A fish noodle soup from the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang offers diners an interesting culinary delight as it has a taste different from counterparts in Khanh Hoa, An Giang and Soc Trang provinces.

A bowl of Kien Giang-style fish noodle soup - Photo: Vanh Khuyen Le

Kien Giang-style fish noodle soup differs from other fish noodle soups in that the main ingredient of the latter is prepared from fish from the sea in the central region. Meanwhile, the fish for the specialty of Kien Giang is the snakehead fish caught from rivers and rice fields. The best fish for this dish must have black skin on their back and white belly skin. Those to be used must have at least the size of an adult’s wrist.

Snakehead fish must be cleaned under water and marinated with salt before their scales and innards are removed. Then, they will be cut into small chunks.

In addition, yellow roe is a topping making the dish look tastier. Roe can be replaced by shrimps.

Kien Giang-style fish noodle soup is prepared with snakeheads, shrimps and fish sauce, which seems to symbolize the province’s delta and sea. Fish sauce served with the dish should be from Phu Quoc Island. To satisfy your taste buds, Phu Quoc white pepper should be added, too.

The rustic specialty looks attractive with the white of fish flesh, the red of shrimps and the green of herbs. The broth of the dish has a light sweetness from shrimps and snakeheads.