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Lai Châu province not only boasts breathtaking landscapes typical of the Northwest highlands but also leaves a lasting impression on visitors with its delectable and enticing local specialties. Let Mytour guide you through the must-try dishes in Lai Châu!
Embark on a gastronomic journey with the top 12 distinctive and appetizing dishes that make Lai Châu a haven for food lovers.
1. Purple Sticky Rice of Lai Châu
Once cooked, the rice exhibits a vibrant purple hue, with each grain being glossy and sticky without any clumps. The enticing aroma of glutinous rice permeates the air. Enjoy the piping hot purple sticky rice with slow-cooked pork.
2. Dried Buffalo Meat
When you set foot in Lai Châu, you cannot miss the savory aroma of dried buffalo meat, infused with the smoky essence of the Northwestern mountainous tribes. This specialty, unique to Lai Châu, is often crafted from the lean meat of freely grazed buffaloes on the mountains and hills. The buffalo meat is dried to perfection, retaining a tender texture and preserving the sweet taste of fresh meat. Each piece is seasoned with special spices, emanating the fragrances of cardamom, dried chili, and wild pepper. To savor the dried buffalo meat, you can shred it, adding a few slices of lime to enhance the flavors.
3. Bitter Leaf Soup
To truly appreciate the culinary artistry of Lai Châu, indulge in the unique experience of bitter leaf soup. Crafting this dish requires locals to venture into the outskirts of forests and along stream banks to pick the bitter leaves. Typically, only esteemed guests or hosts embark on this journey to procure the leaves for soup preparation. Nowadays, residents cultivate the plant in their gardens and on raised fields, allowing you to purchase the leaves at local markets.
Ingredients for bitter leaf soup include finely chopped pork lungs, a piece of pork blood jelly, various aromatic herbs, and a handful of bitter leaves (either fresh or dried and crushed). Boil the ingredients in hot water, and you'll have a delectable bowl of fragrant bitter leaf soup. On the first try, the bitterness may be challenging, but as you become accustomed, you'll discern sweet, earthy, and aromatic undertones. Bitter leaf soup also aids in digestion and is believed to alleviate alcohol effects.
4. Jungle Herb Salad
Jungle herb salad is a distinctive dish among the Thái people in Lai Châu and the broader Northwestern community. The Thái people refer to the herb as 'pắc cút,' resembling lemongrass with a robust stem and broad, smooth green leaves. This plant thrives along riverbanks and streams, where humidity is abundant.
5. Sizzling Sadness Cake
6. Buried Ash Swimmer Fish
Buried Ash Swimmer Fish is a renowned delicacy in Lai Châu. These fish are typically caught in rivers and streams, with the size of the fish often no larger than an adult's index finger. To create the delicious and visually appealing Buried Ash Swimmer Fish, a meticulous and complex preparation process is required, demanding the skill and experience of the chef.
7. Bamboo Tube-Grilled Surprise
Bamboo Tube-Grilled Surprise is considered the most unique specialty in Lai Châu. The dish's enigmatic name adds to its allure due to its distinctive preparation and unparalleled flavor. In the Thai language, 'lam' means grilled, and 'nhọ' means tender. First, the Thai people select the finest pieces of fresh buffalo meat and quickly pat them dry with a clean cloth to prevent bacterial contamination. Notably, they do not wash the meat with water as it would compromise its aromatic qualities.
Once the meat is cleaned, the chef begins grilling it over charcoal until fully cooked. Then, they slice it thinly and mix the meat with characteristic mountain spices such as salt, ginger, garlic, chili, wild pepper, and forest tomato. After the meat, vegetables, and spices are thoroughly mixed and marinated, they are placed back into the bamboo tube for further grilling to ensure even cooking. Subsequently, the mixture is scooped out and compressed onto bamboo sticks before a final round of grilling to achieve a tender, cohesive texture. When savoring Bamboo Tube-Grilled Surprise, you'll experience a rich, sweet taste with a tender and cohesive texture.
8. Orchid Flower Salad with Bamboo Shoots
Orchid flowers, a distinctive symbol of the Northwest mountains, often come in shades of purple and white. These flowers are also used to create the delectable dish known as Orchid Flower Salad with Bamboo Shoots, a rustic delicacy among the Thai people in Lai Châu. This dish combines various flavors, including bitterness, sourness, spiciness, saltiness, sweetness, and nuttiness.
For the salad, the best bamboo shoots are tender and bitter ones. Bitter bamboo shoots are finely chopped, soaked in saltwater for 30 minutes, boiled twice, and then drained. As for the orchid flowers, choose fresh blossoms and pluck the thicker petals for use. Next, select a fresh and plump stream fish, grill it over wood charcoal, and extract the meat. Prepare a mixture of lime-infused water with garlic, chili, Vietnamese coriander, and cilantro, all finely chopped. Mix the bamboo shoots, orchid flowers, fish, and the prepared water mixture thoroughly by hand. When indulging in this dish, you'll experience the unique flavors of the mountainous ingredients blending together.
9. Glutinous Rice-Stuffed Pig's Heart
Glutinous Rice-Stuffed Pig's Heart, also known as 'tùng càng nhảng,' is created by combining raw pig's heart with glutinous rice and finely ground herbs, then stuffing it back into the pig's heart. After boiling until fully cooked, it can be eaten immediately or preserved for consumption over several days during Tet (Lunar New Year). The dish offers a tender texture from the pig's heart, a fragrant aroma from the herbs, and a delightful chewiness from the glutinous rice.
10. Cat Whiskers Fruit
11. Pork Mixed with Tamarind Leaves
Pork mixed with tamarind leaves is an incredibly enticing dish in Lai Châu with a simple preparation. Tamarind leaves, available in the forest year-round, are finely crushed and combined with pork along with chili and cardamom. It's delicious without being overwhelming. This dish is a culinary delight for the White Thai ethnic community in Lai Châu.
12. Pig with Shoulder Bag
Pig with a shoulder bag, also known as a 'hanging pig,' is a unique breed abundant in high-altitude areas, especially in Lai Châu. This type of pig originated from the traditional farming practices of ethnic minorities in the highlands, such as the H'Mong, Thai, Dao, etc. Raised primarily through free-range grazing, these pigs grow slowly, staying relatively lightweight. Hence, locals often carry them in baskets, by hand, or hang them on their shoulders when going to the market, earning them the name 'pig with a shoulder bag.'
To create delicious pig with a shoulder bag, it must undergo dual grilling processes. After grilling, clean the hair and cut it into sections for further culinary preparation. From the pig with a shoulder bag, various tasty dishes can be crafted, including pork belly, hind leg used for steaming, meat from the shoulder and above for grilling, throat and belly for making fake pythons (a traditional dish), cleaned heart for boiling, and bones for preparing various soups. The pork from the pig with a shoulder bag has a delightful aroma, almost without any fat. If there is any fat on a piece, it won't be overpowering when consumed.
By Mytour
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Reference: Travel Guide from Mytour
MytourJune 14, 2023
