In addition to extraordinary experiences with the majestic limestone mountains and its people, tourists also have the opportunity to experience the extremely unique dishes of northwestern Vietnam. Below are some popular dishes you shouldn’t miss when traveling to Ha Giang!

Five-color sticky rice

With its eye-catching appearance and unmistakably fragrant texture, five-color glutinous rice has become a dish that defines the identity of the Tay people in Ha Giang. As for tourism in Ha Giang, in addition to the appeal of majestic natural beauty, visitors will always remember the unique dish of five-color sticky rice.

Five-color sticky rice is a famous dish of the Tay people used during traditional festivals. This unique sticky rice dish is made with 5 different colors: red, blue, white, purple, yellow symbolizing the five elements. The Tay people believe that the more beautiful the color of the sticky rice bowl symbolizes prosperity for the family.

The round and uniform grains of sticky rice, through the skillful hands of the Tay women in Ha Giang, have created an extremely unique and eye-catching five-color sticky rice dish. Not only is it very aesthetic, but behind these colors also hides the meaning of the Tay people’s wish for a favorable new year. The color red carries the meaning of aspiration. Green represents the green color of mountains and forests, praying for a lush land. Yellow symbolizes plenitude and prosperity. Purple represents rich lands. White symbolizes fidelity in love.

The sophistication and meticulousness in Tay women’s cooking has created a unique five-color sticky rice dish that creates the unique identity of the highland people. If you have the opportunity to travel to Ha Giang, remember to enjoy and feel the delicate and delicious taste of this colorful dish. Not only will you be able to enjoy it, but you will also have the opportunity to learn how to make five-color sticky rice in Ha Giang under the guidance of local people.

Buffalo meat is kept in the kitchen.

Cooking buffalo meat, also known as dried or smoked buffalo meat, is a traditional dish of Thai people. Not only is it a rare specialty for entertaining guests from far away, but the dish also makes a meaningful gift for family and friends during the holidays.

The meat is made from corn or beef tenderloin, animals that usually roam freely on the northwest slopes, so the meat is firm and rich in flavor. In the past, black Thais came up with a way to marinate buffalo and beef meat and put it on the stove to preserve it for a long time and use it on important days. Dishes like dry food to store on rainy days. Gradually, when lowland diners arrived in the opposite region, they began to grind this dry dish.

With traditional cooking methods, buffalo meat from Ha Giang cuisine has become an extremely unique and attractive dish for all tourists who set foot on this land. If you have the opportunity to visit Northwest provinces such as Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Hoa Binh, Son La, Yen Bai… don’t forget to enjoy the famous Thai dish of buffalo meat.

Thang Co.

“If you come to Ha Giang and don’t enjoy Thang Co, it’s like you’ve never been to Ha Giang.” If you want to eat delicious and authentic Thang Co, you have to go to Dong Van market.

Thang Co is a traditional dish typical of the H’Mong people, pride of the inhabitants of the highlands. The name thang co is a transliteration of the name thang co, which means bone soup. The main ingredients for making thang co are horse bones, meat and internal organs. The traditional way of cooking is to use only horse meat, but nowadays, H’Mong who cook thang co may add buffalo and beef meat.

A plate from Thang Co costs between 20 and 30 thousand VND, depending on the size. The price is quite reasonable for a delicious and filling dish from Thang Co. Diners can add their own seasonings such as salt, pepper, ground chili, etc. to eat with raw vegetables from the mountainous region. All this makes the Thang Co Ha Giang bowl more attractive than ever.

Thang Den

At first glance, this dish looks similar to Banh Troi Tau in Hanoi or Banh Cong Phu in Lang Son, but the taste is very different, and if you eat it just once, you will find it unforgettable.

I don’t know when Thang Amaranth became a special snack in Ha Giang, but it is also a dish that people here often recommend to guests who set foot on this rocky plateau for the first time. The cake is made with glutinous rice flour and can be made vegetarian or topped with bean paste. Making amaranth is not difficult but it requires skill and sophistication.

In the cold space of the rustic and quiet old town of Dong Van, Thang Den is probably a wonderful dish. It harmonizes the sweetness of sugar, the creaminess of coconut and a little spice, full of warmth. mountainous region. Priced at only VND5,000 per plate, guests can sit comfortably and enjoy a plate of steaming, sticky, sweet and fragrant Thang Amaranth with sesame and peanuts to warm their bodies and continue conquering steep mountain passes.

Ha Giang Rice Rolls

This is a dish that visitors should choose for their breakfast upon arriving in Ha Giang. Egg rolls are eaten with a bowl of hot broth; You will feel warmer in the cold climate of this rocky plateau.

The reason Ha Giang’s egg rolls are different from many places is because when they are coated on the stove here, they are beaten with eggs and then wrapped with the same white cake layer.

Enjoying Ha Giang egg rolls will have a very unique taste, the undercooked egg yolk has a greasy taste, covered with a layer of chewy dough mixed with the characteristic fluffy taste of egg whites. Use chopsticks to expertly flip the edge of the cake and you’ll see the golden, creamy peach flesh ooze out. At this time, you have to eat it immediately, quickly dip the cake into the hot fish sauce, put it in your mouth, and enjoy the cake gradually melting, mixing with the rich flavor of the sauce.

Au Tau Porridge

I don’t know when dishes made from water chestnut tubers formed and became a unique feature here. Au Tau porridge is a unique feature when the Ha Giang stone plateau is mentioned.

Au Tau porridge is served with minced meat, herbs, pepper or sour bamboo shoots. In addition to the rich and fatty taste, it is easy to recognize that the oatmeal dish is a little bitter and strange. For tourists who travel a long way to Ha Giang and eat a bowl of Au Tau porridge, their body will feel refreshed, their body will be healthy again, and their mind will be clearer and more excited.

Currently, Au Tau porridge has been carried throughout the South and North. For many people, porridge is not only food for the stomach, but also a very good treat for health.

Sour Pho Ha Giang

Unlike other lowland pho dishes, Ha Giang sour pho has a broth that is neither fragrant nor greasy, but has a mild sour taste, a little sweet, and is very easy to eat. The secret to making sour water delicious is brining bamboo shoots or vegetables; some restaurants use vinegar. Sour water is the factor that makes the difference between sour pho between families, so normally the recipe for making sour water is only passed down within the family.

Enjoying sour pho in Ha Giang will reveal a unique taste. When eating, users slowly use chopsticks to gently mix the pho ingredients. Enjoy sour pho with corn wine. The cold flavor of the pho with a little warmth from the corn wine makes the dish even more interesting. Many places in Ha Giang use sour pho as a refreshing dish at the wedding banquet.