rice or white rice, Chinese sausage is always attractive in its own way.

Southern sausages have a slightly sweet taste, the aroma of rice wine and the richness of fresh pork. Tien Giang sausages are more special because they are processed by hand, without preservatives. Enjoy golden fried sausages, pickled vegetables and banh tet, you will fully feel the atmosphere of Tet in the South on this trip.

>> Tour Reference:
3. Western region: Tien Giang - My Tho - Thoi Son Islet - Ben Tre - Con Phung (1 Day)
4. Western Region: Ben Tre - Hai Van Farm - Vam Ho Primeval Forest (1 Day)
5. Western region: Vinh Long - Can Tho (Enjoy Vinh Long specialties - top typical Vietnamese cuisine) | Cantho Eco Resort (2N1D)

5. Pickled vegetables – The crunchy taste of traditional Tet

Pickled vegetables, though rustic, are the soul of the Southern Tet meal. Pickled shallots, carrots, papaya... are pickled sweet and sour, eaten with banh tet or braised pork, creating a harmonious flavor, both refreshing and delicious.

Spring trip to the South during Tet holiday - Don't forget to enjoy the specialties of the river delta region

The West is not only famous for Cai Rang floating market (Can Tho), Sa Dec flower village (Dong Thap), Tra Su cajuput forest (An Giang), Chen Kieu pagoda ( Soc Trang ), Wind power field (Bac Lieu)... but also a fascinating culinary paradise. During your Tet holiday in the West, you can visit:

• Soc Trang: Discover the rich sweetness of pia cake or vermicelli soup.
• Bac Lieu: Try special Western-style pancakes with fresh seafood filling.
• Dong Thap: Not only famous for its nem chua, this place also makes tourists addicted with grilled snakehead fish rolled with rice paper and raw vegetables.
• Can Tho: "Cu lao" is a typical hotpot dish of the Mekong Delta, a place famous for its islands emerging in the middle of the river.
• An Giang: Sour soup with linh fish and water mimosa flowers is the perfect choice to relieve the feeling of fullness during Tet holiday meals.

>> Tour Reference:
6. The West: Chau Doc - Cam Mountain - Tra Su Melaleuca Forest - Can Tho - Cai Rang Floating Market - Experience the Newest Highway of the West (3N2D)
7. The West: Chau Doc - Tra Su Melaleuca Forest - Ha Tien - Rach Gia - Can Tho - Experience the Newest Expressway of the West (4N3D)
8. Western Region: Can Tho - Ca Mau - Dat Mui - Bac Lieu - Soc Trang - Experience the Newest Expressway of the Western Region (Visit the fruit garden) (4N3D)

Lunar New Year 2025 is an opportunity for us to return to our roots, to feel the traditional cultural values ​​through each dish, each moment of reunion. Southern dishes, whether simple or sumptuous, all carry the breath of heaven and earth, the flavor of family love.

Make your Tet holiday in the West more meaningful by enjoying the typical delicacies. Each dish, from banh tet to braised pork or sour soup, is a small story about the land and people of the South - simple, rich but also full of charm.

This Tet, if you have the chance, don’t forget to visit the South to experience the culture, cuisine and warmth of the people here. A trip that not only enriches your taste buds but also fills you with unforgettable emotions!
-
For more information about the program, please contact:
VIETRAVEL
190 Pasteur, Vo Thi Sau Ward, District 3, HCMC
Tel: (028) 3822 8898 - Hotline: 1900 1839
Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/ vietravel
Website: www.travel.com.vn

Source of article: Collected and compiled
@traveltips #traveltips