Grilled Alga
Ha Giang is one of the contiguous provinces to China in Vietnam, making it a home for over four ethnic groups and therefore, carrying a remarkable inbound cultural diversity. Grilled alga is considered a specialty of the one and only Tay, the second largest ethnic group here. Stone alga is not commonly used as food by most Vietnamese, but when it comes to the Tay’s belief, it can be just as delightful as other standard cuisines.
Thang Co
The aroma of cardamom seeds and lemongrass, mingled with the flavor of grilled pork will make any tourist fall in love with this dish. Thang co is sold in many food vendors in the Dong Van market at a cheap and cheerful price. The food is almost served in Ha Giang with a unique taste. Thang Co usually served on a long wooden table with salt and red pepper. The local people usually have Thang Co with Khen wine. It is such a traditional way of eating in this highland area.
Five-color Sticky Rice
People who live in Northern mountain area have an extremely diverse and unique cuisine. In particularly, five-color sticky rice which converges not only the traditional values but also the meaning concept of the universe.
This dish is made from rice that has 5 different colors such as red, yellow, green, purple and white. It is an absolutely perfect architectural masterpiece of sticky rice that you can hardly see in other places.
Thang Den
Don’t hesitate to try a bowl of thang den when you make a Vietnam package tour to Ha Giang. It will surely give you a great experience. It is easy to realize some ingredients inside the food as it includes balls made from sticky rice flour and ground peas as the filling and is boiled in water. This is a sweet soup, so you will see some related items, such as coconut milk, peanuts, and sesame. To those who love sweet soups in Vietnam, trying thang den is definitely interesting for you.
Tam Giac Mach Cake
The cake is made from tam giac mach grains dried and ground into flour. Many people have not ever thought about the use of this grain kind, but the cake from it is actually amazing to try. You will see the cake is shaped in rounds and grilled on the light fire. Its smell will attract anyone around. It is quite cheap to savor one when you are traveling to Ha Giang, just costs about VND 10,000.
Lon Cap Nach
Its name is quite difficult to translate into English from Vietnamese. However, we can break it down to understand. “Cap nach” means “carried-under-arm” and “lon” means “pork”. These pigs are a mixed breed between wild pigs and Muong pig, so they are relatively smaller than ordinary pigs. The story behind such a name is that native farmers long ago had often carried these pigs under their arms and placed their stands in Ha Giang’s flea markets to welcome customers.
The locals will use the pigs for many different dishes, such as roasted pork, grilled pork, fried or steamed pork. The most special thing that the food will be savored with a fantastic sauce. It surely deserves a try.