Top of 10 specialities of Ha Giang

1. Thang Den (sweet soup)

Thang Den is exclusively made from sticky rice sourced from the Yen Minh district. The large, white, round jar contains firm seeds and becomes fragrant and sweet when cooked. It features various fillings such as green beans and red beans, offering a soft and mildly sweet taste along with the delightful aroma of sticky rice. For an even more delightful experience, consider adding apricot sugar water, cooking wine, or coconut milk, along with sesame and roasted peanuts.

Address: 154 Tran Hung Dao - Thang Den Ba Beo

Reference price: 25,000 - 50,000 VND/bowl

2. Thang Co (a type of soup)

Thang Co is a traditional dish made from horse meat, but now it's also prepared with buffalo, beef, and pork to appeal to tourists. The main ingredient is meat, and the dish's essence lies in the broth, which is made from bones and internal organs. Although the strong smell may be off-putting at first, each bite becomes more and more addictive. To make Thang Co, a combination of 12 special mountain spices is used, including lemon leaves, star anise, and cardamom. The flavorful meat, spicy broth, and unique aroma have made this dish popular with tourists from around the world.

Reference price: approximately 30,000 - 50,000 VND/bowl

3: Dried hanging buffalo

Dried hanging buffalo meat is a traditional dish in Ha Giang with a strong Thai culinary style. It's a daily dish for people in the northern highlands, often served during festivals and offered as gifts to distinguished guests. The buffalo meat is marinated with spicy Mac Khen seeds and cooked over a smoky kitchen fire, resulting in a unique and flavorful dish. The price ranges from 800,000 to 1,100,000 VND per kilogram.

4: Hanging Sausages

Hanging Sausages are a popular dish in Ha Giang, prepared by smoking unwrapped pork shoulder with spices, chopped onion, and Mac Khen seeds for 12 to 14 hours. The sausages have a strong aroma of kitchen smoke and kumquat. To purchase, visit Xin Man Market - Coc Pai Town Center, Ha Giang. The reference price is 250,000 to 300,000 VND for 500 grams.

5. Sour pho

In the past, sour pho was a Chinese breakfast dish. It was later introduced to Vietnam, especially in the northern mountainous regions such as Ha Giang, Lang Son, Bac Kan, and others. The main ingredients of sour pho are fragrant sticky rice and sweet and sour sauce combined with meat, such as char siu, roasted meat, sausage, and stir-fried chili. To achieve the typical taste of sour pho, people often make sweet and sour sauce from a mixture of vinegar mixed with sugar, tapioca starch, and mountain spices. When eating, visitors can enjoy it with fragrant basil, fresh garlic, and grated papaya to fully appreciate Ha Giang's specialties.

Reference price: 30,000 - 50,000 VND/bowl.

6. Buckwheat cake

Buckwheat is famous as a symbol of the Northeast region of Ha Giang, and buckwheat cake is a specialty there. These cakes come in different colors and have a unique flavor with a pungent smell of buckwheat flowers. You can enjoy them with Armpit Pig or Thang Co. When visiting Ha Giang, be sure to book accommodations in advance and enjoy delicious cakes!

Reference price: 15,000 VND/piece.

7. Five-Color Sticky Rice

The five-colour sticky rice is a symbol of the highland people in Ha Giang. It is primarily made from fragrant and sticky rice, doesn't require additional spices when eaten, and has become a traditional food for the Tay people. The rice has five different colors representing the five elements. It can be found at Meo Vac Market or Dong Van Ancient Town for 10,000 - 15,000 VND per portion.

8. Banh Cuon in Dong Van Ancient Town

Banh cuon is a popular dish for breakfast and lunch among locals and tourists alike. The crust is made from steamed white rice flour, thin, soft, and very fragrant, filled with a meat filling with wood and mushrooms. Unlike in the lowlands, Ha Giang banh cuon is served with bone-stewed dipping sauce and is best enjoyed with dried onions and herbs. You can try it at Banh Cuon Ba Ha, located at 31 Old Quarter, Dong Van, at a price range of 30,000 - 50,000 VND per plate.

9. Au Tau porridge

Au tau porridge is made from au tau root soaked in rice water and boiled to a paste. When cooked, the rice, minced pork, and au tau will produce a light brown porridge with a strong aroma. Originally, au tau was a highly toxic tuber, but with traditional processing experience, au tau has become a special ingredient, rich in nutrients and good for health.

To make the stew more delicious, people often stew au tau tubers with fragrant rice and pork feet. Therefore, Au Tau porridge not only has the typical flavour of Ha Giang but also helps improve health. When eating, you can use it with an egg, pepper, chilli, etc.

Address: Group 5 Tran Hung Dao, Ward Nguyen Trai, Ha Giang.

Reference price: 30,000 - 50,000 VND/bowl

10. Chung gou cake

Chung gou cake is not only a famous Ha Giang speciality but also a cultural symbol of the Red Dao people. The image of "hunchback" speaks to the hardship, diligence, pain, and suffering of highland women who have to carry baskets on their backs every day to go to the fields to pick corn, harvest rice, etc.

Having profound national cultural significance, Ha Giang humpback banh chung cannot be mixed with any type of banh chung from other regions. The main ingredients to make banh chung gou are sticky rice, green beans, and fatty meat. Unlike traditional banh chung, banh chung is only wrapped in an outer layer of leaves. In particular, banh chung is wrapped with arrowroot leaves so it has a characteristic green colour and is very eye-catching.

Address: Meo Vac Market.