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Embark on a culinary journey with Mytour to savor the top 14 unique and exquisite local specialties that everyone should experience when traveling to Northwestern Vietnam.
Unforgettable Culinary Delights: Top 14 Dishes Not to Miss in Northwestern Vietnam
Fireplace-Smoked Buffalo Meat
A favorite among Northwestern Vietnam visitors, fireplace-smoked buffalo meat is often purchased by tourists as a special gift. Originating from the Thai ethnic group, the meat is meticulously prepared, marinated with spices, and then hung over the fireplace to smoke for at least 2 months. After this curing process, the meat becomes dense and absorbs all the flavors, allowing you to tear and savor the rich, smoky taste with every bite.
Triumphant Victory Dish
Thang Co is a traditional dish of the H'Mong people, originating from the mountains of Ha Giang and gradually embraced by ethnic minorities in the Northern Highlands. Thang Co is typically prepared with horse and buffalo meat.
A pot of Thang Co contains horse and buffalo meat, heart, liver, lung, horse bile, and 12 special spices: cardamom, cinnamon, lemongrass, ginger, and various other traditional spices, among which, 'thang co' herb is the 12th spice. When dining, one scoops the broth into the hotpot, slices the horse meat in, and adds various dipping greens like mustard greens, pennywort, etc.
Apple Cat Liquor
This liquor is made from apples that grow in the northern mountainous region, featuring a unique sweet and sour taste, complemented by the bitter flavor of apple cat. It provides a refreshing sensation with its spicy and enticing aroma. The liquor, with its characteristic amber color, is known for its efficacy in relieving headaches, dizziness, insomnia, and is often sought after as a gift when traveling to Northwestern Vietnam.
Pa Pinh Top
Pa Pinh Top, also known as Grilled Folded Stream Fish. This is a famous traditional dish and a highly esteemed specialty of the Thai people in Northwestern Vietnam. The dish is prepared with fresh stream fish marinated with ginger, lemongrass, Zanthoxylum acanthopodium, and the sprouts of the sa nhac tree before being grilled. When you taste it, you will experience the sweet aroma of fresh fish.
Armpit-Grabbing Pig
A type of pork from a hybrid breed between wild boar and Muong pig. These pigs weigh only 10-15kg, living in a natural environment, resulting in firm and lean meat. Called 'armpit-grabbing pig' because locals carry these small pigs under their armpits to sell in the market. Whether boiled, grilled, or prepared in any way, this meat is exceptionally delicious.
Grilled Moss on Rocks
Grilled moss is a specialty of the Tay people, intricately prepared, requiring carefulness and specific skills. Moss must be harvested while still young and green, making it the most challenging step. After cleaning, the moss is marinated with spices like lemongrass, scallions, etc., and then grilled. This is a unique dish, found nowhere else. If you have the chance to travel to Northwestern Vietnam, you should definitely try this dish.
Bamboo Tube Rice
Bamboo tube rice is particularly popular among the ethnic communities in the Northwestern provinces of our country. Originating from the use of natural ingredients for easy cooking and portability while working in the fields, they devised a method of cooking rice using bamboo tubes, sometimes bamboo pipes or bamboo cylinders. The rice used for bamboo tube rice must be hillside-grown rice, as rice grown downhill would break when cooked in bamboo tubes. Though hillside-grown rice is plain, it is sticky like glutinous rice and is still used to make porridge in the lowlands.
Bamboo Rice
Bamboo rice is particularly popular among the ethnic communities in the Northwestern provinces of our country. Originating from the use of natural ingredients for easy cooking and portability while working in the fields, they devised a method of cooking rice using bamboo tubes, sometimes bamboo pipes or bamboo cylinders. The rice used for bamboo rice must be hillside-grown rice, as rice grown downhill would break when cooked in bamboo tubes. Though hillside-grown rice is plain, it is sticky like glutinous rice and is still used to make porridge in the lowlands.
Five-Color Sticky Rice
You will be surprised by the various colors of this sticky rice: green, red, purple, yellow, and white. Each color is made from forest fruits, completely natural, making it fragrant and safe. Moreover, the sticky rice is made from hillside-grown glutinous rice, so it has a delicious and enticing aroma when eaten.
Sour Pho
In essence, sour pho is a dish from China that has become popular in Ha Giang. The sour pho has a uniquely tangy flavor, making it refreshing, so it is often prepared in the summer. Sour pho is served with fried pork, roasted duck, Chinese sausage, and garnished with aromatic herbs like coriander, basil, and cucumber, making it extremely appetizing. The noodles used for this dish are soft pho noodles.
Luxurious Pork Rolls
Luxurious pork rolls, also known as 'lying embroidery,' are a traditional dish of the Lang people and are considered the epitome of luxury among the Nung people. Essentially made from pork belly marinated with ginger, five-spice powder, wine, honey, and native herbs. Particularly, the dish is steamed, resulting in sweet, tender, and highly aromatic rolls.
Tu Le Green Rice
Tu Le Green Rice is made by the people of Tu Le commune, Yen Bai province. This is where you find the most fragrant and pure young rice grains, meticulously processed by the Thai ethnic group. When eating Tu Le Green Rice, you can taste the cool fragrance of young rice and a subtle sweetness.
Black Chung Cake of Muong Lo
Belonging to the Chung cake family, but the Black Chung Cake of Muong Lo is distinctive with its shiny black color. In addition to the main ingredients such as Tu Le sticky rice, green beans, pork belly, and some spices like pepper and shallots, the Black Chung Cake of Muong Lo is enriched with black sesame flowers and the black coating of the nuc nac tree, creating a unique black hue.
Signature Nậm Pịa Delight
Nậm Pịa, renowned as a traditional dish of the Thai people, stands out as one of the beloved specialties of Northwestern Vietnam. It serves as a delectable dipping sauce, leaving a lasting impression when paired with grilled dishes. Prepared from the heart and tender intestines of animals, slow-cooked to bring out a mildly spicy, slightly salty, and initially bitter flavor. However, as it goes down, you'll experience a sweet sensation lingering in the throat.
According to Mytour
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Reference: Travel Guide by Mytour
MytourDecember 2, 2022
