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Sơn La, a province nestled in the northern mountains, boasts a rich culinary heritage. Beyond admiring the majestic beauty of the towering peaks, Sơn La cuisine offers an unforgettable culinary journey. Here, we present the top 5 dishes you absolutely must try when visiting Sơn La, even if just once, to discover the unparalleled flavors of the region.
Savor the Essence of Sơn La Cuisine: Canh mọ
Canh mọ, as the name suggests, is a distinctive delicacy of the highland ethnic communities. This dish is commonly served during the Tet holidays of the Khơ Mú people. The main ingredients include minced dried rodents, birds, or squirrels. To elevate the flavors, the meat is mixed with banana flowers, aromatic herbs, chili, mac khen (a type of wild pepper), and glutinous rice, then cooked in bamboo tubes, resembling bamboo rice.
Savor the Essence of Sơn La Cuisine: Canh mọ
Experience the Authenticity of Sơn La Cuisine: Canh mọ
During cooking, continuously use sharp bamboo sticks until smooth. The result will be a velvety and cohesive dish. Enjoy it with sticky rice dipped in sauce for a delightful flavor. When eating this special dish, you will feel the harmonious blend of ingredients.
Indulge in the Unique Flavor of Sơn La: Nậm pịa
Delight in the Exquisite Flavor of Nậm pịa: A Specialty of the Thai Ethnic Group in Sơn La
Experience the Richness of Sơn La Cuisine: Nậm pịa
Indulge in the Authenticity of Sơn La Cuisine: Nậm pịa
Nậm pịa is best enjoyed when served hot. First-time diners may find it slightly bitter on the palate, but later, they will savor the sweet and fragrant taste of wild pepper, lemongrass, ginger, and chili. When paired with boiled beef or goat meat, Nậm pịa offers a delightful explosion of flavors from various spices, creating an enticing dish.
Let's start by cooking the porridge until it's tender, then add in the Mac Khen fruit, smash some ginger, grilled chili, and crushed lemongrass, tossing them all into the pot of porridge, stirring well. In just a few minutes, you'll have a fragrant and rich Mac Khen porridge, a specialty that cannot be missed in the cuisine of the Sơn La ethnic people.
Braided Beef Delicacy
This distinctive dish is originally from the Northwest mountains. But the most famous of all is the braided beef of Sơn La. The beef is sliced, marinated with spices, and then smoked with the aroma of wood from trees grown on the rocky mountains. When the beef is finished, the smoky aroma is still lingering, infusing into each piece without causing any discomfort.
Sơn La Cuisine: Braided Beef Delicacy
Sơn La Gastronomy: Kitchen-Smoked Buffalo Meat
It's the aroma of that smoke that entices countless diners upon their very first taste. A sip of wine, a bite of meat, and you're already enchanted.
Buffalo Skin Salad
Buffalo skin, thick, tough, and chewy, yet the people of Sơn La skillfully transform it into an irresistible delicacy. To reduce its toughness, buffalo meat undergoes meticulous preparation. From blanching over fire, soaking in cold water, straining, to repeatedly pounding the skin. What's special is that buffalo skin is mixed with sour bamboo shoot water, creating a unique flavor. Upon tasting, you'll feel the rough, crisp texture of buffalo skin, with fragrances of wild herbs, bamboo shoots. The nutty taste of peanuts combined with the refreshing sourness of marinated forest bamboo shoots is truly delightful. Buffalo skin salad is an excellent appetizer with wine in this highland area of Sơn La.
Sơn La Cuisine: Buffalo Skin Salad
Sơn La Cuisine: Buffalo Skin Salad
Posted by: Sơn Nguyễn
Keywords: Sơn La Cuisine: 5 Must-Try Delicacies Even Just Once
