Top 10 Culinary Delights in Tuyên Quang

Ham Yen District is renowned for various specialties such as Ham Yen oranges, Minh Huong ducks and rice, Cao Duong honey, and more. Among them, Ham Yen oranges have become a well-known brand across the country, considered as a magical wand bringing prosperity to the lives of those who cultivate oranges here.

For a long time, Ham Yen has been blessed with favorable natural conditions, a small climatic zone suitable for growing Ham Yen oranges. Therefore, the quality of Ham Yen oranges is superior to those grown in other areas. This is one of the key crops in the district's economic and social development goals.

Ham Yen oranges with their glossy, plump golden peels, delightful aroma, and refreshing taste are not only famous within the province but have also gained nationwide recognition since being trademarked in 2007. Since then, it has won numerous awards for its trademark. In particular, in 2013, Ham Yen oranges were honored and entered the Top 10 list of the most famous fruits in Vietnam.

People in the Northwest have a saying, 'The best rice, the most fragrant child.' Among rice dishes, the best one is undoubtedly bamboo-tube cooked rice. Every traveler who has set foot in Tuyen Quang to explore the majestic mountains and rivers with breathtaking scenery must be familiar with the local cuisine, featuring buffalo meat, corn wine, forest bamboo shoots, and the renowned Bamboo-tube Cooked Rice that leaves an unforgettable impression.

'Lam' is not a noun but a verb, referring to the act of cooking food inside young bamboo tubes, where the rice grains blend with a hint of sweetness and the distinctive aroma of bamboo, creating a flavorful dish that captures the essence of the mountains and forests.

1. To achieve delicious bamboo-tube cooked rice, the main ingredient is fragrant sticky rice, soaked, washed, sprinkled with a little salt, and mixed with water and ginger. Pour the mixture into available bamboo tubes with water. Do not compress too tightly; leave a few centimeters from the tube's mouth. When the rice is cooked, it will expand fully inside the tube. Seal the tube's mouth with dry banana or dong leaves, cook with firewood, bamboo, or straw for about an hour, rotating the tube evenly when the water dries out.
2. The person cooking must keep turning the tube by hand, scraping or fanning the fire around the tube to ensure the outer layer burns evenly while the rice grains inside remain unburned, soft, and sticky. When the aroma rises, the rice is cooked. Use a knife to peel away the charred outer layers of the tube until you reach the thin white silk layers, revealing a long strip of rice equal to the bamboo tube's length.
3. Bamboo-tube cooked rice harmonizes the earthy flavor of sticky rice, the spiciness of ginger, the sweet taste of bamboo water, the faint scent of banana leaves, and the smoky kitchen smell. Bamboo-tube cooked rice can be enjoyed immediately or stored for a week without losing its softness, goodness, and, most importantly, without spoiling. It pairs well with grilled fish caught from small streams or with grilled birds and wild boars—creatures living both underwater and in the sky. A piece of bamboo-tube cooked rice, as white as the human heart, dipped in flavorful sesame salt, reflects the loyalty of the people.

Bamboo-tube cooked rice is a simple and unique dish that always surprises the eater. For the Tày ethnic people in Tuyen Quang, the goodness of bamboo-tube cooked rice lies in preserving almost entirely the natural flavor, not just satisfying hunger but also refreshing the soul and the camaraderie among villagers.

Visiting the legendary land of Na Hang, you will immerse yourself in the local life, welcomed by the hospitality and warm hearts of the ethnic people. Indulge in the spicy and fragrant taste of corn wine, paired with buffalo meat, black pork, and river fish. To produce these special drops of flavorful wine, it requires meticulous processing and time, coupled with precision and patience.

Drinking corn wine from Na Hang, you can feel the hardship, the toil, and the genuine sincerity that the locals have poured into each drop. Corn wine from Na Hang is not only renowned but also holds a special place in the hearts of the people as a cultural heritage. It has become an indispensable tourism product, contributing to the pride of the people of Na Hang and Tuyen Quang in general.

Rice cake is a traditional dish of the Vietnamese people. However, black sesame seed glutinous rice cake from the Tày ethnic group in Na Hang district is a unique dish that cannot be missed on festive occasions and Tet holidays.

To make this delicious type of rice cake, the Tày people use fragrant sticky rice, a type of rice with a distinctive aroma, large and firm grains, not mixed with ordinary rice. The cake filling is made of black sesame seeds and white sugar. Seemingly simple, it creates the deliciousness of the cake due to the sticky nature of the sticky rice blending with the sweet and fragrant taste of the filling. Besides the familiar white rice cakes, the locals here also create colorful ones using ingredients such as turmeric for yellow, purple from purple glutinous rice leaves, and red from gac fruit, making them even more attractive to connoisseurs.

Taro, also known as ô đầu and phụ tử, typically grows in high-altitude, cold climates. In traditional medicine, taro is described as having a pungent and warm taste, with excellent healing properties. Local ethnic communities in highland areas have long used taro for soaking, massaging, and relieving leg pain or treating cold symptoms effectively. The initial perception of taro congee was as a remedy for the common cold among the people of the highlands. Later, city dwellers added various spices and additives, transforming it into a 'specialty congee' of the mountainous region, delicious and uniquely appealing.

The cooked congee has a deep brown hue, resembling the congee from the lowland areas. It has a rich, hearty, and particularly fragrant flavor. Due to its medicinal nature, the distinctive feature of taro congee is its bitter taste, similar to the bitterness of Chinese goldthread. However, this bitterness combines with the robust, chewy taro, blending with the sweetness of the bone broth and the aroma of preserved eggs to create a fragrant, sweet sensation in the mouth, making it intriguing and enticing.

Taro congee is available throughout the year, but it is especially sold in the evenings. According to the long-standing experience of the locals, congee is most effective before bedtime. For many residents in this highland city, taro congee is a nightly staple. As the night falls and households light up, the taro congee stalls become busy with customers coming and going. Whether it's elderly individuals seeking to nourish their bones, late-night revelers, or traders from distant lands, everyone who enjoys a bowl of taro congee treats it like a magical remedy, soothing the fatigue of the day for a deep and restful sleep.

Soi Lam Corn has small, dense kernels with a vibrant yellow color, both tender and shiny. This unique corn creates a distinct flavor during preparation, offering a delightful chewiness and sweet, refreshing taste unlike any other type of corn. Legend has it that this corn was once a tribute to the king. Soi Lam Corn, a native corn variety, captivates diners with its sweet and tender characteristics. Renowned throughout the country, this corn variety is a must-try for any visitor to Tuyen Quang.

Some delicious dishes made from Soi Lam Corn:

• Boiled Corn
• Corn Milk
• Baked Corn with Honey
• Corn Sweet Soup