To many people, cuisine is one of the crucial factors that attract tourists to a destination. Many travellers to Da Nang express their interest in experiencing typical local dishes.

Local specialties are always attractive to tourists. Photo: DIEP NHU

During this year's peak summer tourist season, the Han and Con markets, the largest of their kind in the city-centre, especially the dining areas, welcome crowds of visitors.

Many dishes are considered by diners to be delicious, cheap and have a strong regional style with unique features such as Quang noodles, rice noodle soup, 'banh trang cuon thit heo' (belly pork and vegetables wrapped in soft rice paper), 'bun mam nem' (rice vermicelli with anchovy fish sauce), 'bun cha ca' (rice vermicelli with fish cake), 'banh xeo' (steamed rice flour pancakes), spring rolls, ice cream, and sweet soup.

Mr. Nguyen Chau Thi, a food reviewer who has his own youtube channel in Da Nang, said that familiar dishes, but processed by the hands of Da Nang people, have their own flavour thanks to typical spices.

In particular, ‘banh trang cuon thit heo’ (belly pork and vegetables wrapped in soft rice paper) is a speciality of Da Nang that satisfies even the most demanding gourmet. Boiled pork still retain its softness. The dish is served with thinly sliced green mango and carambola, unripe bananas and chillies, and a dipping sauce of ‘mam nem’ (a type of fish sauce, made from small fish or small shrimps). The amazing mixture of the various flavours really gives a pleasant texture and a smooth aftertaste!.

Meanwhile, Da Nang-style ‘banh xeo’ have a unique flavour with a thick crust, soft yellow color and a variety of fillings including minced meat, shrimp, squid, green onions, and bean sprouts. The dish is served with raw vegetables and a special dipping sauce which is a mixture of soybean sauce, roasted peanut, sesame, and pork liver.

‘Goi ca Nam O’ (raw fish salad) is considered a famous specialty of Da Nang. There are two sorts of this raw fish salad: dried and wet.

The salad is made from fresh herring and served with a special dipping sauce - the mixture of tomatoes, peanut oil, Nam O fish sauce and roasted peanuts, along with wild vegetables to create a different flavour.

Other dishes such as ‘bun mam nem’, ‘cha bo’ (beef paste), ‘nem chua’ (fermented pork), and ‘mit tron’ (Vietnamese young jackfruit salad) have very attractive flavours.

Along with the Con and Han markets, the Son Tra Night Market is considered "food paradise", whilst some smaller markets such as Bac My An Market in Ngu Hanh Son District, and An Hai Bac Market in Son Tra District is no less attractive to tourists thanks to its "good reputation".

Most of the dishes in these markets leave a good impression on domestic and foreign tourists on their travel itinerary.

Notably, Da Nang is home to many seafood restaurants and eateries that always satisfy diners with fresh, delicious ingredients.

Currently, many travel websites introduce cuisine as a "must-visit" experience in the central coastal city of Da Nang.

Ms. Moumou, a tourist from Hong Kong (China), shared that she travelled to many places, as well as often updated tourist spots and introduced local dishes on her personal page.

In Da Nang, she had very interesting experiences when accompanying the tourism unit. “We joined a food tour in the morning. The food in Da Nang is wonderful. I especially like avocado smoothie and egg coffee", Ms. Moumou said.

Rena Kim, a tourist from Singapore, also expressed that during her 3-day/2-night tour in Da Nang, she had the opportunity to visit beautiful places and enjoy delicious food.

“Our tour guide was also great at sharing the history and culture of the dishes in Da Nang and Central Viet Nam" she added.

With the advantage of the destination, many travel agencies are now concentrating on exploiting new tourism products to lure more tourists.

Ms. Ta Thi Tu Uyen, Director of Product and Service Department of the Viet Nam Tourism and Transport Marketing JSC - Vietravel, revealed that the company has launched a new tour called “Connecting Heritage - Experiencing Culinary Culture", in which for the first time launched culinary products associated with tourist experiences.

Through the dishes, the tour guide will tell deeper stories about local culture to tourists, with a focus on introducing the origin and history of Quang Nam and Da Nang dishes.

The company will choose typical restaurants specializing in cuisine associated with indigenous people's culture so that visitors can not only enjoy the food but also go into the kitchen to experience with artisans and cooks.

The company also hopes that the city's tourism industry will give more support to travel businesses in communicating and promoting their new products to domestic and international tourists.

Reporting by DIEP NHU - Translating by M.DUNG, T.TUNG