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Traveling to Northwest Vietnam, exploring the capital, or touring various provinces in the North... no one leaves without purchasing these 12 renowned Northern specialties as gifts. Loved not only by women but also by elders, children, and everyone alike.
Northern Vietnam comprises 25 provinces divided into 3 smaller regions: Northwest, Northeast, and the Red River Delta. It is known as a tourist destination for many domestic and international travelers, featuring attractions such as Fansipan peak in misty Sapa city, Halong Bay in Quang Ninh, Moc Chau Plateau in Son La, the Valley of Love in Ninh Binh, and the modern charm of Hanoi. Furthermore, Vietnamese specialty cuisine is also a significant factor attracting tourists each year to Northern Vietnam. Explore Northern Vietnamese specialties with PasGo!
Specialties from various Northern provinces make perfect gifts, including food items.
3. Squid Sausage from Quảng Ninh - A Taste of the Sea from Quảng Ninh
If you're wandering around the coastal region of Quảng Ninh, Hạ Long, don't forget to buy some squid sausage from Quảng Ninh as a gift for your family. Unlike regular squid sausage, Quảng Ninh squid sausage is crispy and chewy with the fragrant aroma of fresh squid. It's handmade by locals from carefully selected ingredients, using large fresh squid that are still alive until they are hand-ground and molded into each piece. Bringing home some Hạ Long squid sausage to enjoy as a delicious daily dish for your family meal is definitely a treat.
If you have a fondness for traditional dishes, PasGo Hanoi offers a wide selection of famous and delicious traditional ethnic dishes. Make sure to visit when going out with friends, family dinners, or arranging company parties.
Specialties from Northern provinces make great gifts, especially beverages.
4. Lotus Tea - A Special Hanoi Beverage for Treating Esteemed Guests
Vietnamese people often have the habit of serving tea to guests. The Vietnamese tea culture has been around for a long time, and serving tea is a gesture of respect and reverence. Among them, lotus tea, especially the specialty lotus tea from Hanoi's West Lake, is highly sought after as a gift. West Lake lotus tea is made from lotus flowers grown in West Lake. When brewed, it has a gentle, fragrant aroma and a richer flavor compared to other types of lotus tea.
5. San Lùng Wine - A Distinctive Ethnic Flavor Exclusive to Lào Cai Specialties
San Lùng wine is a specialty of Lào Cai, made by the Dao people in the Shan Lùng village, Bản Mèo commune, Bát Xát district, Lào Cai. San Lùng wine is made from water sourced from the Shan Lùng mountain stream, which sits at an altitude of 900 meters. It's brewed with Shan Lùng glutinous rice mixed with high-quality corn and traditional herbal yeast. San Lùng wine has a slightly sweet and tangy taste, with a fragrant aroma reminiscent of village rice wine from Vân.
6. Corn Wine - A Familiar Name Yet Carries the Distinctive Flavor of the Northern Highlands
Made from corn, but the specialty corn wine from the Northwest Highlands has a high alcohol content. Northwest corn wine is made from over 30 types of medicinal leaves, spring water, and local corn, resulting in a unique sweet and spicy taste unlike corn wine from the lowlands. This will be a northern specialty gift for husbands that they'll surely love.
7. Bamboo Wine
Bamboo wine is a traditional drink of the people in the Northern region. Bamboo wine has a light alcohol content, so it's not only favored by gentlemen but also suitable for ladies to try. Bamboo wine is made from natural bamboo leaf yeast and glutinous rice wine, giving it a delightful aroma and flavor. It's often used during the Tet holiday.
Specialties from Northern provinces for snacking and indulgence
8. Vòng Village Green Rice Flakes - A Thousand-Year-Old Famous Hanoi Specialty
Ancient people had a saying: 'Vòng village green rice flakes, Mễ Trì rice, Bần soy sauce, and Láng coriander leaves, what could be more delicious'
Green rice flakes, a specialty of Hanoi, with Vòng village green rice flakes being the most famous. Vòng village green rice flakes are wrapped in lotus leaves and eaten with ripe bananas, giving them a delightful aroma. Vòng village green rice flakes are usually only available in autumn, so if you want to buy this Northern specialty as a gift, make sure to go at the right time, or you can also choose from other delicious Hanoi dishes made with green rice flakes: green rice cake, stir-fried green rice, green rice sausage...
9. Ô mai - Northern Delicacy Perfect for Women
Ô mai is a snack loved by many women. Some of the most famous types of ô mai in the North are Hong Lam ô mai, Old Quarter ô mai, and Hang Duong ô mai. Ô mai has a sour, spicy, salty, and sweet taste. There are over 10 types of ô mai such as apricot ô mai, plum ô mai, ginger ô mai, dracontomelon ô mai, starfruit ô mai, lime ô mai, kumquat ô mai, rose ô mai, peach ô mai, tamarind ô mai... However, if you want to choose ô mai - a Northern specialty as a gift, you should buy dracontomelon ô mai. This is also a special fruit of the capital Hanoi.
Specialties from Northern provinces for gifts include various types of cakes and candies
10. Bắc Ninh Xu Xuê Cake - A Specialty for Family Gifts or as Wedding Offerings
Phu Thê Cake, also known as Xu Xuê Cake, originates from Đình Bảng Village, Từ Sơn, Bắc Ninh.
Xu Xuê Cake is wrapped in dong leaves, filled with green beans, coconut, white sugar, lotus seeds... and is very soft and fragrant. Bắc Ninh's specialty Xu Xuê Cake is often bought for engagement ceremonies, wedding rituals, but it's also widely available at eateries along the Hanoi - Bắc Ninh highway.
11. Hải Dương Green Bean Cake - A Northern Specialty Loved by All Ages
Hải Dương Green Bean Cake is now available in many supermarkets and grocery stores nationwide. This Northern specialty cake is loved by many children because it has a sweet, creamy, fragrant taste, and it's very soft. Eating Hải Dương Green Bean Cake and sipping on some hot tea, what could be better?
12. Gai Cake - Renowned Fragrant Northern Vietnamese Specialty
Gai Cake is a specialty of Hải Dương and Nam Định; because these are areas with abundant gai leaves, Gai Cake has long been a specialty of Nam Định, Hải Dương, and the Northern region in general. Gai Cake is made from green beans, peanuts, lotus seeds, coconut, fatty meat, and although it may not look visually appealing with its dark color, when you taste it, you'll experience its chewy, rich, and sweet flavor.
Some famous brands of Gai Cake that you can confidently choose as Northern specialty gifts: Bà Thi Gai Cake, Ninh Giang Gai Cake, Tứ Trụ Soft Cake, Hải Đông Gai Cake...
Above, I've listed only 13 of the most famous Northern specialties as gifts, but there are many more specialties in the Northern region, with each province and city having dozens more. Therefore, to learn more about Northern specialties, Northern Vietnamese specialties, and Vietnamese specialties, be sure to visit the PasGo Blog - Regional Specialties section!
Don't forget on PasGo - Booking & Deals, there are plenty of restaurants offering Vietnamese specialties, Vietnamese specialty cakes. If you love exploring delicious Vietnamese dishes but don't have time to travel far to try them all, then visit the Vietnamese specialty restaurants on PasGo. For advice, booking, and special offers, call PasGo hotline: 19006005.
_Minh Phương_
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