Khmer cuisine in Tra Vinh embodies not only the cultural values, indigenous knowledge, and agrarian beliefs

of the Khmer community in Southern Vietnam, but also serves as a symbolic component of regional cultural

identity. From the perspective of cultural studies, this paper aims to classify, identify, and interpret the

distinctive characteristics of Khmer cuisine in Tra Vinh through the interrelation among human beings,

environment, and cultural practice. Furthermore, the study explores the transformations of Khmer culinary

traditions amid globalization and contemporary cultural exchange. These transformations reveal both the

dynamic adaptability of the community to socio-economic changes and the emerging challenges in

In the cultural landscape of Southern Vietnam, the Khmer community in Tra Vinh has preserved a distinctive

set of traditions, beliefs, and practices that vividly express its collective identity. Among these, cuisine

occupies a particularly significant position, functioning not merely as a means of sustenance but as a cultural

text that encodes values, social relations, and cosmological perceptions. Khmer culinary practices reflect the

embodying symbolic meanings related to rituals, festivals, and communal cohesion.

In recent decades, the processes of globalization and cultural exchange have brought about profound

transformations in local food systems. The culinary traditions of the Khmer people in Tra Vinh have been

subject to hybridization, commodification, and reinterpretation in response to tourism development, migration,

and media influences. Such changes, while promoting cultural interaction and economic opportunities, also

goal is to contribute to an interdisciplinary understanding of Khmer culinary culture as both a living heritage

and a site of cultural negotiation in contemporary Vietnam.

The primary objective of this study is to elucidate the cultural significance of Khmer cuisine in Tra Vinh

through a comprehensive process of classification and identification of its characteristic features. Specifically,

the research aims to:

anthropology, semiotics, and heritage studies. Data were collected through ethnographic fieldwork in selected

Khmer communities in Tra Vinh Province, including participant observation, in-depth interviews with local

residents, monks, and culinary practitioners, as well as documentation of rituals, festivals, and everyday

cooking practices. The study also utilizes textual and visual analysis of culinary representations in media and

tourism materials to trace shifts in meaning and representation.

By integrating ethnographic insight with theoretical frameworks on cultural identity and globalization, the

research seeks to construct a multidimensional understanding of Khmer cuisine — not merely as a set of

tangible food items, but as a cultural discourse that mediates between tradition and modernity, locality and

globality.

Binh province. The study proposed measures to preserve, promote, and develop the culinary culture of these

ethnic groups. In his doctoral dissertation, "Vietnamese Culinary Culture in the Southwest Region for Vĩnh

Long Tourism Development" (2022), Nguyễn Diễm Phúc analyzed the characteristics and cultural significance

of Vietnamese culinary culture. He also determined the role and value of culinary culture in the material and

spiritual life of the community and in the sustainable development of tourism in the Southwest region in

general and Vinh Long in particular. Additionally, there have been studies on Khmer cuisine, such as Đào

Chuông's "Khmer Folk Cuisine and Festivals in Kiên Giang" (2019), which introduced the cuisine and folk

festivals of the Khmer people in Kien Giang. This work provided a general overview of the Khmer people,

their culinary culture, community activities, festivals, traditional dishes, and their character in daily life.

into soups, braised dishes, boiled dishes, or stir-fries. A unique feature of their daily diet is the frequent use of

raw vegetables dipped in various types of fermented fish paste (mắm), such as mắm cá linh (fermented small

fish), mắm cá sặc (fermented gourami), mắm cá chốt (fermented catfish), or mắm tép (fermented shrimp

paste). The basic structure of a daily meal is rice, vegetables, fish, and “mắm” – “Pro-hoc” or “Pra – hoc” in

Khmer language. From tradition to the present, Pro-hoc is a consistent item in Khmer meals, and it can be said

that eating Pro-hoc is a cultural feature of Khmer cuisine. The preparation of Pro-hoc is quite diverse. If eaten

as is, the Khmer people simply add a little seasoning like sugar and MSG to balance the salty and sweet

flavors, and grind some garlic and chili to eat with white rice. For more elaborate dishes, they might prepare a

soup cooked with Pro-hoc (sim-lo mchu), steamed Pro-hoc with meat, or just steamed with a little pepper and

onion, braised Pro-hoc served with various herbs, or fried Pro-hoc. In general, the Khmer people create a wide

fish, fermented shrimp paste (bo – ot Pro-hoc) is also a popular choice for daily meals. Small, wild shrimp are

carefully selected, washed, and fermented with salt for about three months before being ready to eat. When the

Pro-hoc is ready, it is eaten directly with seasonings, ginger, garlic, and chili. Sometimes it is mixed with

unripe papaya, ginger, garlic, and chili, and served with fried fish and raw vegetables, making for a very

flavorful daily meal. One of the most distinctive dishes of Khmer culture for daily meals is the mixture of

roasted shrimp pounded with young tamarind and young ginger. This dish has a harmonious blend of salty and

sweet from the roasted shrimp, sour from the young tamarind, and warm spiciness from the ginger. This dish

often appears during the change of seasons when the weather turns a little cold and young tamarind fruit is in

season. A simple bowl of hot rice and this shrimp and tamarind paste is a delicious and culturally rich meal for

the Khmer of Tra Vinh during transitional seasons. Overall, the daily cuisine of the Khmer people in Tra Vinh

The Khmer people of Tra Vinh celebrate three major annual festivals: Chol-Chnam-Thmay (the New Year

festival around mid-April), Sene Donta (around August), and Ok-Om-Bok (around October). During Chol-

Chnam-Thmay and Sene Donta, there are rituals of offering food to the pagoda, so the selection and

preparation of dishes are special. While daily meals are simple, festival and holiday dishes focus more on

symbolic meaning. For offerings at the pagoda, the Khmer often prepare dishes like bitter melon stuffed with

meat, braised pork with eggs, or stir-fried meat with various vegetables, all prepared to be delicate, delicious,

and visually appealing. The dishes offered to the monks in the pagoda are meticulously prepared, though not

overly elaborate. Khmer Theravada monks do not practice vegetarianism, but it is forbidden to use meat from

animals in the proscribed list, such as snakes, turtles, dogs, and cats. These are prohibitions that every Khmer

spiritual reverence of the Khmer people.

Marriage is one of the important life-cycle rituals for the Khmer people. This ceremony marks an individual's

establishment of self, maturity, and the beginning of their own family. In the marriage rituals, the banquet for

guests is considered very important alongside the ceremonies themselves. It expresses the hosts' respect and

gratitude to their guests. Depending on their financial conditions, the hosts will organize a large or small

party. Regardless of the size, the dishes served to guests must be carefully prepared and beautifully presented

to honor relatives and neighbors. Previously, few scholars studying Khmer marriage customs paid attention to

the dishes prepared for the banquet. A Khmer wedding in Tra Vinh typically lasts for two to three days. On the

river fish like “cá linh”, “cá sặc”, “cá rô”, and “cá lóc” during the rainy season. Around September and

October each year, when water from the upstream rivers floods the area, the Khmer people and other ethnic

groups in the South receive a bounty from nature in the form of abundant aquatic products. When there is an

excess, the Khmer often make fermented fish or dried fish to store and eat during the dry season. This practice

of selecting ingredients and utilizing what is available in nature has shaped the simple eating culture of the

Khmer people in their daily meals.

tourism, media exposure, and intercultural exchange open new opportunities for recognition and economic

development, yet they also impose pressures of standardization and commercialization. The sustainability of

Khmer culinary heritage thus depends on the community’s ability to assert cultural agency—actively defining

how their traditions are represented, practiced, and transformed.

To safeguard and promote Khmer culinary heritage effectively, several recommendations are proposed:

1. Đào Chuông. (2019). Ẩm thực - Lễ hội dân gian Khmer Kiên Giang. Hà Nội: Nhà xuất bản Hội nhà văn.

2. Bùi Chí Thanh. (2018). Văn hóa ẩm thực một số dân tộc tỉnh Hòa Bình. Hà Nội: Nhà xuất bản Văn học.

3. Nguyễn Diễm Phúc. (2022). Văn hóa ẩm thực người Việt Tây Nam Bộ trong phát triển du lịch Vĩnh

Long. Luận án tiến sĩ Trường Đại học Trà Vinh.