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Meaningful Hanoi specialties for gifting
1. Cốm – Hanoi's Special Gift
When in Hanoi, you must mention Vong village's cốm (young rice flakes). Take a pause in Vong village during the cool autumn weather, and you'll feel the gentle, sweet scent of cốm lingering throughout the streets. Cốm is usually wrapped in lotus leaves and enjoyed with ripe bananas. Whether savoring it on the spot or bringing fresh cốm as a gift, the emotions can only be described as pure 'bliss.'
Cốm - A Meaningful Gift from Hanoi (Photo: Collected)
Even if you don't visit Hanoi during the autumn season, there are still many other specialties made from cốm, such as cốm cakes, sticky rice with cốm, sautéed cốm, or cốm sausage, making them perfect gifts. However, some types have a relatively short shelf life, so please take note.
Hanoi's Cốm Cake - A Must-Have Gift When Exploring the Capital (Photo: Collected)
Some addresses to buy cốm for your reference:
- Cốm Vòng Village by Mrs. Hoan, 36 Alley 63 Xuan Thuy, Cau Giay, Hanoi
- Nguyen Ninh Cốm Cake, 11 Hang Than, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Sautéed Cốm, 1A Dinh Liet, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
2. Preserved Fruits (Ô mai)
Bringing together various flavors including sour, spicy, salty, and sweet, Preserved Fruits (Ô mai) represent the essence of Hanoi's cuisine. With a wide variety of choices and affordable prices, tourists highly appreciate the diverse taste of Ô mai. Being dried, Ô mai has a long shelf life and is easy to store.
Preserved Fruits (Ô mai) - The Essence of Hanoi's Specialties (Photo: Collected)
One of the most prominent and distinctive varieties among the Ô mai in Hanoi is the sour plum Ô mai. The plums are pickled, offering a delightful mix of sour and sweet, combined with a hint of mildly spicy ginger flavor. When savored, the crispy and spicy texture is sure to delight even the most discerning palates.
Varieties of delicious Ô mai in Hanoi (Photo: ST)
Hang Duong Street is a bustling hub for various types of Ô mai. Visitors can stop by to taste all the different varieties and choose their favorite to bring back as a gift.
A few addresses to buy Ô mai for your reference
- Ô mai Hong Lam, No. 11 Hang Duong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Ô mai Van Loi, No. 24 Hang Da, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
See more >>> Guide to exploring Hanoi's Old Quarter – Unmissable attractions
3. Lotus tea
While autumn in Hanoi is scented with cốm (young rice), the summer season offers travelers the chance to immerse themselves in the delicate beauty of West Lake's lotus flowers. In the intense heat of June, when the lotus flowers begin to bloom, people indulge in the sweetness of lotus tea to dispel the summer heat. Lotus tea is meticulously processed, allowing connoisseurs to feel the essence and richness spreading in their mouths.
Hanoi's most meaningful specialty for loved ones is lotus tea (photo: collected)
Some addresses to buy lotus tea for your reference:
- Ninh Huong store, No. 22 Hang Dieu, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Trà Đông Sơn, No. 169 Nghi Tam, Tay Ho, Hanoi
- Trà Việt, No. 34 Giang Van Minh, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
4. Bamboo shoot sweet soup cake
The simple yet heartwarming dish, lam sweet soup cake, from the Đoài region is not only a delicious treat but also a meaningful Hanoi specialty for thoughtful gifting. Lam sweet soup cake is crafted by skilled artisans using basic and familiar ingredients associated with agricultural life such as glutinous rice flour, brown sugar, arrowroot vermicelli, along with a touch of ginger and roasted peanuts to enhance the flavor.
Lam sweet soup cake - A meaningful Hanoi specialty gift (photo: collected)
Enjoying lam sweet soup cake with a warm cup of tea allows you to savor the harmonious blend of the fragrance of yellow flowers, the deep and spicy taste of ginger, and the hearty crunchiness of roasted peanuts. It's a simple gift that encapsulates the warm essence of the homeland.
Some addresses to buy delicious lam sweet soup cake for your reference:
- Thạch Xá Village, Thạch Thất, Hanoi
- Duống Lâm Ancient Village, Sơn Tây, Hanoi
5. Pork Patties
Pork patties are a distinctive traditional cake, rich in the flavors of the land of Hanoi, making them a perfect Hanoi delicacy to gift. The small, adorable cake conceals the unforgettable taste of fatty lard combined with the gentle fragrance of lime leaves. The cake's crust is kneaded from finely ground wheat flour, rolled thin, and the filling consists of lard, sugar, lime leaves, and flour, all rolled up, cut into pieces, and then baked.
Pork patties – Delicious Hanoi delicacy as a gift for loved ones (photo: collected)
On a chilly day, brewing a pot of strong tea and slicing a pack of pork patties onto a plate will make you feel the warmth. Sip the tea and take a bite of the sweet and crispy pork patty, experiencing the initial bitter and astringent taste that gradually turns sweet on the tip of your tongue, like the flavors of Hanoi autumn mingled within.
A few addresses to buy delicious pork patties:
- Bảo Phương Store, 183 Thụy Khuê, Tây Hồ, Hanoi
- Ninh Hương Store, 22 Hàng Điếu, Hanoi
- Various stores on Hang Duong Street
6. Star Fruit
Star fruit is a familiar dish to the residents of the capital, and from star fruit, we can create many delicious dishes and refreshing drinks. For every visitor to Hanoi, especially those from the South, everyone must buy a bag of star fruit as a gift. If you visit during the star fruit season, as you wander through the streets of the capital, you will come across many stalls selling fresh star fruit.
Fresh star fruit is a must-buy specialty when traveling to Hanoi in autumn (photo collection)
If you visit out of season, you can go to Dong Xuan market to buy fresh star fruit. The price at this time is 4-5 times higher than during the season. This is a specialty and a gift from Hanoi that many people love.
Delicious Hanoi star fruit juice (Photo: ST)
Some addresses to buy star fruit for your reference:
- Dong Xuan Market
- Long Bien Market
7. Pottery and Porcelain
If you have the opportunity to visit Hanoi, don't miss a visit to Bat Trang pottery village. Here, visitors can not only buy souvenirs made from pottery at very reasonable prices but also learn and make their own pottery products in their own style. It's a very interesting and meaningful experience. However, attention should be paid to the transportation of these items as they are quite fragile.
Bat Trang pottery - meaningful Hanoi gift (photo collection)
Addresses for buying pottery as gifts:
- Bat Trang Pottery Village, Bat Trang Commune, Gia Lam, Hanoi.
8. Handicrafts and Souvenirs
When in Hanoi, you can explore souvenir shops offering exquisite lacquerware, traditional art pieces meticulously crafted and designed. These artistic creations are available in stores along Ly Quoc Su Street, Hang Gai Street, Hang Bong Street, and more. It's worth noting that these items are often sold to Western tourists and those with a keen sense of aesthetics, reflecting in slightly higher prices compared to regular items.
Handicrafts and art pieces in Hanoi (photo collection)
Addresses to buy handicrafts and art pieces:
- Lacasa, 12 Nha Tho, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Craft Window, 99 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
- Hoa Sua, 63A Trang Thi, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Craft Link, 43 Van Mieu, Dong Da, Hanoi
9. Silk
Renowned for its silk weaving, Van Phuc Silk Village is located 10km from the center of Hanoi. The silk here is characterized by its soft, thin, breathable, and lightweight nature, distinct from ordinary silk types, offering a variety of materials. The artisans in the village choose designs with a strong ethnic identity to attract international visitors.
Van Phuc Silk – Meaningful Hanoi Gift for Loved Ones (photo collection)
Additionally, to purchase silk products, including ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress), hats, clothing, scarves, etc., you can visit stores along Hang Gai Street, Hang Trong Street, and Nha Tho Street if you prefer not to travel far.
Explore some addresses to buy silk:
- Van Phuc Silk Village, Vạn Phúc Ward, Hà Đông District, Hanoi
- Khai Silk, 26 Nguyễn Thái Học, Ba Đình, Hanoi
- Lua Ha, 538 Thụy Khuê, Tây Hồ, Hanoi
10. Pomelo from Dien
In the Hanoi travel handbook, Dien pomelo always makes it to the list of Hanoi specialties that visitors should try or buy as gifts for the year-end occasion. Once chosen as an offering to the king, Dien pomelo captivates not only with its thin, golden peel when ripe but also with its juicy and sweet segments inside.
Dien Pomelo - a must-buy specialty when traveling to Hanoi (photo collection)
Dien Pomelo is not widely available due to its challenging cultivation, and if grown outside of Phu Dien, it doesn't taste as good. Therefore, if you want to buy delicious pomelos as gifts, you should purchase them directly from the orchards. This is also an indispensable fruit in the festive fruit tray of many families.
With the specialties of Hanoi as gift suggestions that VNTRIP.VN introduces here, we hope it will help you choose the most preferred gift when visiting the capital.
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