1. Overview of the Tay Ninh Food Fair 2025
1.1. Tay Ninh Food Fair Event: A Highlight for National Day
On August 26, 2025, at Hung Vuong street park, Long An ward, the exhibition fair for economic - social achievements, trade, culinary, and OCOP products officially opened. The event runs until September 3rd, joining the jubilant atmosphere across the country celebrating the 80th anniversary of National Day.
This year's Tay Ninh Food Fair is seen as an opportunity for the province to showcase its journey of accompanying the country, while opening an exciting experience space for locals and visitors. Besides booths displaying economic, cultural, and defense achievements, the culinary and OCOP space brings closeness, connecting tradition with modernity.
Opening Ceremony of the Fair. (Source: Collected)
1.2. Scale and prominent areas at the food fair
With about 200 booths, the fair is organized into many thematic areas, each with its own unique characteristics.
Economic - social, national defense - security achievements exhibition area: recreating important milestones in the 80-year development journey of Tay Ninh.
Trade - business exchange area: where businesses and investors meet, expand cooperation opportunities, promote typical goods, contributing to enhancing market position.
Food area: an attractive stop with many specialty dishes, allowing visitors to fully enjoy the flavors of Tay Ninh in a festive atmosphere.
OCOP product area: where agricultural products, traditional craft villages, consumer goods, and rural industrial products converge, all meeting quality standards and bearing strong local identity.
Delegates view an exhibition of photos on the economic - social, defense - security achievements, and the political system building of the province. (Source: Collected)
The event is not only a cultural festival but also an opportunity for Tay Ninh to affirm its dynamism in economic development, promoting the image of a land rich in tradition to friends at home and abroad.
2. Tay Ninh Fair Culinary Area: A 'Map of Specialties' of the region's essence
2.1. Attractive Traditional Delicacies
Coming to the Tay Ninh culinary fair, visitors feel like stepping into a vibrant 'map of specialties', where the culinary essence of the Southeastern region is fully and attractively recreated. Each booth tells a cultural story, embedded in each traditional dish that has made Tay Ninh famous.
The most outstanding is Trang Bang dew-dried rice paper, a simple yet exquisite dish. The rice paper is dried under the night dew to achieve a chewy, soft texture. When rolled with boiled pork, wild vegetables, and dipped in fermented anchovy sauce, the flavor bursts on the tongue, both rustic and rich. This is a dish that any tourist wishes to enjoy when visiting the fair.
Another specialty that attracts many people is Tay Ninh shrimp chili salt. This seasoning has gone beyond the provincial borders, becoming the 'soul' of many Vietnamese families' meals. With an elaborate combination of salt, shrimp, garlic, and chili, each tiny grain of salt encapsulates the sun and wind of Tay Ninh, creating an unforgettable spicy and salty flavor.
Indispensable on the list is Tay Ninh young beef, young cattle raised naturally on lush green pastures. Each piece of fresh, sweet beef, prepared in various ways such as grilling, steaming, or lime-marinated, carries the distinctive flavor of this sunny and windy land.
Tay Ninh cuisine also features 'mam chua' (sour fermented fish paste), a dish carrying the essence of Khmer culture, adapted to suit Vietnamese tastes. When combined with fresh herbs, vermicelli, or rice, the salty, sweet, and sour flavors intermingle, creating an unforgettable experience.
Additionally, the unique vegetarian 'nem buoi' (pomelo blossom fermented rolls) of Cao Dai followers also attracts many tourists. Made from pomelo blossoms mixed with spices, wrapped in banana leaves, and fermented, 'nem buoi' offers a novel flavor that still embodies the essence of Tay Ninh's vegetarian cuisine.
Traditional food stalls attracted the attention of many tourists. (Source: Collected)
Each dish not only satisfies the taste buds but also reflects the cultural depth, customs, and living habits of the local people.
2.2. New Innovations in Tay Ninh Cuisine
The interesting point of the Tay Ninh food fair lies in the skillful combination of tradition and modernity. Besides the dishes that have been associated with the region's name, visitors also have the opportunity to experience many creative variations.
Dew-dried rice paper is “upgraded” with many new wrapping styles, combined with seafood, grilled meat, or modern vegetables. Shrimp chili salt is transformed into many different flavors, from mild spicy to intensely spicy, suitable for the diverse tastes of visitors.
Traditional young beef dishes are prepared in a fusion style, combined with Western spices, creating an attractive culinary intersection. Even vegetarian dishes are presented more delicately, with beautiful arrangements, making diners not only “eat with their mouths” but also “eat with their eyes”.
These innovations do not lose their original identity, but on the contrary, contribute to bringing Tay Ninh cuisine closer to domestic and international tourists, affirming the role of cuisine as a unique tourism product.
3. Outstanding Side Activities of the Tay Ninh Food Festival
Besides the culinary space, the Tay Ninh food fair also offers many special activities. An exhibition of 80 years of achievements, introducing the development journey of Tay Ninh in the fields of economy, society, national defense, security, culture, and education. This is an opportunity for tourists to look back at the strong transformation journey of the land.
The event gathers about 200 stalls, including a display area for OCOP products and local agricultural products, attracting numerous businesses, cooperatives, and production households. The fair becomes an important bridge to promote products, expand markets, and encourage the consumption of Vietnamese goods. At the same time, it is also an opportunity for the culinary startup community and young businesses to find partners, promoting sustainable cooperation.
OCOP-standard products are displayed at the fair. (Source: Collected)
Alongside exhibition and trade activities, the fair also brings a vibrant atmosphere with many folk art programs, especially Don Ca Tai Tu Nam Bo – an intangible cultural heritage recognized by UNESCO. The exchange performances and folk games help the fair space become more intimate and connected, while also affirming the unique cultural identity of the land of Tay Ninh.
4. Suggested Itinerary for a Complete Tay Ninh Food Fair Experience
4.1. Morning Exploration of the Tay Ninh Food Fair
A morning at the Tay Ninh food fair is enough for you to clearly feel the cultural and culinary essence of this land.
From 8 AM to 12 PM, you can start your journey at the 80-year achievement exhibition area to learn about the historical, socio-economic imprints and the strong changes of Tay Ninh during its development journey. This is also an ideal place to check-in with elaborately designed exhibition spaces.
Visit the handicraft stalls at the fair. (Source: Collected)
Next, stroll through the OCOP area and specialty stalls to choose gifts with the distinct flavor of Tay Ninh such as: banh trang phoi suong, muoi ot tom, or dried fruit.
When your stomach starts to rumble, don't miss a late breakfast or early lunch right at the culinary area. A portion of banh trang phoi suong cuon thit heo or banh canh Trang Bang will give you the complete feeling of a fair morning, both delicious and full of energy for your next journey.
4.2. Combine Tay Ninh Travel Itinerary
After leaving the fair, spend the afternoon and evening (1 PM – 8 PM) exploring prominent destinations near Tay Ninh center.
Sun World Ba Den Mountain: It is the highest mountain in the South and one of the most sacred destinations in the South. At the summit, visitors can worship the Statue of Lady Buddha Tay Bo Da Son, the tallest in Asia, visit the 4-story Buddhist exhibition area with modern 3D mapping and Hologram technology, along with many classic Buddhist artworks. This is both a spiritual experience and a journey to admire the spectacular landscape of Tay Ninh.
Lady Buddha Statue of Tay Bo Da Son. (Source: Collected)
Kim Quang Cave: Located on Ba Den Mountain, Kim Quang Cave is a national historical relic associated with the resistance war against America. This place was once a strong base area for the Liberation Army forces. To this day, the cave still holds a traditional festival in January every year to commemorate the fallen heroes. This is a meaningful stopover for those who want to learn about the heroic history of the army and people of Tay Ninh.
Kim Quang Cave (Dong Kim Quang). (Source: Collected)
Dau Tieng Lake (Ho Dau Tieng): If you love nature and want a change of scenery, visit the largest artificial freshwater lake in Vietnam. With its fresh air and charming scenery, this place is suitable for experiences such as camping to watch the sunset, stand-up paddleboarding, fishing, or exploring small islands by canoe. This is also a popular check-in spot for many young people because of its peaceful beauty in the heart of Tay Ninh.
With this itinerary, visitors can not only fully enjoy the Tay Ninh Food Fair atmosphere in the morning but also have the opportunity to explore unique spiritual, historical, and natural destinations in the afternoon and evening.
5. Experience and Notes for Attending the Tay Ninh Food Fair 2025
Visitors should come in the morning or early afternoon to avoid crowds, making it convenient for sightseeing and enjoying food. The area around the park has parking for motorbikes and cars for guests, but it can be quite crowded on weekends, so it's advisable to go early to easily find parking.
The food area of the Tay Ninh Food Fair features many specialty dishes, so you should go in small groups to order many dishes, share, and taste a variety of flavors. Additionally, prioritize choosing stalls with food safety and hygiene certifications to enjoy delicious and safe culinary experiences.
The fair is an occasion to gather many OCOP products and Tay Ninh specialties. When buying souvenirs such as sun-dried rice paper, shrimp chili salt, pomelo spring rolls, or fruit jams, you should choose stalls with clear origins and publicly listed prices to avoid buying substandard goods. The products introduced at the fair have all been inspected, so this is a good opportunity to choose meaningful and reputable gifts.
Tay Ninh Food Fair 2025 is not only a meeting point for food exploration enthusiasts but also a place to recreate the 80-year development journey of a land rich in cultural identity. Come with your loved ones and friends to feel the vibrant atmosphere, so that every moment in Tay Ninh becomes an unforgettable memory and spreads the spirit of exploration to more people.
