Neither is expensive or sophisticated but both are delectable and indispensable everyday dishes in southern Vietnam.

Traditionally salty dishes, ca kho (braised fish) and thit kho (braised pork) are eaten regularly for lunch by local workers as salt is believed to give people the energy they need for physical labor during the hot and humid days.

Though savory through and through, braised dishes in the south will always be a bit sweeter than those in the north.

Braised fish

First, unscale and clean the fish, season it with strong fish sauce, grilled garlic, minced fresh garlic, coconut juice, cracklings and oil.

In the south, this sauce is made a bit richer and thicker than its simpler northern counterpart.

After marinating for 30 minutes, braise the fish and sauce in a little water on a low fire.

A pinch of pepper should also be sprinkled over the dish as it cooks.

Ca loc, ca keo, ca tre and ca ro are the best kinds of fish for this dish.

Braised pork

You can also cook pork with eggs in a similar fashion.

Chop the meat into rectangles and marinate them in the same mixture as above.

After marinating for 30 minutes, stir-fry the pork to make it firm.

At the same time, boil some eggs and remove their shells.

Then braise both the pork and eggs in thesauce with water. Halfway through the cooking, more coconut juice should be added along with extra water. Stir well as you cook.

The meat and eggs should be cooked for at least 30 minutes, until a chopstick can pierce through the pork.

The finished dish should be tender, juicy and dark brown.

Sour soup

Soup also plays an important role in Vietnamese cuisine as locals find that hot liquids help the body cool off in the hot afternoons.

Traditionally eaten after or during the main part of the meal – not before – canh chua (sour soup) is on almost all Vietnamese menus and is generally thought to be the best compliment to mon kho.

The ingredients and cooking method may vary from region to region, but here is a standard recipe:

The main ingredients include fish, seafood such as shrimp, snails or mollusks as well as pineapple and bean sprouts.

In the south, people often prepare the soup with ca loc or ca bong lau (a type of fresh water fish).

In some Mekong Delta localities, the soup is also cooked with bong bi (pumpkin flowers) and bac ha (the stems of a minty leafed plant).

The sourness is created by adding tamarind, lemon juice or sau (a small sour fruit abundant in the north).

After boiling the above ingredients together with sugar, the dish is also topped with spicy herbs such as green onions, rau ram (Vietnamese coriander) and is served with a side of strong fish sauce.

Many locals remove pieces of fish once the dish is served and soak them in the fish sauce before eating with the soup and rice.

Reported by Diem Thu