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When visiting Sapa, you not only immerse yourself in the stunning landscapes bestowed upon this place by nature but also have the opportunity to indulge in the flavors of the highlands and explore the cultural life of the H'Mong people when you visit Ban Pho to enjoy corn wine - a famous specialty of Sapa.
Ban Pho corn wine, also known as Bac Ha corn wine, is one of the specialty wines of the H'Mong and Dao people in Ban Pho, Bac Ha Highland. Alongside San Lung wine and apple wine, Ban Pho wine is among the renowned beverages of Lao Cai. Ban Pho wine is initially clear like spring water. As you start drinking, you'll notice its fragrant, smooth, non-pungent taste, gradually becoming milder. Drinking in moderation leaves you pleasantly refreshed without feeling intoxicated for too long.
The process of making Ban Pho corn wine
Ban Pho corn wine is brewed using water from Hang De spring. The corn used to make Ban Pho corn wine is not the ordinary type grown in valleys or fields; instead, it's a golden corn variety cultivated on the rocky mountainsides of Lung Phinh commune, Bac Ha, producing highly aromatic and delicious wine. This corn is characterized by its firm, golden kernels with moderate yield, yet soft, chewy, and rich in nutrients. After harvesting, the corn kernels are kept intact, dried, and stored for gradual wine-making. What distinguishes Ban Pho corn wine from other types is its fermentation using the flower powder of the Red Cotton Tree. The H'Mong people use the seeds of this plant, sun-dried and ground into powder, mixed with the first wine and boiling water, kneaded into a smooth dough, shaped into balls, and sun-dried until the dried balls turn white like dumplings, ready for storage and gradual wine-making.
The H'Mong ethnic community believes that if you drink Ban Pho corn wine in the morning, you'll have extra strength to work tirelessly throughout the day without getting tired. Whereas, if you drink Ban Pho corn wine in the evening, it's like an invisible thread binding love tightly; everyone will have beautiful words and meaningful thoughts that they couldn't express without wine.
Exploring the process of making Bac Ha corn wine while traveling to Sapa
When you visit Bac Ha, you'll hear locals teasing tourists: 'Remember the Trung Do slope on your way in, and don't forget about Bac Ha corn wine on your way out.' Bac Ha corn wine has become a beverage that captures the mountainous flavor of the white plateau.
The uniqueness of Ban Pho corn wine lies in the yeast made from black sesame seeds, a grass-like plant similar to rice, with small black seeds resembling weed flowers, interspersed among rice fields and corn fields. After being grown for 3 months, sesame seeds are harvested and sun-dried. H'Mong people grind the harvested sesame seeds into powder, knead them with water into small cakes, place them on straw mats, and sun-dry them in a slightly shaded area until the cakes become dry and white, ready to be stored for later use.
To create delicious drops of corn wine, the corn wine-making process of Ban Pho residents is meticulous. The shiny golden corn kernels, after being separated, are boiled until cooked, cooled, and mixed evenly with yeast powder in a certain ratio. They are then left to ferment in a closed container for about 5 to 7 days before distilling the wine using their traditional method passed down through generations.
Bac Ha corn wine - A specialty not to be missed when traveling to Sapa
Ban Pho corn wine is brewed using firewood and simmered over low heat, ensuring sufficient water to prevent scorching. The first 3 liters of wine are usually the heaviest and best-tasting, so they are often reserved for personal consumption and serving guests.
Ban Pho corn wine is a beverage present in feasts, hospitality dinners, as well as festive occasions, weddings, and ceremonies of the people in Bac Ha. On chilly evenings, there's nothing better than sitting around a hot meal table and enjoying a spicy cup of Ban Pho corn wine while sharing everyday stories.
If you visit Bac Ha in the early days of summer, you will see Ban Pho corn wine being sold in many stores, grocery stores. Ban Pho corn wine is not only widely sold in Bac Ha but also favored by many people who come to Bac Ha to buy and then sell it elsewhere, so Ban Pho corn wine is available everywhere such as Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Phu Tho, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City.
When traveling to Sapa, besides plums, pears, peaches, buffalo meat, and local vegetables, Ban Pho corn wine is one of the specialties that many people choose to bring back as gifts. Ban Pho corn wine carries the sentiments of the H'Mong people in Ban Pho commune, you will never forget the taste of this Northwestern forest even after trying it just once.
Bottles of corn wine are synonymous with Ban Pho, it's not just a specialty of Ban Pho but also classified as one of the specialties you should not miss when exploring Sapa's cuisine. If you want to discover all the unique features of this unique corn wine, you can join a 2-day 1-night Sapa tour to learn more about Sapa corn wine and the novelties of Sapa.
Posted by: Chúc Nguyễn
Keywords: Specialty Bac Ha corn wine
