Top 15 Delicious and Famous Specialties in Yen Bai You Must Try

It would be a major oversight not to mention this dish in the list of specialties from the Yen Bai region. This dish carries the cultural essence of the mountainous ethnic people, specifically the Black Thai in Nghia Lo, Yen Bai. To make the most delicious pieces of hearth-smoked buffalo meat, one must choose firm and lean pieces of meat from freely grazed buffalo on the hills.

The seasoning process is also highly valued, creating a distinctive flavor and helping to reduce the smoky aroma when eating. Especially noteworthy is a spice called mac khen, a type of wild pepper used by the people of the Northwest. On cold, windy winter days, sitting around the fire to enjoy these flavorful, smoky pieces of meat, seasoned with the unique aroma of mac khen, is truly incomparable.

Honey is a sweet liquid created by bees using nectar from flowers, with about 320 different varieties differing in color, scent, and flavor. Honey primarily consists of sugar, along with a mix of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, iron, zinc, and antioxidants. It is commonly used as a sweetener in food and also has medicinal properties.

Visiting Văn Chấn in Yên Bái, one can indulge in the exquisite flavor of lychee blossom honey. In late April, as lychee blossoms abundantly, the land becomes a shared joy with diligent bees searching for sweet nectar. With vast hectares of lychee orchards, Văn Chấn, Nghĩa Lộ is an ideal destination for those seeking to savor the rich taste of forest honey in this region.

It's no coincidence that Tú Lệ sticky rice is considered the specialty rice of the highland district of Văn Chấn, Yên Bái. Mention Tú Lệ, and thoughts immediately turn to the renowned rice that fills the air with the fragrance of freshly harvested, round, and pearly white grains.

When in Yên Bái and passing through the Tú Lệ region, don't forget to stop by the mountainside, where the essence of the earth's bounty flourishes in the blooming rice fields. Enjoy a bowl of Tây Bắc-scented sticky rice.

Green chung cakes during Tet are undoubtedly familiar to many, but when it comes to black chung cake, few have had the pleasure of savoring it. This dish is also made from glutinous rice, green beans, and pork. However, what makes it special are the meticulous steps taken in its preparation. From selecting the ingredients, the locals carefully choose just the right dong leaves for wrapping, fragrant Tú Lệ glutinous rice, and fine-grained green beans and pork belly seasoned with the perfect blend of pepper and spices.

To achieve its distinctive black color, the cake is soaked in sesame ash water or water from the bark of the núc nác tree. A delectable, aromatic cake is a worthy gift for the effort you put into visiting this beloved land.

Together with stove-guard buffalo meat, Yen Bai sausage is also a traditional dish with a reputation in this region. To create the most delicious sausages, the cook needs skillful hands. It's not an exaggeration to say that making sausages requires various stages, from selecting ingredients, seasoning with harmonious spices while preserving the characteristic features, especially knowing the right marinating time and the cooking stage, neither too strong nor too weak fire...

People in the mountainous areas often use oily wood such as cinnamon to cook sausages, adding flavor. If you come to this place, don't forget to enjoy this sophisticated specialty.

Those who have been to the Mùong Lò region and tasted the crispy roasted Mườm Mượm with its fragrant aroma will never forget that wonderful moment. Mườm Mượm is often abundant during the ripe rice season, the plump and crispy crickets are roasted with spices, served with salt and chili, or lime leaves. Just a touch of sour bamboo shoot water is enough to captivate any diner.

There are many ways to create delicious dishes from Mườm Mượm. However, crispy roasted Mườm Mượm remains the most favored specialty by the locals. To make the delicious crispy roasted Mườm Mượm, the crickets must be processed first. 'Remove wings, break legs, cut heads, remove guts' are the four basic steps to create the appearance of a cricket on the drinking table. After the remaining part of the cricket is cleaned, it looks strange, similar to the nest of ant eggs. After the 'hair removal' step, the Mườm Mượm is cleaned, drained, and then put into the pan.

First, the Mườm Mượm is simmered with sour bamboo shoot water (or rice vinegar) on the flickering fire. Drain the water, immediately add lard (or cooking oil), stir evenly on a large fire; when you hear the cracking sound, it means the Mườm Mượm is crispy. Add broth (or fish sauce, seasoning…) with just enough along with chicken essence, a little fresh chili and stir quickly; finally, add finely chopped lime leaves, stir until cooked to the lime leaves and remove the pan. The roasted Mườm Mượm is dark yellow, very fragrant.

Originally, the Măng Sặt tree grew naturally on the hills of Trạm Tấu district, Văn Chấn district, but mostly in Nghĩa Lộ town. In the past, Măng Sặt was not abundant as it grew naturally without care. However, realizing the culinary needs of the locals and many tourists visiting the highland districts of Yên Bái, especially the popularity of Măng Sặt, the Dao and Thai people planned areas with Măng Sặt in the old forests into specific regions. These areas are well taken care of, resulting in better, plumper, and more delicious Măng Sặt.

Măng Sặt does not taste good everywhere it's planted. Perhaps Yên Bái is a land with soil and climate suitable for the growth and development of Măng Sặt. That's why Yên Bái's Măng Sặt has become the most favored and attractive Măng dish voted by many food enthusiasts.

The young, white, tender, and yellowish Măng Sặt shoots are also a specialty of the Northwestern mountains, specifically in the homeland of Yên Bái. During the Măng season, people joyfully go to the forest to pick the freshest Măng shoots. The young shoots are easy to peel, sweet, and not bitter. When boiled, they emit the fragrant aroma of the mountain forest.

Yên Bái Cat's Eye is cultivated in various provinces in Northwest Vietnam such as Yên Bái, Lào Cai, Sơn La... However, the most famous and distinctive in flavor is the Yên Bái Cat's Eye. Thriving in the cool climate at an altitude of over 1,000m, the Cat's Eye has become a local specialty.

Intimately connected with the land of Yên Bái is the fruit known as 'sơn tra,' also called Cat's Eye or sour fruit. This fruit has a sour and slightly bitter taste, leaving a sweet and mild aftertaste. The sour fruit is often made into candied Cat's Eye or sour and bitter preserved fruits. Besides its culinary uses, this type of fruit also has many beneficial properties in traditional medicine.

Tourists visiting Yên Bái are also drawn to the bottles of cat's eye wine, often referred to as the “elixir” of the mountainous region. This rustic and unique wine, with a hint of intoxication and the resonance of Sơn Tra, captures the essence of the region. A little tipsy with the rich aroma of cat's eye wine, paired with the memories of a crisp white Cat's Eye mixed with chili salt at a roadside stall... Just that is enough to evoke the longing for the Sơn Tra fruit of the highlands in Yên Bái, eagerly sought after season after season...

For those travelers who have visited the land of Giàng Stream, the image of the sprawling ancient tea trees is unforgettable. The tea here carries a distinctive flavor, encompassing the essence of the Northwest mountains. The tender tea buds, plucked with care, have a whitish-gray color, earning them the poetic name - Snow Tea from Giàng Stream.

The excellence of this tea lies not only in the fresh and tender tea buds but also in the traditional hand processing, crafting, and brewing by the mountainous ethnic people. A bag of Snow Tea from Giàng Stream will undoubtedly be a meaningful gift for your loved ones when you have the opportunity to visit this enchanting land.

Derived from ingredients like brined shrimp, pork shoulder, vegetable oil, and local spices of the Mường Lò region, along with the traditional experience of the Northwestern people, the product Mường Lò Shrimp Paste boasts a distinctive flavor. When paired with colorful sticky rice and bamboo-tube rice, you'll be impressed by the rich taste of shrimp paste blending with the fragrant and sticky flavor of Tú Lệ glutinous rice.

Shrimp paste seems like a seemingly simple and easy-to-make dish, but not everyone who follows the recipe can make it tasty. Each person, each region has its own secrets that contribute to the differences in the taste of each dish. Visit the Western Yên Bái, where skilled hands have processed this dish from very familiar ingredients to bring a delicious taste to the connoisseurs.

The ingredients for making shrimp paste include: Peeled brined shrimp (stream shrimp), pork shoulder, vegetable oil, and spices. Selecting firm, evenly sized shrimp, clean and peel the shells, remove the black thread on the back and head of the shrimp. Grind the shrimp finely in a mortar. Finely chop the pork shoulder. Then, put oil in a pan, fry the meat until well-done, then add the finely ground shrimp, stir well, add spices, and a few drops of fish sauce to make the shrimp paste more flavorful. When frying, keep the heat very low, stir slowly until the shrimp and meat are evenly dried. Once cooled, it is ready to eat.