Fresh-water anabas from Set Lagoon is known as a special dish of Hanoi because the lagoon is revered as having the tastiest fish in the area, especially in autumn with the rice paddy begins to turn yellow. It is recorded that in the days when Vietnam had kings and lords, the anabas from Set Lagoon was served at the royal table.

Banh Tet (cylindrical sticky rice cake), is a typical dish of people in southern Vietnam that is considered an offering to pay homage to the spirits and deceased ancestors on the occasion of Tet or the anniversaries of the ancestors’ death.

In 2007, Nguyen Thi Xiem, the third generation of her family who has earned their living by making Banh xeo (rice pancake filled with shrimp, meat and green bean sprouts), was one of 39 Vietnamese artisans selected to participate in the 41^st Smithsonian Folk-Life Festival held in the United States. At the festival, her Banh xeo with typical flavour and colours left a long-lasting impression on the jury and won the first prize. Returning to the homeland, she was bestowed the title “Folk artisan”.

Banh khot (Vietnamese mini savoury pancake), one of the delicious dishes of the people from southern Vietnam, is a favourite of both domestic and foreign visitors. It is made mainly from rice and fresh shrimp and served with sweet and sour sauce and vegetables.

My Quang (Quang noodles) is an everyday food of the local people in the former Quang region (present-day Da Nang City and Quang Nam Province, Central Vietnam). Quang noodles can have many colours; reddish brown made from unpolished rice, yellow due to being mixed with saffron powder or simply white noodles made from ordinary rice. 

Bac Lieu was a deserted forest area that was reclaimed in the early 19^th century. Therefore the culinary art of locals here is very simple with only a few spices.