Enjoying a bowl of hot chao ca (rice porridge with fish) is a must on any trip to the Mekong Delta.

In the past each Vietnamese village would have had its own way of arranging a feast, but there were certain habits that were universal, many of which are still common today.

Boiled rice and pork cakes are usually cooked 2-3 days before Tet. Both can be kept for about two weeks in cool temperature. However, after this time they become hard and must be re-boiled.

Nem ran (called cha gio in the south) is a much-appreciated speciality, although it is very easy to prepare.

Xoi, or steamed sticky rice, is as popular for breakfast of the Vietnamese as bread in Western countries. Xoi comes in all sorts of strange flavours. Almost every street has a xoi vendor, waiting to ladle big spoonfulls of steaming xoi into bowls, or wrap it in leaves.