Ha Giang is a province in northern Vietnam that is known for its stunning landscapes and rich cultural heritage. The local cuisine in Ha Giang is just as diverse and vibrant as its landscape, and it showcases the region’s unique blend of indigenous and Chinese influences.
Apart from being known as the gateway to Vietnam’s rugged northern territory, Ha Giang still remains fairly unexplored. While many travel aficionados may have heard about the raw beauty this tiny province offers, not many know about its exciting cuisine that’s bound to leave foodies salivating for more! In case you’re wondering how different Ha Giang’s food could possibly be, here’s a quick guide to some of the top dishes you must add to your culinary adventure plan to experience the local cuisine and culture.
Au tau porridge
Named after the Au Tau tree which typically grows on Ha Giang’s highest mountain peak, Tay Con Linh, the star ingredient of this porridge is the root of the tree. Strangely enough, the root can be extremely poisonous if not harvested and cooked in the right manner.
Your best bet for safely enjoying this delicious porridge is in Ha Giang, where the locals are familiar with the right technique of preparing this. While it may seem like too much of an effort to find the right place to have this porridge, we assure you the end result is delicious – a hot, steaming bowl of pork-based soup, topped with fresh herbs and an egg.
- Best places to try it:
- Huong store and Au Tau Ngan Ha store in Ha Giang City.
- Moc Mien Au Tau porridge store (Dong Van District).
- Hoa The store in (Meo Vac District).
- Price: 40.000VND – 60.000 VND/ bowl
Sticky rice (in bamboo)
A simple dish with complex flavors and aroma, this dish is unique to Ha Giang because it is prepared from rice grown in the region. Glutinous rice is cooked with salt and water in small bamboo pipes and grilled over fire.
Bac Me is famous for its sticky rice in the bamboo pipe.
- Where to buy: shops along the way in Bac Me
- Price: 15.000VND – 15.000VND/ bamboo pipe
Thang Co
Thang Co is a popular Ha Giang local food in fair markets. Source by Wikipedia.
- Where to enjoy: in restaurants or at the markets
- Price: From 20.000VND – 30.000VND/ bowl
Dong Van and Meo Vac are the best places to experience local food. If you like something with meat, Thang Co is a good option for the tour. The flavor of cardamom seeds can make you want to enjoy the food immediately. Thang Co can be found in many markets on Sundays.
Thang Co has a unique taste, and people can be served well on a long table. You can sit there, enjoy the hot bowl of Thang Co and make friends with local friendly people. The food is made from horse meat, but they can add pork, cow, or buffalo in some places.
Five-colored glutinous rice
Another rice dish on this list, but when you’re in Ha Giang, you can never have too much of the delicious, locally-grown rice! As the name suggests, this is an elaborate and visually-appealing dish comprising of five varieties of glutinous rice, all in different colors.
The colors of this traditional dish represent the five elements and are entirely derived from natural sources – for example, the yellow rice is created by adding turmeric.
- Where to buy: markets along the street
- Price: From 20.000 VND (but remember to ask the price during the festival)
Thang den
Thang Den is a must try food in Ha Giang tours. Source by Báo Dân tộc và Phát triển.
- Where to eat: stores in Yen Minh, Dong Van town, and the fair markets
- Price: From 5.000VND – 10.000VND/ small bowl
If you can travel to Ha Giang in Vietnam, we highly suggest one more local food, Thang Den. It is a sweet soup with sugar, ginger, and coconut milk. People make rice flour balls for the soup, round and soft like Banh Troi in Hanoi.
To get the best experience, you should enjoy the dish with crunchy peanuts and sesame. It is fantastic to have a bow of Thang Den on cold days in winter while traveling on a Ha Giang tour.
Steamed egg rolls
Egg rolls in Ha Giang are one of the specialties in this destination.
- Where to enjoy: Mrs. Ha’s store at No.31 Pho Co street in Dong Van town
- Price: From 20.000 VND/ dish
Steamed egg rolls are tasty food in Ha Giang in cold climates. It can be found in some districts of the province and has a fantastic flavor. The dish is made from eggs, then people steam and roll it up. It is so delicious when it is hot. You can enjoy the food with pork bone sauce with vegetables.
Dipping the steamed egg rolls into the sauce can make the food more delicious, but do not forget to add some fried onion. The flavor from the onion can complete the registration more delicious.
With the above eight local foods, you can prepare for a good culinary Ha Giang, Vietnam tour. We hope you all enjoy the food and have a great time discovering this beautiful place in the North of our country!
Getting to Ha Giang
Accessibility to this remote part of Vietnam has improved greatly in the past few years so it is actually possible to get to Ha Giang from quite a few different cities in Vietnam. Travel from Hanoi to Ha Giang by taking one of the following transportation options on this route – minivan, limo bus, sleeping bus, or a luxury bus.
