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Top 14 Must-try Dishes In Ha Giang, Vietnam

1. Buckwheat cake

• Best places to try: available in any traditional market
• Price: 15.000VND/ 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, one of the best dishes in Ha Giang

• Best places to try: Thắng Dền Bà Béo- 154 Trần Hưng Đạo
• Price: 10.000 VND - 25.000 VND/ bowl

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. What to eat in Ha Giang? Let's try 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 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 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

The local sausage Ha Giang 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)

7. Steamed rice rolls ( Bánh cuốn )

• Best places to try: Bánh Cuốn Bà Hà - 31 Dong Van old quarter
• Price: 30.000 VND - 50.000 VND/ dish

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, 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. Ha Giang square sticky rice cake (Bánh chưng gù Hà Giang)

• Best places to try: Meo Vac market
• Price: 20.000 VND/ cake

10. Men men, must try food in Ha Giang

• Best places to try: available in any traditional market
• Price: 10.000- 25.000 VND/ bowl

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 ( Rêu Nướng )

• Best places to try: Tay village, Xuan Giang, Ha Giang
• Price: 20.000- 50.000 VND/ dish

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

13. “Carried-under-arm” pigs ( Lợn cắp nách)

• Best places to try: Dong Van market
• Price: 100.000- 120.000 VND/ kg

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 Bamboo Tube Rice ( Cơm lam Bắc Mê )

• Best places to try: Bac Me market or Dong Van market
• Price: 15.000- 25.000 VND/ bamboo pipe