Fresh, light, locally grown ingredients are typical of Sapa cuisine, most dishes include meat and fish, but there is always plenty of vegetables in the dishes, as well as completely vegetarian dishes.Besides enjoying the beautiful scenery, do not forget to enjoy Sapa cuisine and try the following dishes introduced.

1. Salmon, sturgeon hotpot

2. Thang Co 

 

Known as a unique dish with a special strong smell, Thang Co is a traditional dish of the Mong ethnic group in Sapa and is said to have first appeared more than 200 years ago. Thang co means soup cooked in a large pan. The main ingredients are meat, bones, organs of horses, pigs, buffaloes combined with more than 20 traditional herbs including cardamom, lemongrass, ginger, star anise, and cinnamon.

 

3. Lam Rice 

 

Lam rice can be called lam rice in a bamboo tube; This is a simple but delicious Sapa specialty. To make this dish, it takes locals hours to pick, clean and chop the bamboo to the perfect size, after the bamboo is cleaned, they stuff the sticky rice into the bamboo tube with some salt and water. local stream. 

 

 

The clear sticky rice water and the gentle aroma of bamboo shoots blend together to form an attractive and delicious dish. To enjoy Com Lam, people often eat it with salted roasted peanuts, grilled pork or skewered chicken.

 

In Sapa, every market stall, hotel, and restaurant serves this dish, so you can easily find it anywhere around town.

 

4. Thit Trau Gac Bep (Dried Buffalo Meat)

 

In Sapa, you can find a variety of dried meats at the local market yet the most popular one is buffalo meat. This unique specialty is very popular among tourists, the locals call this is “Thit Trau Gac Bep” they use their special way of preserving the food.

 

 

 

“Thit Trau Gac Bep” means buffalo meat hanging above the kitchen’s firewood, and it will be hung for a long period of time, which is usually a year to 18 months. The Black Thai ethnic people marinate with salt, pepper, garlic, and ginger to create a very exclusive flavor the meat then hangs in their kitchens for about eight months to a year.

 

The kitchen smoke gives buffalo meat an incredible aroma and taste. On the outside, the meat is dark brown, but when the inside is bright red. When enjoying, squeeze some lime juice in, the first bite will always be a little chewy, but after that, you can enjoy the salty, sweet and sour flavors dancing in your mouth.

 

5. Mam Da

 

Mam Da is a vegetable that you can only find in Sapa on high rocky mountain peaks and they can only be harvested from November to March of the lunar calendar. Usually, this dish is often stir-fried or boiled, mixed with ginger for a bit of ice or in a soup.

 

 

Sometimes it will also be sautéed with other vegetables such as mushrooms. This is a great option, especially for vegetarians because it's super tasty and healthy.

 

6. Con Sui (dry noodle soup)

 

Con Sui is a dish originating from the Chinese people living in Sapa. The dish comes with a bowl of rice noodles, fried shallots, roasted peanuts, herbs, chili, beef and a small bowl of dipping sauce that will be spread on your table. Con Sui is also known as 'dry noodles' because the noodles they use to create the dish are Pho and instead of broth, it's a flavorful sauce, just enough to mix everything up.

 

 

To eat 'Con Sui', you can add more sauce to the bowl of noodles. Dumplings are also served with fresh vegetables harvested from the region. Adding a little chili sauce will make the dish more delicious because with the cool weather of Sapa, eating spicy can warm your stomach.

 

7. Black Chicken (Black Chicken)

 

 

It is said that when visiting Sapa, there is one dish you should not miss, that is to try black chicken. It's a very special dish as you can guess from its name; flesh and bones are black. Across Asia, this chicken is said to help treat heart disease and is often cooked with traditional herbs or served in a sweet soup with honey.

 

 

Black chicken can be prepared into many dishes through frying, boiling and steaming. However, honey grilled black chicken is the most popular choice. After immersing in honey, the chicken will be grilled directly on hot coals, the sweetness of meat and honey combined, giving you an unforgettable experience.

 

8. Grilled meat

 

Enjoying barbecue at night has become part of the nightlife in Sapa. When walking around Sapa town, you can come across many stalls along the street selling a variety of meats and vegetables. The meats and vegetables are usually pre-seasoned and placed on a stick, they're even pre-grilled for you so you can simply dip in the sauce and enjoy.

 

 

Each skewer costs between VND 10,000 and VND 30,000 (from $0.50 to $1.3) depending on the type of food you choose, as seafood skewers are more expensive than pork or chicken skewers. Sitting in the cool night and enjoying hot grilled dishes with friends and family has become the best Sapa street food experience.

 

9. Men Men (steamed corn tortillas)

 

Men mén is one of the most popular Hmong foods, made with corn and found in many mountainous areas in the North of Vietnam. Because the Mong people often live in high mountains with harsh living conditions, they cannot grow wet rice, so maize is the main food source. And to preserve and consume corn, they devised a way to create 'Men'.

 

 

After harvesting the crop, the Hmong will grind corn to remove grit. This process used to take a lot of time because in the past the corn was milled by hand, but nowadays machines have replaced the laborious manual work. After you have finished grinding the cornstarch, you will put it in the pan and mix it with a little water before cooking. The amount of water should be just right, not too much or too little.

 

In addition to many other dishes, men are steamed twice. Men after cooking have a characteristic sweet, soft taste, served with chili sauce and herbs.

 

10. Peach Sapa

 

In summer, Sapa offers you a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. Peach is one of the delicious fruits that you cannot ignore when traveling to this region.

 

 

Peach mainly grows on the slopes of the mountains, in the cold climate without the impact of stimulants, visitors can fully enjoy it on the spot. A Sapa peach is quite small in size. But as an adult. Fragrant, sweet, crunchy not mixed with any fruit. The price is quite cheap in season only 1.5$ for a kg.

 

 

 >>>> Other posts 

 

 

What is the weather from October to December in Sapa ?

Top 10 list name of Rice Fields in Vietnam

 

 

Finally thought 

 

When it comes to local cuisine, it's not just about the delicious food but also the traditional customs and the story behind it, each region has its own distinct character as well as its own character based on the cuisine. Let's find out the best Sapa tours at Viet Nam Trust Car Rental website if you are planning to visit Sapa and want to have a great experience, we are happy to help you.