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The land of Lang Son is brimming with enticing offerings, from savory to sweet, from snacks to indulgent delights.
Discover 8 unforgettable specialties of Lang Son, dishes that will leave a lasting impression - Mytour
1. Egg Roll Cake
Egg roll cakes are originally a light and refreshing breakfast option, favored by many. Especially in Lang Son, you get to enjoy not only the regular version but also the famous egg-filled variant.
Similar to rice paper rolls, they are steamed with an egg cracked in the middle of the steaming pot, covered, and cooked until the egg is slightly set. Then, they are folded with bamboo sticks and served. On top, finely minced and seasoned meat adds a tantalizing touch to the dish.
The broth of the rice rolls here isn't your typical fish sauce concoction. It comprises a hint of sautéed minced meat and crisped shallots, sprinkled with finely chopped coriander before being poured over with a savory scallion oil-infused fish sauce dip. True to the spirit of Lạng Sơn, each dining table also features a jar of pickled bamboo shoots and chili for patrons to customize their dipping sauce bowl.
2. Grilled Baguette
While not a dish steeped in tradition like roast duck, if you're a culinary enthusiast familiar with Lạng Sơn, you'll surely recognize the grilled baguette. Don't be surprised; it's still just bread, but the people of Lạng Sơn have ingeniously transformed it into a delectable snack, highly addictive.
The grilled baguette here comes in various types, with or without fillings. It undergoes two stages of grilling, first with cooking oil, followed by a layer of a mixture of sesame oil and honey to give the bread a rich golden hue and delightful aroma.
Moreover, the dipping sauce for the grilled baguette is meticulously crafted with a spicy kick from chili, sweetness from sugar, tanginess from lime, fragrance of basil... Dipping a piece of crispy fragrant baguette into a bowl of flavorful sauce like this, one can easily devour 2 – 3 pieces or more if still hungry. Grilled baguettes in Lạng Sơn are priced from 3 to 10,000 VND/piece, depending on whether they are filled or plain.
3. Sour Pho
When it comes to pho, people immediately think of Hanoi or Nam Dinh, but sour pho is a distinctive dish of Lang Son. A traditional bowl of sour pho from Lang requires more than 10 special ingredients such as: rice noodles, sweet potatoes, pork liver, stomach, roasted pork belly, Chinese sausage, fermented tofu, peanuts, pickled cucumbers, and various aromatic herbs...
4. Coóng phù
If you're seeking a warm sweet treat in Lang, then coóng phù is the perfect choice. Coóng phù resembles both floating cakes and Chinese floating cakes. Similar to floating cakes in the glutinous rice dough with small, round, charming balls, akin to Chinese floating cakes in the fragrant brown sugar syrup infused with ginger, along with coconut and roasted peanuts on the side.
Savoring a piece of cake with the fragrant, steaming broth on chilly days, you'll feel the coldness of the mountains seemingly drift far away... Each bowl of coóng phù cake includes a piece of red gac cake and a white cake, soaking in the brown syrup cooked from mai flower honey and fragrant ginger, sprinkled with some grated coconut and roasted peanuts.
5. Roast Duck
Hanging honeycomb-patterned roast ducks is another renowned delicacy of Lang Son, requiring the chef's skillfulness and secret techniques in both selecting ducks and preparing them. Lang Son's authentic roast ducks boast a reddish, aromatic skin invitingly glistening. The tender, fragrant meat, when dipped in the honeycomb leaf marinade and spices secreted inside the duck's belly during roasting, poured into a bowl, served with soy sauce, and chili.
Picking up a piece of meat from the plate and dipping it into the accompanying sauce reveals the tender sweetness of the meat blending harmoniously with the bold flavor of the dipping sauce, making it hard for diners to resist. In Lang Son, roast duck is available in most restaurants and eateries.
6. Roast Duck Pho
Alongside roast duck, Lang Son offers a very distinctive and worth-trying dish called roast duck pho. This dish entices diners with both its name and its uniquely flavorful ingredients. Instead of using beef or chicken, this pho incorporates fragrant slices of roast duck with glossy red skin.
Each bowl of pho comes with either a side bowl of roast duck broth or soy sauce. Additionally, restaurants provide a jar of pickled bamboo shoots for diners to enjoy as a palate cleanser. A bowl of roast duck pho costs around 30,000 VND.
7. Khâu Nhục
Another intriguing and delightful dish from Lang Son is khâu nhục meat, which is both adventurous and considered a delicacy among the Nung people in this region.
This dish demands complex culinary techniques with a plethora of characteristic spices such as sweet potatoes and finely shredded water spinach. It reaches perfection when it maintains its integrity, displays a beautiful color, tender sweet meat beneath a crispy golden layer, emitting an irresistible aroma that tantalizes the senses. Khâu nhục pairs excellently with sticky rice, flat cakes, or rice... all exceptionally delicious.
8. Fresh Chinese Sausage
Lang Son's Chinese sausage is among the most beloved varieties, cherished for its distinctive flavor that leaves a lasting impression. This Chinese sausage is made from well-marinated shoulder meat stuffed into tender bamboo tubes, then sun-dried or smoked over charcoal until fully dried.
After sun-drying or smoking, the surface of the Chinese sausage becomes dry and displays a characteristic bright red color, highly enticing. Fresh Chinese sausage is delicious when lightly pan-fried with a minimal amount of oil over low heat until evenly golden. Thinly sliced fresh Chinese sausage pairs wonderfully with rice or sticky rice, offering a delightful taste experience. This dish is also a specialty of the highlands, eagerly sought after during the Tet festival.
According to Afamily
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Reference: Travel Guide from Mytour
MytourFebruary 9, 2018
