Traveling to the Mekong Delta without bringing back specialties means your trip is incomplete. From Ca Mau's salted ba khia to U Minh forest honey or Chau Doc Thai paste — these are the 15 most loved Mekong Delta food souvenirs, along with practical prices and reliable places to buy them.
Top 5 Ca Mau Specialties — Most Purchased
Rach Goc Salted Ba Khia (Three-striped Crab)
150,000–250,000 VND/500g boxSmall crabs salted using a traditional Khmer recipe. Eaten raw or stir-fried with lemongrass and chili. Vacuum-packed to last 1–2 months. Buy at the source: Rach Goc market (Ngoc Hien) is 40% cheaper than supermarkets. See more top Ca Mau gifts for more options.
✅ Available online at bangoaihomestay.store
Rach Goc Dried Shrimp
300,000–600,000 VND/kgFresh red sea shrimp, sun-dried naturally without chemicals. The larger the shrimp, the higher the price. Keep in the fridge to use for 3–6 months. Tip: choose shrimp with an even reddish-orange color and no black heads.
✅ Available online at bangoaihomestay.store
U Minh Melaleuca Forest Honey
200,000–350,000 VND/kgPure honey from natural hives in the U Minh melaleuca forest — dark yellow color, thick, with a light melaleuca flower scent. Completely different from industrial farmed honey. Only found in U Minh — nowhere else can produce it.
✅ Available online at bangoaihomestay.store
Ca Mau Dried Bombay Duck (Khoai Fish)
150,000–280,000 VND/kgSun-dried Bombay duck fish, with thin, chewy, and slightly fatty meat — a Ca Mau seafood specialty unmatched by any other province in quality. Grilled over charcoal or deep-fried, perfect with white rice.
📍 Buy at: Song Doc Market, Ca Mau Market, Ca Mau Boat Pier
Ca Mau One-Sun-Dried Squid
250,000–450,000 VND/kgFresh squid sun-dried for a single day, retaining the sweetness of live squid but with firmer meat. Best when just cooked over a charcoal grill. Completely different from ordinary hard dried squid.
📍 Buy at: Song Doc fishing port market, Nam Can
10 Other Mekong Delta Specialties You Can't Miss
🍎 Delta Dried Fruits
Dried mango, jackfruit, and banana from Tien Giang and Dong Thap provinces. 80–150k/300g bag. Easy to store, no refrigeration needed.
🐡 Snakehead / Gourami Fermented Paste (Mam Loc / Mam Sac)
Fermented snakehead or gourami fish using traditional recipes — rich flavor, used for braising meat or as a base for fermented fish hotpot. 50–100k/kg.
🍜 Chau Doc Thai Paste
Fermented snakehead fish mixed with shredded papaya — a famous An Giang specialty. Eaten raw or mixed in salads. Easy to bring home in vacuum-sealed boxes.
🧂 Ha Tien Chili Salt
The signature sweet, sour, and spicy chili salt of Ha Tien (Kien Giang) — for dipping fruits or mixing salads. Cheap, compact, and the most popular takeaway gift.
🍰 Soc Trang Pia Cake
Flaky pastry filled with mung bean or durian made using Teochew recipes. Can be kept for 1 month at room temperature. Box of 6 ~80–150k.
🍬 Ben Tre Coconut Candy
Fresh coconut candy wrapped in edible rice paper, rich and fragrant with coconut flavor — the most common gift from the Mekong Delta. 30–80k/box depending on the brand.
🌾 Soc Trang ST25 Rice
The rice variety that won "World's Best Rice 2019" — fragrant, sticky, and uniform grains. Buy a 5kg bag for a meaningful gift. 60–120k/kg depending on origin.
🫚 Ben Tre Virgin Coconut Oil
Cold-pressed, unrefined pure coconut oil. Used for cooking, hair care, and skin care. 100–200k/500ml bottle.
🍯 Tay Ninh Beef Jerky
Not exactly from the Mekong Delta, but an essential specialty in a Southern gift basket. Lime-leaf beef jerky, shredded, served with sweet and sour tamarind sauce.
🐊 Canned Crocodile Meat
A unique specialty of Kien Giang and Ca Mau — vacuum-sealed canned crocodile meat. A novel gift that leaves a strong impression on the recipient.
Tips for Buying Mekong Delta Specialties Without Getting "Fake Goods"
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1. Buy at the source, avoid crowded tourist spots
Rach Goc Market sells dried shrimp 40–60% cheaper than specialty stores at boat piers or resorts. But if you don't have time, reputable online shops are a safe choice. -
2. Ask about shelf life and storage before buying
Ba khia and fermented paste need to be kept cool — if you plan to send them by coach or plane, choose vacuum-packed ones. Dried shrimp and honey keep better and are easier to transport. -
3. For honey: check for crystallization
Pure melaleuca forest honey often partially crystallizes in cool weather — this is a good sign, not spoilage. Honey mixed with sugar or water will never crystallize. -
4. Buy online to save transportation effort
If you don't want to worry about plane or coach transport, order through online shops — specialties are properly packaged and delivered directly to your home nationwide. Check out must-try specialty dishes to eat directly when visiting Ca Mau.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mekong Delta Souvenirs
Which Mekong Delta specialty lasts the longest to bring home?
Can I bring Mekong Delta specialties on an airplane?
Is it cheaper to buy Mekong Delta specialties at markets or supermarkets?
Where is a reliable place to order Ca Mau specialties online?
Order Ca Mau Specialties Online — Home Delivery
Ba khia, dried shrimp, U Minh forest honey — vacuum-packed, delivered nationwide. You don't need to visit in person to get authentic Ca Mau specialties.
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Article Author
Trần Bì (Founder of Bà Ngoại Homestay)
Mr. Trần Bì is an expert in indigenous culture, history, and ecotourism in Ca Mau with over 10 years of experience guiding tourists to experience U Minh Ha forest and Dat Mui.
Authentic Ca Mau Travel Experience
Join Uncle Ba Khia to explore Dat Mui, traverse the mangrove forest, catch crabs, harvest honey, and stay at Mr. Bì's cool eco-homestay.