Top 14 Must-try Dishes In Ha Giang, Vietnam

Ha Giang dishes are an integral part of the local people's daily meals and have become a magnet for tourists venturing to this remarkable land and each dish here has a different flavor, but is made from fresh ingredients and from skillful chefs in Ha Giang. What and where to eat will definitely be the question that visitors ask when starting the journey to discover Ha Giang, let's find out the top 14 must- try dishes when coming to Ha Giang with Auasia Travel.

1. Buckwheat cake

Best places to try: available in any traditional market

Price: 15.000VND/ cake

Buckwheat cake

Referring to delicious Ha Giang dishes, you cannot miss the extremely famous buckwheat cake. This cake is made from the seeds of the enchanting purple flower, which symbolizes the essence of Ha Giang. Following the blooming season, locals gather the buckwheat seeds and carefully dry and grind them into a fine powder to create these cakes. Despite their small size, resembling half a black bean, these seeds are packed with nutritional value. Cultivated in a pristine environment, Ha Giang's buckwheat is untouched by harmful chemicals. The resulting cake boasts a gentle aroma and a tender, sweet, and fluffy texture, capturing the rustic essence of the mountains. You can easily find these cakes in local markets, making them a perfect gift for friends and family as you venture through Ha Giang.

2. Thang Den

Best places to try: Thắng Dền Bà Béo- 154 Trần Hưng Đạo

Price: 10.000 VND - 25.000 VND/ bowl

Thang Den Soup

The exact origins of Thang Den's status as a specialty dish in Ha Giang remain a mystery. Over time, it has become a must-try dish that locals eagerly recommend to visitors setting foot on this rocky plateau. The main ingredient of “Thang den” is rice flour, Thang Den will taste the best when using fragrant sticky rice in Yen Minh district. Encased within the rice flour are various fillings, such as green beans and red beans. As you take a bite, you'll relish the chewy texture, gentle sweetness, and the subtle fragrance of sticky rice. For a more delicious taste, you can serve with a little sugar water cooked with ginger or coconut milk, then sprinkle with sesame and roasted peanuts. Thang den is a delicious dish, perfectly suited for indulging in the chilly winter weather of Ha Giang.

3. Thang Co

Best places to try: Dong Van market- Đồng Văn town, Hà Giang province

Price: 30.000 VND - 50.000 VND/ bowl

Thang Co Horse meat

Thang Co is a special dish that visitors to Ha Giang must try once. Traditionally prepared using horse organs, this dish has evolved over time, and now buffalo, beef, or pork are used to cater to the diverse tastes of tourists. The offal of these animals is meticulously cleaned and marinated with a unique blend of 12 spices. Simmered for hours, it produces a pot of Thang co with a delectable broth and a harmonious blend of sweet and spicy flavors. Whether enjoyed in local restaurants or vibrant markets, the taste is truly great. Enjoying Thang Co will be an unforgettable experience for visitors in Ha Giang.

4. Buffalo meat upstairs kitchen

Best places to try: available in any traditional market or Tam Sơn town, Quản Bạ district, Hà Giang

Price: 800.000 VND - 1.200.000 VND/ kg

Buffalo meat upstairs kitchen

Buffalo meat upstairs kitchen is a traditional dish that embodies the essence of Ha Giang specialties. This traditional dish exudes the distinct flavors of Thai cuisine, showcasing the authentic taste of mountainous regions. Unlike processed meats like dried beef or chicken, buffalo meat upstairs in the kitchen maintains its natural freshness and does not rely on preservatives.

It is not only a staple in the daily meals of highlanders but also holds ceremonial significance, gracing festive occasions and serving as a special gift for guests. As the name suggests, the taste of buffalo meat upstairs kitchen has the characteristic smell of kitchen smoke of the mountains, and the spiciness of mac Khen seeds. Its exterior boasts a deep brown hue, while the tender interior captivates with its vibrant, daring red color. When eating, people often tear it up and drink it with corn wine. Despite being preservative-free, kitchen buffalo meat can be stored for approximately one month, assuring visitors that they can safely purchase it as a souvenir following their journey.

5. Local sausage

Best places to try: available in any traditional market

Price: 480.000 VND - 520.000 VND/ kg

Local sausage

Sausage holds a significant place on the Mong people's Tet menu, and can also be a wonderful gift option. Sausage is made from pork and infused with a selection of unique spices like white wine, and ground ginger. After processing, the sausages are hung over the fire for approximately 12-14 hours, allowing the essence of kitchen smoke to permeate. Therefore, the finished dish will be a combination of the juicy taste of meat, aromatic spices, and the faint smell of kitchen smoke. When dried, the sausage will have an attractive pink color alternating with the white color of fatty meat, only about 3 to 5 days before it can be eaten.

6. Five- colored sticky rice

Best places to try: markets along the street

Price: From 5.000 VND (but remember to ask the price during the festival)

Five- colored sticky rice

Five-color sticky rice is a famous dish of the Tay people used in traditional festivals. This exceptional culinary masterpiece features sticky rice adorned with five vibrant colors: red, blue, white, purple, and yellow, symbolizing the five elements. Tay people believe that the more beautiful the color of the sticky rice, the more it symbolizes prosperity and abundance for the family.

Beyond its aesthetic appeal, each color holds a hidden wish for a prosperous new year. Red signifies desire, blue embodies the verdant mountains and forests, yellow represents abundance, purple symbolizes fertile land, and white signifies unwavering loyalty in love. The remarkable attention to detail and culinary finesse exhibited by Tay women have given rise to this extraordinary five-color sticky rice, which serves as a cultural hallmark of the highland people. If you have the opportunity to travel to Ha Giang, remember to enjoy and feel the delicate delicious taste of this colorful dish.

7. Steamed rice rolls (Banh cuon)

Best places to try: Bánh Cuốn Bà Hà - 31 Dong Van old quarter

Price: 30.000 VND - 50.000 VND/ dish

Steamed rice rolls (Banh cuon)

Banh cuon, a beloved breakfast and lunch delight of both Ha Giang locals and tourists, holds a special place in the culinary landscape. The crust is made from rice flour, thinly coated, and curled when steamed. Inside the cake is minced meat complemented by wood ear mushrooms or eggs. What sets this dish apart is its unique serving style—it is not enjoyed with fish sauce, but rather accompanied by a luscious stewed bone broth. Restaurant owners and residents explain that the chilly morning weather in the mountains calls for this comforting combination, as the cake and bone soup warm the soul. To eat this dish, diners sometimes have to wait patiently, especially when the restaurant is crowded. But surely this dish will make visitors satisfied and want to come back to Ha Giang to eat a second time.

8. Au tau porridge

Best places to try: Hương store and Ấu Tẩu Ngân Hà store - Ha Giang city and Mộc Miên Ấu Tẩu porridge store - Dong Van district

Price: 30.000 VND - 60.000 VND/ bowl

Au tau porridge

Au Tau porridge, the most nourishing and exceptional dish in Ha Giang. This dish is made from Au Tau - a tuber that grows on rocky mountains. This dish not only promotes health and vitality but also helps prevent bone and joint diseases. As a medicinal food, Au Tau porridge carries a distinctive bitter taste. However, this bitter taste when mixed with the sweetness of the bone broth and the aromatic taste of the egg creates a sweet, nutty flavor. Au Tau porridge is available year-round, with a particular prominence in the evening. The local wisdom suggests that the porridge works its wonders during a night's slumber. At night, when the house lights up, it is also the time when the au Tau porridge restaurant is busy with guests coming in and out.

9. Banh chung gu

Best places to try: Meo Vac market

Price: 20.000 VND/ cake

Banh chung gu Cake

Chung gu cake is not only a famous Ha Giang specialty but also a cultural symbol of the Red Dao people. This cake symbolizes the resilience, diligence, and hardships endured by the highland women who carry burdens on their backs to the fields for corn picking and rice harvesting. Due to its profound cultural significance, this dish can not be mistaken for any other banh chung from different regions. Unlike traditional banh chung, banh chung is only wrapped in an outer layer of leaves. The filling features a vibrant green hue, achieved by cooking glutinous rice infused with galangal leaves. Inside the cake is a green bean paste and seasoned bacon. Today, Banh chung gu has become a gift, a famous specialty of Ha Giang land in particular, of the Vietnamese nation in general and an indispensable contribution to Ha Giang's cuisine.

10. Men men

Best places to try: available in any traditional market

Price: 10.000- 25.000 VND/ bowl

Men men

Mèn mén, also known as corn rice, is a traditional dish of the Mong people crafted from corn kernels. Despite being made from a humble ingredient, Men men gives visitors a very interesting feeling because of its special delicious taste. Cooking Men men is not difficult, but to get the perfect delicious product, it requires experienced hands of Ha Giang people. The corn kernels are separated from the cob, ground into flour and screened off. Men men is often served alongside Tau Choa, creating an extraordinary and unforgettable taste for anyone who has ever tried it.

11. Grilled moss

Best places to try: Tay village, Xuan Giang, Ha Giang

Price: 20.000- 50.000 VND/ dish

Grilled moss

Grilled moss is a precious dish because moss grows a lot in streams, but the edible and delicious types are very few. Moss, abundant in streams, is transformed into various delectable dishes, including moss soup with stewed bones and the uniquely enticing moss mannequin. Grilled moss is a dish that attracts tourists when coming to Ha Giang. This dish helps to cure diseases and promote health. As a seasonal aquatic plant, rock moss grows from early autumn until the end of the third lunar month. Therefore, everyone should pay attention to this period and can go to Ha Giang and experience the moss picking activity for themselves.

12. Sour pho

Best places to try: Dong Van market or No. 12 Bach Dang street, Ha Giang city

Price: 30.000- 50.000 VND/ dish

Sour pho

Sour pho, a peculiar delicacy for tourists, finds its origins in China. The main ingredients of sour pho are sticky rice with incense and sweet and sour sauce combined with char siu, roast meat, sausages and chili peppers. The distinctive flavor of sour noodle soup stems from its delectable sweet and sour broth. The broth is created by blending tangy vinegar with sugar, along with tapioca flour and a hint of spices. The special broth is made up of a very sour vinegar mixed with sugar, mixed with tapioca flour and a little spice - all brought to a boil and stirred. While sour noodle soup was traditionally reserved for special occasions in Ha Giang, it has now become a popular choice for breakfast among the locals.

13. “Carried-under-arm” pigs (Lon cap nach)

Best places to try: Dong Van market

Price: 100.000- 120.000 VND/ kg

“Carried-under-arm” pigs (Lon cap nach)

When coming to Ha Giang, visitors will easily see the image of people selling pigs at the market. The little pigs were put inside the basket and put up for sale. “Carried-under-arm” pigs is a hybrid of wild boar and Muong pig, raised by ethnic people in this rocky plateau. The pigs are specially cared for by the people, so the pig under the armpit is very low in fat, lean, and the meat is firm and delicious. Depending on each preference, it can be processed into many different dishes such as grilled, braised, steamed, or cooked soup... Also because of its deliciousness and absolute cleanliness, “Carried-under-arm” pigs became a specialty with many travelers. Visitors can buy underarm pigs at traditional markets in Ha Giang.

14. Bac Me lam rice

Best places to try: Bac Me market or Dong Van market

Price: 15.000- 25.000 VND/ bamboo pipe

Bac Me lam rice

One of the dishes that visitors should try when coming to Ha Giang is Bac Me lam rice. The process of creating Bac Me lam rice is both simple and inexpensive. The raw material is glutinous rice grown on upland fields, thoroughly soaked in water. After that, people use bamboo stalks, cut from the mountain, and cut off one end. The washed glutinous rice is then combined with a pinch of salt, thoroughly mixed, and placed inside the bamboo tube.

To ensure proper cooking, water is poured into the tube until it reaches the top layer of rice, while the tube's opening is secured with a fresh banana leaf. The next stage is to burn those bamboo tubes on a charcoal stove, while burning and rotating slowly so that the heat is evenly applied around the tube shell. After approximately an hour, when the tantalizing aroma of the rice permeates the air, it signifies that the rice is perfectly cooked. For a complete gastronomic experience, visitors can eat it with sesame salt.

In conclusion, a visit to Ha Giang would be incomplete without savoring these delectable dishes, as they are the dishes that create the very own flavor and identity of Ha Giang cuisine. Each dish tells a story of the local culture and traditions. What could be more enchanting than immersing oneself in the embrace of nature, beholding the sprawling rice fields and majestic mountains while indulging in the pleasures of exquisite cuisine? With detailed sharing about the top 13 must-try specialties in Ha Giang, hopefully you can better understand the cuisine of this beautiful land and have the opportunity to try all the delicious dishes when coming here. Come to the traditional markets and enjoy these unforgettable flavors. This will be an unforgettable experience and will surely leave you satisfied.

See more:

>> Delicious Restaurant In Ha Giang

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