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Hanoi's culinary landscape is a meeting point for diverse gastronomies. The local delicacies from this region have touched the hearts of those far from home and even first-time visitors to Hanoi. Each unique dish creates a lasting impression, making it a sought-after gift for friends and family. In today's article, Toplist introduces you to a list of the most meaningful Hanoi specialties, perfect for gifting.
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Preserved Sweetened Fruits (Ô Mai)
Legend has it that:
“No fragrance can rival the scent of jasmine, Even without elegance, one is still a Trang An resident”
All the cultural essence of Hanoi seems to converge in the gifts exchanged between people. Amidst Hanoi's divine offerings, we think of pho, we think of com, we think of Thanh Tri rolled cakes. Yet, there's one gift that, despite not being a specialty, is inseparable from the mention of Hanoi. That is none other than ô mai.
Hanoians have a lifelong connection with the taste of ô mai, from childhood, with pigtails and playful antics, to old age, with silver or thinning hair. In their youth, they delighted in the spicy ô mai, sharing laughter with friends. In their later years, during the chilly days of the year's end, they sip hot tea alongside a plate of piquant ô mai. Then, in the company of their life partner, they discuss the nuances of relationships.
A bit of spiciness on the tip of the tongue, a hint of sweetness gracefully lingering, a touch of sourness as it slides down the throat. None of them overpowering, just enough to blend harmoniously, creating a flavor of ô mai found nowhere else.
If you're a culinary enthusiast, someone who appreciates the cultural beauty of Hanoi, do you know which flavors of ô mai Hanoians favor the most? If you happen to stroll through the ancient streets of Hanoi and wish to bring back a quintessential Hanoi gift for both gifting and savoring, think of ô mai.
Some renowned ô mai brands in the land of Hanoi include: Ô mai Vạn Lợi, Ô mai Hồng Lam, Ô mai Tiến Thịnh, Ô mai Gia Lợi, Ô mai Gia Thịnh,...
Vòng village cốm
When it comes to Hanoi specialties, among the myriad that come to mind, the cốm (young rice) is an essential delicacy. Considered a unique gift, it embodies the rustic, simple, and pure flavors of the expansive green rice fields, representing the offering from the bountiful and humble countryside. It is crafted from ingredients intimately connected to rural life and presented as a ceremonial gift from the fields to the people.
The best time to enjoy cốm is during the autumn season. As dewdrops cover the path, accompanied by the chilly breeze of the fall, the lotus leaves gracefully age, releasing the most essence of the earth and sky. Autumn cốm follows the footsteps of the street vendors into every alley. Thanks to the favorable weather, the taste of autumn cốm is always tender, vibrant, and more fragrant than in the summer. Hanoians, with a sense of nostalgia, eagerly seek this gentle gift at the end of the season, capturing the essence of young rice, a symbol of gratitude for the lush harvest.
For many in the Central and Southern regions, cốm might be an unfamiliar dish, with some having never tasted it. However, for those living in Hanoi, trying cốm at least once is a certainty. Hanoi's cốm is not only a green gift wrapped in lotus leaves, tied with dry straw, but also the key ingredient in various dishes like cốm desserts, cốm cakes, cốm sticky rice, shrimp wrapped in cốm, and even cốm sausage. In each dish, cốm contributes both flavor and aroma, creating the renowned 'delicious bite of Hanoi' – a sentiment that makes the writer Vu Bang 'love Hanoi deeply, yearning for Hanoi' and makes every Vietnamese feel more connected to their homeland when savoring it.
Vòng village cốm exudes the fragrance of glutinous rice, the essence of autumn breeze, and the purity of lotus leaves. The leaves are fresh, glossy, and vibrant, with a soft, green color, delivering a delightful aroma of fresh rice.
It's not an exaggeration to assert: “Anyone who hasn't tasted Cốm has not truly felt the soul of Vietnam. A Hanoian who hasn't experienced Cốm hasn't fully embraced the essence of being a Hanoian.
As the years go by, Cốm is not just a delightful treat but also a keeper of the spirits of Hanoi natives far from their hometown...
Original Cốm Village Production Facility
Order Hotline: 1900.6645
Address: No. 36, Alley 63 (previously No. 18, Alley 99) Xuan Thuy Street, Cau Giay, Hanoi.
Hotline: 012345.01312
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://comvonghanoi.net
Lam Sweet Cake
Lam Sweet Cake is a renowned specialty originating from the traditional craft village in Hanoi or the old Hà Tây. Anyone who has ever savored this delicacy surely remembers its distinctive soft, chewy, and fragrant taste.
In the past, Lam Sweet Cake was typically made during festivals and Tet (Lunar New Year). Nowadays, this cake is not just a specialty of Hà Tây locals but also accompanies travelers to distant places.
With main ingredients such as glutinous rice flour, white cane sugar, arrowroot starch, ginger, sesame, and various special traditional spices, Lam Sweet Cake promises to offer you an interesting culinary experience with flavors reminiscent of the homeland!
Lam Sweet Cake's deliciousness lies in the harmonious combination of ingredients: the stickiness of honey, the smoothness of the dough... This demands meticulousness and high-level baking skills. The cake boasts a full spectrum of flavors, including the chewiness of glutinous rice dough, the sweetness of honey, a hint of ginger's spiciness, and the nutty flavor of peanuts. All contribute to an intensely aromatic and delightful taste.
The most delicious and harmonious Lam Sweet Cake experience is when enjoyed with green tea. Additionally, for an even more DELICIOUS, FRAGRANT, AND SPECIAL Lam Sweet Cake, it's best consumed in cool weather, making the indulgence truly exquisite!
On chilly autumn days transitioning into winter, savoring this cake becomes a delightful experience. Cutting the cake into small pieces, then slowly enjoying it with tea. Biting into a piece of Lam Sweet Cake, the chewiness of glutinous rice dough, the sweet taste of honey, a hint of ginger's spiciness, and the nutty texture of peanuts melt in the mouth. Paired with a sip of tea, the sweetness becomes even more delightful!
Kim Cúc Lam Sweet Cake Shop – The King's Lam Sweet Cake Brand
Address: Thạch Xá, Thạch Thất, Hanoi
Warehouse: Alley 159 Hữu Hưng, Tây Mỗ, Hanoi
Phone: 02433601784 & 0947 200 988 & 093 678 6807
Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/banhchelamhanoi/
Pork sausage cake
Pork sausage cake is one of the traditional and ancestral cakes of ancient Hanoi that people still whisper about, saying, 'Nowhere else has this flavor, the oldest in Hanoi, the most delicious in the capital.' This addictive cake is known for its distinctive taste of fragrant lemongrass leaves and the rich, tender aroma of fatty pork, all harmoniously combined in a crispy, crunchy crust made of wheat flour, making pork sausage cake a traditional snack of the Trang An land.
Called pork sausage cake because the small, beautiful yellow cake with a mixed filling is wrapped in a coating very similar to minced meat. Like other traditional sweet cakes, pork sausage cake is best enjoyed with hot tea.
Pork sausage cake has long become a familiar snack for Hanoians, loved by both the old and the young. No one knows who created pork sausage cake and when, but it is known that in the streets and alleys of ancient Hanoi, there were families specializing in handcrafting and trading this type of cake. Over time, pork sausage cake has become one of the traditional snacks of the people of Hanoi.
'In this chilly season, eating a piece of pork sausage cake and sipping a hot cup of tea, savoring the sweet, rich, fragrant, and fatty taste of the cake, is incomparable...' In the early cold days of winter in Hanoi, eating a piece of golden and crispy pork sausage cake and feeling the chewiness and richness of the fat has become a unique flavor that cannot be compared to any other cake.
Reference purchase address:
Bao Phuong Pork Sausage Cake
Address: 183 Thuy Khe, Hanoi
Hotline: 0978792070 & 093 2236268
Phone: 0243.8230797
Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/baophuong183TK/
Lotus Tea
In the autumn of Hanoi, there is the scent of green rice flakes, while in the summer, tourists will be immersed in the elegant beauty of West Lake lotus. In the intense heat of June, the time when lotus flowers start to show off their colors, it is also the time for people to enjoy the sweet lotus tea that dispels the intense heat of summer.
If you choose this West Lake lotus tea as a gift for someone far away, advise your loved ones on how to brew the tea for the best flavor. The best way to brew West Lake lotus tea is: use a porcelain or earthenware pot, pour boiling water into the pot to heat it up, use a small bamboo stick to place the tea in the pot, and pour the cooled water down to a temperature of 90 - 95 degrees Celsius to avoid making the tea too strong.
Next, we need to pour water in a large stream so that the tea leaves roll evenly in the pot, pour water until the foam rises above the mouth of the pot. Let it steep for 10 seconds, then pour all the first batch of tea water into a specialized pot or small cup and enjoy this first batch. For the second batch of water, open the tea pot lid, use the bamboo stick to flip the tea leaves to make them moist and prevent the tea from becoming too bitter, then add the lotus seeds and pour water. For the third batch of water, add a touch of lotus stamen, and for the fourth batch, add small yellow lotus petals. Each batch of water represents a different taste level of tea. Enjoying tea this way will make you understand the happiness of tea lovers when sipping truly delicious tea.
Lotus tea is processed very delicately, so when tasting the tea, tourists will feel the essence and richness spreading in their mouths.
Ninh Huong Tea Shop: 22 Hang Dieu, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.
Dong Son Tea: 169 Nghi Tam, Tay Ho, Hanoi
Viet Tea: 34 Giang Van Minh, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
Star Fruit
Star fruit is a dish quite familiar to the citizens of the capital. From star fruit, we can create many delicious dishes and refreshing drinks. Star fruit is mainly found in the Northern region, especially Hanoi. From star fruit, talented chefs can create various enticing dishes such as candied star fruit, star fruit soup, sautéed shrimp with star fruit, sweet and sour smashed star fruit, and many other appealing options.
Star fruit only appears around the beginning of June in Hanoi. At this time, you can buy a lot of fresh star fruit, process it, clean it, store it in the refrigerator for year-round consumption, or soak star fruit in water for a refreshing drink throughout the summer. If you visit the market off-season, you can go to Dong Xuan market to buy fresh star fruit, but the price is 4-5 times higher than during the season. This is a specialty and a gift from Hanoi that many people love.
The important gift is in the heart. You can buy fresh star fruit, round and slightly rough-skinned with plenty of flesh, clean it, and send it to your loved ones. Or if you are skilled, you can also creatively turn star fruit into enticing dishes such as sweet and sour smashed star fruit or candied star fruit, then pack them in boxes and send them far away. Your loved ones will surely appreciate your thoughtful gift.
Various markets: Dong Xuan Market, Long Bien Market…
Tranh Khuc Square Sticky Rice Cake
If you have relatives far away, like in Saigon, who can't come to Hanoi for Tet, choosing Tranh Khuc square sticky rice cake as a specialty gift from Hanoi to Saigon will surely delight them. People in the South often eat cylindrical glutinous rice cake instead of square sticky rice cake during Tet. So, a slight change in the Northern taste will definitely make a difference for those sunny days in the Southern region.
Tranh Khuc Village is situated along the Red River, so the locals here enjoy a very clean water source, a crucial element that contributes to the brand of Tranh Khuc square sticky rice cake. Tranh Khuc Cake is distinctive because of how the locals make it: hand-wrapped entirely while still maintaining 8 sharp corners.
The ingredients for making the cake are excellent, gathered from Hai Hau glutinous rice, meticulously cooked green beans with steam, finely beaten, then molded into a round filling with a piece of pork belly seasoned just right. Dong leaves and rattan strings used to wrap the cake are also carefully selected. They must be fresh Dong leaves from Trang Cat (Hanoi) or imported from Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Lao Cai, Yen Bai,... Rattan strings are transported from Luong Son (Hoa Binh). People in Tranh Khuc are meticulous from the ingredient stage to the cake boiling stage. The square sticky rice cake is placed in an electric pot or steamer to boil thoroughly for about 6-10 continuous hours right after wrapping. When taken out, the cake is left to drain immediately to avoid stagnant water damaging it.
A piece of Tranh Khuc square sticky rice cake weighs about 1.2kg and can be purchased for around 60,000 VND/piece. In addition, Tranh Khuc Village also has a type of Gac sticky rice cake priced at 95,000 VND/piece. You can also order cakes in custom sizes at a price of about 100,000 VND/piece. As for where to buy authentic Tranh Khuc cakes, there are many places distributing cakes from the village.
Reference for purchasing:
Delicious Square Cake Store
Address: Alley 554 Truong Chinh, Nga Tu So
Phone: 096 831 8765
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deliciousricedoughnuts/
Quan Ganh Round Rice Doughnut
What do you think about choosing Quan Ganh round rice doughnut as a specialty from Hanoi to bring as a gift? Quan Ganh round rice doughnut would be a perfect choice if you choose rice doughnuts to give to loved ones far away.
When mentioning Hanoi rice doughnuts, food enthusiasts will not forget the place that makes the best rice doughnuts in Hanoi, Quan Ganh village, Nhi Khe commune, Thuong Tin district, Son Tay, Hanoi. Quan Ganh is the place that produces many types of rice doughnuts such as: vegetarian rice doughnuts, sweet-filled rice doughnuts, salty-filled rice doughnuts, red gac rice doughnuts.
To make those delicious rice doughnuts, people from Quan Ganh village have to process them very meticulously. The selected rice grains for making rice doughnuts must be the best quality sticky rice from Hai Hau region, without broken or defective grains. The rice is soaked and cooked thoroughly, then mashed into a smooth and sticky rice dough while it is still hot. At this point, they mold those sticky rice pieces into small, round, and smooth doughnuts. If it's the type of doughnut filled with beans, people from Quan Ganh will wrap the doughnuts with finely ground green beans. Or if it's a savory rice doughnut, they will prepare it with a bit of pork fat and mung beans, giving it a delicious aroma. Placed on fresh green banana leaves or arranged on a plate, undoubtedly, no one can resist these visually appealing and tasty rice doughnuts.
Uoc Le pork sausage
Uoc Le is a craft village in Tan Uoc commune, Thanh Oai district, Hanoi. According to the legend passed down by the elders of this village, in the past, the village often organized village festivals on the 10th day of the first lunar month. To offer a feast to the village's guardian spirit and the king, each family in the village prepared ceremonial offerings called 'precious feasts' with specialties from each family. Among them, Uoc Le pork sausage is the most delicious and most offered.
Because of this tradition, Uoc Le pork sausage gradually became famous. To make a delicious Uoc Le pork sausage, the maker has to put a lot of effort into choosing quality pork, preparing and processing it into the final product. To make Uoc Le pork sausage, people in the village do not use boiling water to cook the pork; instead, they use dry cloth to absorb water from the pork's surface before processing.
Uoc Le pork sausage is made from small-sized pork, weighing only about 35 to 40 kilograms. After that, the meat is filtered and quickly minced with a heavy wooden pestle weighing from 6 to 9 kilograms per pair. They add the best quality fish sauce according to the village's formula, then wrap the sausage with banana leaves that have been soaked in hot water. The layers, from inside to outside, include young leaves, palm leaves, and finally, old leaves. The raw sausage is dipped into boiling water and boiled for 55 minutes until the sausage is plump, firm, and evenly cooked. That's the moment when the delicious Uoc Le sausage is born.
And what about the two most delicious fried pork sausages from Uoc Le? That would be 'quế sausage' and 'fried sausage.' With Uoc Le quế sausage, you cannot forget the fragrant cinnamon powder blended with the shiny honey on the surface of the sausage, which is baked to a crispy texture. Making quế sausage requires a lot of skill - minced meat mixed with cinnamon powder, layered onto bamboo tubes, and grilled over a red charcoal fire until it becomes a delicious quế sausage that reaches the hands of buyers. As for the fried sausage, it has a different, unique flavor - fatty and rich due to small, thick pieces of fat interspersed with finely minced lean meat, steamed until cooked, then fried in boiling oil until it turns a golden color. Eating Uoc Le pork sausage is savoring a corner of not only Hanoi's cuisine but also a part of the Vietnamese soul.
Reference buying address:
Hương Lan Uoc Le sausage shop
Address: 166 Tay Son, Hanoi
Phone: 02438515727
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GioNgonTanHuongLan/
Phu The Cake - Xu Xue at Hang Than
The name 'xu xuê' originally comes from Dinh Bang village (Tien Son, Bac Ninh) with characteristics different from Hanoi's xu xuê. The cakes from Bac Ninh are wrapped in glutinous rice husk and banana leaves, then boiled until cooked. Meanwhile, those from the capital are made from tapioca flour, a bit of sugar, and fragrant pomelo oil, stirred evenly in a pan before being molded with the filling into small cakes. Holding the cake in your hand and admiring its charming appearance, you will be even more surprised when you take a bite. The soft, fragrant taste blends with the subtle sweetness of mung beans and coconut, along with a hint of roasted sesame, surely not disappointing any discerning palates.
Hanoi's Xu Xue Cake is famous with the name of the famous street it is often sold - Hang Than. But the source of the cake is the place we just mentioned, the land of Vong. Like its 'com' sibling, phu the cake is also challenging to keep for a long time because the cake filling is made from mung beans, which are prone to spoilage. So, take advantage of the maximum time to transfer the cake to your loved ones.
Buying reference address:
Nguyen Ninh Com Cake
Address: 11 Hang Than, Hanoi
Phone: 024 3828 3573
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BanhComNguyenNinhChinhGoc11HangThan/
Roasted Peanuts at Ba Trieu
To choose a Hanoi specialty to bring as a gift for an extended period, roasted peanuts at Ba Trieu are a choice favored by many diners.
Roasted peanuts at Ba Trieu are famous with many small shops offering this fragrant and crunchy type along the 200-meter stretch of Ba Trieu Street, Hanoi. This delectable snack is named after an old lady named Van, who spread the aroma of Ba Trieu's roasted peanuts since 1963 until now. There are many shops selling roasted peanuts along this street, but the authentic one—the first to sell roasted peanuts on this street—is the shop with the name 'Cu Van' at 176 Ba Trieu. 'Cu Van' is also the brand name registered by the family for this exquisite roasted peanuts.
Roasted peanuts by Granny Van are renowned for their meticulous preparation. The delicate peanuts are sourced from Bac Giang and Nghệ An—peanuts grown on sandy soil are the chosen ones. The peanuts are soaked in a mixture of sugar, salt, and the 'four aromatic spices' including cinnamon, anise, star anise, and clove to give a balanced flavor, not too salty nor too sweet. During the roasting process, it must be done manually by hand, using clean and dry golden sand, heated before adding the peanuts. The roaster must skillfully maintain the fire to evenly roast the peanuts without causing the thin red layer to peel off, preventing sand from getting into the gap between the two halves of the peanuts. After all the effort, you get crispy, fragrant, and irresistibly delicious peanuts.
Roasted Peanuts by Granny Van
Address: 176 Ba Trieu, Hanoi.
Phone: 098 237 76 54
Facebook: https://bom.to/LQEl96
Diễn Pomelo
Diễn Pomelo has long been renowned in Hanoi, especially during the festive seasons, for its uniquely delightful flavor. Diễn refers to an area in Zone 3, Phuc Dien, Bac Tu Liem, Hanoi. This region possesses soil and climate conditions exceptionally suitable for cultivating a pomelo with a sweet, fragrant, and refreshing taste.
Diễn Pomelo is so celebrated that various hybrid pomelo varieties not grown on Diễn soil have emerged, leading to confusion among buyers. These hybrids lack the distinctive taste and aroma of authentic Diễn Pomelo. A genuine Diễn Pomelo typically weighs between 0.8 to 1 kilogram. The standard pomelo is about the size of two handfuls, round, with thin yellow skin that is not overly smooth. The pomelo has a very thin pith, around 2 cm, yellow segments, firmness without being too soft. The pulp is juicy, sweet, without any bitter or astringent aftertaste, offering a truly delightful aroma.
Diễn Pomelo is incredibly delicious, so it's best to visit the orchard in person for your selection. Diễn Pomelo is very soil-specific, and buying along the roadside or from unreliable sources may lead to selecting pomelos grown in less favorable regions, resulting in both disappointment and unnecessary expenses. Due to its weight, if you plan to gift Diễn Pomelo to loved ones, it's advisable to transport it by coach. Rest assured, your loved ones will truly appreciate this thoughtful gift.
Reference Purchase Location:
Bảo Minh Diễn Pomelo Orchard
Address: Quang Tien Street, Nam Tu Liem, Hanoi
Phone: 09 6161 4240
Website: http://buoidienbaominh.com
Email: [email protected]
Hanoi is always a cherished memory in the hearts of those far from home. Recalling that place of love, how can one forget the unique specialties of Hanoi as gifts? At the entrance to Hanoi, you always want to carefully choose a Hanoi specialty as a meaningful gift for distant loved ones, a gift that is both thoughtful and within your financial means. This article is for you.
Posted by: Tien Luc Cao
Keywords: Meaningful Gifts - Top 12 Hanoi Specialties
