If you are still hesitant about what to eat in Cao Bang or which Cao Bang specialty to buy as a gift, then immediately pocket the famous, delicious, nutritious, cheap, and unique dishes in this article.
Captivating visitors by the majestic Ban Goc Waterfall, the crystal-clear Lenin stream, and Pac Bo cave containing many beautiful anecdotes about the nation’s history, Cao Bang is also a dream destination for foodies when traveling to Vietnam. has a unique list of specialties. Don’t believe it? Let’s walk around the Cao Bang culinary map with Vinlove Vietnam and discover the Cao Bang specialties that are loved by tourists from afar.
1. Cao Bang Rib Lap
Lap ribs are a traditional dish in Cao Bang, made from loin, shoulder or rump meat and the intestines of highland pigs. Coming to Cao Bang, you can enjoy pork ribs everywhere, from luxury restaurants to cozy family meals. Thanks to the esoteric “trick” of moist seasoning, the ribs often have a sour, salty taste mixed with a very rich aroma from ginger, fruit and honey leaves – fried golden or grilled on charcoal and served with raw vegetables evenly. is “extreme”. This is also a delicious Cao Bang dish that many choose to buy as gifts for friends and relatives after long trips.
2. Cao Bang Sour Pork
With only the cooked ingredient is pork, with ingenuity and creativity, the Muong ethnic people have processed the specialty of Cao Bang sour pork that is famous near and far. Pigs have widely raised animals in Cao Bang, sometimes grazing freely, so they are usually less fat and firmer than pigs raised in captivity in the plains. Pork, after being cleaned and seasoned with spices, will be lined with guava leaves and incubated in bamboo tubes. After a while, you just need to bring the fermented meat just enough to stir-fry and eat it with white rice. Guaranteed delicious-delicious-cat, extremely “tasteful”!
3. Seven Flavors Roast Duck
In Cao Bang, roast duck with seven flavors is a dish that often appears in important events such as New Year’s holidays, weddings, full month, birth… This is also considered a “special treat for guests”, expressing gratitude. the enthusiasm of the owner to distant friends. The seven-taste roast duck originates from the Tay ethnic group in Cao Bang, with the “esoteric” seven-taste marinade elaborately marinated in every fiber of the meat. After absorbing the spices, people sprinkle the body with a little vinegar and honey and then bake until golden brown on bamboo charcoal. Roast duck with seven flavors is best when served with herbs, vermicelli, rice paper, sticky rice or mannequin. Adding a glass of spicy corn wine is even more complete.
4. Trung Khanh Chestnuts
Traveling to the northern mountainous region but skipping the specialty of roasted chestnuts is indeed a big omission. Trung Khanh chestnuts are of course grown in… Trung Khanh – a small district in Cao Bang province, located close to the Chinese border. Chongqing’s soil is inherently fertile, especially suitable for producing fat chestnuts, which are rounder and more fragrant than ordinary chestnuts. To enjoy the best Chongqing chestnuts, come to Cao Bang in late autumn.
5. Cao Bang Beef Cake
Image source: New NewspaperIf you have the opportunity to participate in the highland market in Cao Bang, please enjoy delicious beefcake specialties. Cao Bang beefcake is usually made from three main ingredients: black sugar, yeast and Doan Ket plain rice. The taste of the cake is light, with a slightly spongy yellow shell with a soft and smooth core. Beefcake is made in a large mold and then cut into bite-sized pieces, when it arrives at the buyer’s hand, it still retains the heat – great to eat on cold days.
6. Banh Khoai
Image source: New NewspaperIt can be said that the childhood memories of the Tay people in Cao Bang are often associated with a piece of white cake. Banh Khoai is a local traditional “Tet food”. The crust is made from glutinous rice flour and sugar; The filling has peanuts, sesame seeds and fatty meat. Bite a piece of cake and then take a sip of fragrant tea, the story of the family reunion goes on and on and on. Coming to Cao Bang province, you can buy delicious Banh xeo in Trung Khanh, Quang Hoa, Ha Lang districts…
7. Cakes
Image source: New NewspaperBesides cake, gai cake is also a delicious Cao Bang dish that visitors eat once and remember forever. This type of cake is made from fragrant glutinous rice, wrapped in banana leaves. The cake has a dark green color, a sweet taste and a natural aroma from the mung bean paste mixed with sugar. Legend has it that at the beginning of the 10th century, during the period of fighting against the invasion of the Song invaders, the Cao Bang people wrapped Gai cakes and strung them into pairs to wear on their bodies for the soldiers to carry to the battle. Therefore, Cao Bang Gai cake is also known as Peng Load – which means cake. If in the past, people only made Gai cake on the full moon day of July, Tet holiday or worshiping ancestors, today, visitors can find this delicious dish at most Cao Bang specialty stores.
8. Black Dong Vermicelli
Image source: New NewspaperThe most famous Cao Bang black vermicelli is the type originating from Phia Den hamlet, Thanh Cong commune, Nguyen Binh district. Black vermicelli has the main ingredient of red galangal root, produced by traditional methods, without using chemicals and possessing a naturally sweet aroma. The vermicelli is soft and chewy, not sticky, can be processed into many delicious dishes. Black dong vermicelli is very suitable for dieters, people who need to recover from illness, people with high blood pressure, diabetes, blood fats…
9. Jiaogu Lan Tea
Image source: New NewspaperJiaogulan is a herb that lives in the northern mountainous areas. Drinking Jiaogulan tea can provide the body with many rare vitamins and minerals such as flavonoids, saponins, zinc, selenium, manganese, phosphorus, iron… According to many records, Jiaogulan tea is also used. in the royal palace in ancient times, with the purpose of prolonging life, enhancing health and improving the color of the royal family. In Cao Bang, you can buy Jiaogulan tea in the form of filter bags, dried or freeze-dried. Surely the elderly in the family will love this thoughtful gift from Cao Bang.
10. Cao Bang Black Jelly
Image source: New NewspaperIt may sound strange, but Cao Bang black jelly is like flute dew – a familiar cooling dish for people in the South. Black jelly is made from the tree of the same name, which is grown a lot in the Thach An district. Few people know that black jelly is inherently a medicinal dish, cool, sweet, has the effect of stabilizing blood pressure, treating colds and joint pain.
Of course, there are many, many other delicious Cao Bang dishes that this short article cannot introduce. If you have the opportunity to visit this rolling mountainous land, you definitely have to spend one or two days “dedicated” to discover the cuisine.