Sapa Gastronomy

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Top 20 Delicious Dishes of Sapa Gastronomy, Taste of Northwest Mountains 

Sapa – the charming foggy city, known not only for its romantic and picturesque Northwest mountains, with fascinating tourist destinations such as the Sapa Sky Gate, Fansipan Peak,... but also famous for its rich and diverse gastronomy. We present to you the top 20 characteristic dishes of Sapa gastronomy that you must try when visiting Sapa.

Pine Nut Cakes 

One of the renowned delicacies in Sapa that every traveler must taste is the pine nut cakes. These warm, fragrant cakes are emblematic of the distinctive culinary culture of Sapa's market cuisine.

The pine nut cakes are typically round in shape, somewhat resembling the southern-style pía cakes but flatter and slightly larger. Each cake is sprinkled with roasted sesame seeds on top, adding both fragrance and visual appeal. The filling is made from finely ground pine nuts mixed with a bit of butter and soft mung beans. The crust is made from thinly rolled wheat flour, forming multiple layers.

Strolling through the Sapa markets, pausing to savor a freshly baked cake, perfectly ripe in the morning, will be a delightful experience. Moreover, pine nut cakes are often chosen as a very popular souvenir by tourists.

Mountainous Delight

Mountainous delight, a highly renowned and distinctive dish in Sapa's culinary culture. Sapa's mountainous delight shares some similarities with the braised pork of the southern region, but it is prepared with a distinctive Sapa flair. To achieve an authentic mountainous delight, the chef must simmer the meat tender for half a day. Therefore, when you taste it, you'll feel each piece of meat melting in your mouth.

In essence, mountainous delight originates from the Hoa people but has been present in most northern mountainous regions for a long time. To prepare delicious mountainous delight, you will need ingredients such as pork belly, coriander, five-spice powder, garlic, chili, vinegar, rice wine, MSG, pepper, according to the traditional recipe of the people of Sapa. This dish is usually eaten with rice and especially during the winter days, having a bowl of mountainous delight will surely require a lot of rice.

Sapa Stream Fish

Sapa Stream Fish, whether grilled or fried, is an integral part of Sapa's diverse culinary scene that no traveler should miss. Naturally, stream fish are typically only the size of 2-3 fingers and have a distinctive green color. Sapa's streams are quite bony, so when cooking, the locals often fry or grill the fish whole. Once cooked, the fish emits a delightful aroma and lacks any fishy taste. Seeing each piece of fish, simply seasoned and golden brown on the grill, is truly irresistible.

When sampling this famous dish of Sapa's culinary scene, travelers will experience a slightly chewy texture, with a very thin scale layer, sweet and fragrant meat, and a very crispy bone that melts in the mouth. This stream fish dish is often dipped in a sauce made of lime and chili fish sauce and enjoyed with boiled water spinach.

Buffalo Meat from the Hearth

A signature dish in Sapa's culinary scene – buffalo meat from the hearth is perhaps not unfamiliar to every traveler when touring the misty city. The renowned buffalo meat dish has a dark exterior but reveals a natural red color inside when torn apart. When enjoyed, one will taste the chewy, sweet, and slightly spicy meat complemented by the pungent aroma of ginger mixed with the savory smokiness of mountain firewood.

To prepare delicious Hearth-Smoked Buffalo Meat, choose cuts from the thigh, shoulder, and back of the buffalo. These cuts are then marinated with typical Northwestern spices such as mac khen, dổi seeds, and grilled over charcoal. Hearth-smoked buffalo meat, a specialty dish, is widely available in Sapa's food markets, favored by travelers as a gift on every visit to Sapa.

Smoked Meat

Another special dish of Sapa that travelers cannot miss when visiting the misty city is smoked meat, originating from ethnic minorities in the Northwest mountains. Thus, it carries a strong mountainous flavor that few dishes can match.

During preparation, chefs select delicious meat cuts from the shoulder and back of animals such as pigs, buffalo, cattle, horses, etc. The meat is then trimmed, removing all fat and tendons, leaving only the flavorful lean meat. Next, it is cut into thick square pieces, 2 – 3cm thick, and marinated with spices including crushed mac khen, rock salt, chili, and wild banana seeds.

Smoked meat is often hung on the rafters of small wood-fired stoves, utilizing the heat and smoke of the stove to preserve the meat and create a unique flavor.

Black Chicken of Sapa

Not your ordinary chicken found in most regions, Sapa is renowned for a unique breed known as the black chicken of Sapa. These chickens are small, weighing only about 1.5kg each, with black skin, meat, and bones. However, when eaten, travelers will experience a distinctive aroma and flavor, with tender black meat, crispy skin, and a sweet taste.

Additionally, black chicken is believed to have excellent health benefits, particularly in improving cardiovascular health. The people of Sapa often roast black chicken and enjoy it with various herbs, along with a bowl of salt, pepper, and lemon dip, creating a delicious and nutritious dish.

Thắng cố

Thắng cố, a dish that travelers can't find anywhere else in Vietnam, is a distinctive delicacy of the Northwest people. Often abundant in the culinary scene of Sapa's markets and restaurants, it's also known as the 'bizarre delicacy' of Sapa, enticing many curious diners to give it a try.

To create a delicious pot of thắng cố, you'll need main ingredients such as meat, bones, tendons, and internal organs like liver, spleen, heart, lungs, and stomach. Combined with nearly 20 types of herbs like cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, lemongrass, ginger, and various characteristic spices of the H'Mong people. When enjoyed, Sapa locals scoop the flavorful broth into a hot pot, then add thinly sliced horse meat and soak it in a cup of corn wine by the warm fireplace, creating an unmatched taste experience.

Bánh đao

The name 'bánh đao' used to be very enticing to travelers visiting Sapa due to its uniqueness. Bánh đao, also known as páu cò, is renowned as a specialty dish in Sapa's cuisine from June to October every year. If you have the chance to visit Sapa during this time, be sure to savor this famous Sapa delicacy.

To create a delicious and fragrant cake, the chef must skillfully mix the flour evenly, typically in a ratio of 2:1 rice flour to glutinous rice flour. Then, wrap it with banana leaves. Bánh đao can usually be preserved for a long time under favorable conditions, so travelers often choose this fragrant and chewy cake as a gift for their families and friends.

Xôi bảy màu

This dish of colorful sticky rice, known as 'xôi bảy màu', might not be unfamiliar to many, but to become a specialty in Sapa's cuisine, it must be truly special. Xôi bảy màu, as the name suggests, is made from sticky rice dyed in seven colors, each representing a unique flavor and meaning. It's a popular choice for breakfast or as a snack, loved by both locals and visitors alike.

The renowned type of 'thịt lợn cắp nách' from Sapa locals typically ranges from 100,000 to 200,000 VND and is abundantly available in the marketplaces of Sapa. It can be used to cook a variety of special dishes. If you're in Sapa, don't forget to taste the delicious flavor of 'thịt lợn cắp nách'.

Rainbow Sticky Rice

Sticky rice, the national breakfast dish of the Vietnamese people, is also a humble delicacy in the misty city of Sapa. What sets it apart are the trays of sticky rice with a myriad of colors: pink, bright red, deep red, green, purple, yellow, etc. All these vibrant colors originate from natural forest leaves and flowers, making it very safe to consume.

According to the customs of the Northwest ethnic groups, sticky rice is a symbol of luck, so on festive days, a tray of rainbow sticky rice is always present. Rainbow sticky rice is also a dish deeply rooted in the traditional culture of the Northwest people and is often eaten with black sesame salt or accompanied by grilled wild meat on cold days, making it absolutely delicious.

Bamboo Tube Rice

The Northwest mountains have become the nurturing grounds for every child here, so in Sapa's culinary culture, there is always the presence of gifts from Mother Nature. The famous bamboo tube rice is one of them. Bamboo tube rice, a dish made primarily from glutinous rice, is cooked until done inside bamboo tubes. When enjoying it, simply peel off the burnt outer bamboo layer, leaving behind the thin, easy-to-peel bamboo, and then eat.

When visiting Sapa, tourists can easily enjoy this specialty dish everywhere, from restaurants to stalls at the local markets. If you have the chance to try bamboo tube rice, you will realize that rice can be so delicious!

Sapa Peach

Speaking of Sapa, tourists will immediately recall the scene of cherry blossoms covering every space, gently drifting in the breeze. Surely, this must be the land of cherry blossoms.

Tourists visiting Sapa during the cherry blossom season will be impressed by the orchards laden with fruit all over the beautiful town of Sapa. Sapa cherries often have a slightly sour, sweet taste mixed with a hint of bitterness and a distinctive aroma unlike any other fruit. Sapa cherries have gradually become a meaningful and delicious gift chosen by tourists to give to their families and friends.

Grilled Food

Sapa cuisine always stands out with grilled food. In the cool weather of Sapa, on windy days, sitting by the fire with a tray of grilled food including skewered pork, grilled pork belly, quail, rolled beef with mustard greens, beef rolls with shiitake mushrooms,... Enjoying the vibrant red flames and seductive aroma, tourists will experience an incredibly wonderful feeling.

When in Sapa, awaken your taste buds and senses with a hearty and cozy barbecue feast.

Mangosteen (brown pear)

Sapa, blessed by nature with cool air and fertile soil, so visiting Sapa without enjoying the fruits here would be a mistake.

Mangosteen, also known as brown pear, usually in season around September, brings even more joy to the people of Sapa. Sapa brown pears often have a slight sour taste, very refreshing with small, round fruits and rough skin but the flesh is whiter and more fragrant than any other type of pear. Mangosteen is usually a fruit grown naturally on the slopes of the Northwest hills, so tourists can feel confident choosing this special fruit as a gift.

Mường Khương soy sauce

One of the must-try dishes in Sapa is the specialty Mường Khương soy sauce. Mường Khương chili sauce is usually made with main ingredients such as chili. Combined with garlic, coriander seeds, cilantro seeds, cloves, salt, wine, and water in traditional proportions. Creating a delicious soy sauce that tourists visiting Sapa must definitely try.

Sapa specialties have long been famous and frequently appear in the meals of the people in the misty land. Visitors here will be captivated by the natural fragrance of this popular and special soy sauce.

Cat's ear cabbage

When it comes to Sapa cuisine, it's not just about bamboo-cooked rice, shoulder meat, cat apples,... but also a special vegetable that has become a part of Sapa's culture, that's cat's ear cabbage. If you've had the chance to taste other vegetables like sweet cabbage, curly cabbage, bitter cabbage,... then you'll feel the difference of cat's ear cabbage compared to these common types of cabbage.

If curly cat's ear cabbage is dark green, crunchy but slightly bitter at the tip of the tongue, cat's ear cabbage is sweet as soon as you taste it. If you have the opportunity to visit Sapa, don't forget to enjoy stir-fried cat's ear cabbage with pork fat, add a little spicy ginger to experience the delicious taste of Northwestern cuisine.

Mèn mén

Throughout the famous markets of the Sapa people, tourists will come across mèn mén, a Sapa delicacy. Mèn mén is usually made from traditional corn, through the creative hands of the H'Mong people, it becomes a gift from the mountains with delicious and chewy flavors.

With a simple cooking method, mèn mén wins over diners with its unique flavor. Every winter, mèn mén helps dispel the cold in the high mountains of Northwestern Vietnam. Enjoying a spoonful of mèn mén, accompanied by a sip of water, you will feel the chewiness and a hint of sweetness. It's definitely worth a try.

Bitter Bamboo Shoot Spring Rolls

Another famous Sapa dish that tourists cannot miss when visiting the foggy city is bitter bamboo shoot spring rolls of the Tay ethnic people. The bitter bamboo shoots chosen by Sapa locals are usually young and harvested when the shoots are just budding to retain their sweetness and crunchiness.

The filling for the spring rolls is made from various ingredients such as chicken, onions, chives, and jicama. Then, the chef meticulously wraps the filling in thin bamboo shoot leaves and fries them until golden brown over a gentle fire.

Sapa Salmon

Salmon has gradually become a delicacy when experiencing Sapa cuisine, as the region has a temperate climate, similar to parts of Europe and North America, making it suitable for salmon farming. Sapa salmon is typically firm, beautifully pink, and when sliced, diners will feel the firmness of each piece of meat, with very little fat. It is exceptionally nutritious.

Visiting Sapa and indulging in delicious dishes made from salmon such as salmon salad, grilled salmon, or salmon hotpot will be an experience worth trying at least once.

Sturgeon Hotpot

On a chilly day in Sapa, there's nothing better than indulging in a pot of Sturgeon Hotpot, a specialty in Sapa cuisine. Sapa Sturgeon is known for its firm, fragrant meat, unlike typical farmed sturgeon. It's cooked in a special hotpot broth made from tomatoes, pineapples, chili paste, mushrooms, and more, incredibly savory.

A trip to Sapa without enjoying a pot of Sturgeon Hotpot would be incomplete, so be sure to savor this famous specialty when visiting Sapa.

Sapa not only captivates tourists with its picturesque and poetic mountainous landscapes, with famous tourist destinations such as Sapa Sky Gate, Silver Waterfall, but also because of its diverse and unique cuisine. With the 20 famous Sapa dishes we've introduced, we hope to help you make ideal choices when experiencing and exploring the misty city of Sapa.

Posted by: Binh Pham

Keyword: Sapa Cuisine