A guide to specialties in Cao Bang, Vietnam

With the list of top special food in Cao Bang, travelers know what local specialties and unique dishes to enjoy. It brings distinctive feeling about real Vietnamese Northern cuisine. Cao Bang is a land of the historical attractions and places of interest such as Pac Bo Cave, Ban Gioc Waterfall, Nguom Ngao Cave, etc. Besides sightseeing, it is ideal for ethnic food tour to the local traditional villages.

Banh Khao

Banh khao is one of the very famous specialties of Cao Bang. The main ingredients are glutinous rice, sugar, peanuts, and sesame. When you bite into a piece of banh khao, the sweetness of the sugar, the buttery taste of peanuts and sesame, and the soft glutinous rice cake combine to make a delicious dessert snack that will not fill you up. The final product is wrapped in colored paper in rectangular shapes.

Banh khao is usually made for Tet (Vietnamese New Year). A custom of Cao Bang says that as long as banh khao is in a local home, it is still Tet vacation. However, you can buy banh khao at any stores in Cao Bang.

Pho Chua

The unique sour noodle is the highlight of Cao Bang culinary. A bowl of Pho Chua is abundant, filled with fleshy liver meat, bacon, roasted duck, heap of peanuts and chili. In summer time, the sauce is made with a light sour taste, making it even delicious. This dish can be eaten for any meal of the day.

Banh Trung Kien

In April and May of every year, the Tay ethnic group of Cao Bang Province gathers at the forest to find the black ant-eggs which are major ingredients to make the cake. “Banh Trung Kien” is made from the glutinous rice flour, ant-eggs, and the young leaves of fig tree. The black ant-eggs in Cao Bang are high in protein. Understand that not every kind of ant-eggs can be eaten, and only the Tay people know how to sort out those of the right black ant-eggs (the ants with small body and pointed tail).

Secrets might also lie in the steps of mixing the glutinous rice flour, the flour grinding, the ant-eggs frying, etc. The completion should be steamed and then left cool to be cut into the square pieces. The cakes are soft, fragrant with the fig leaves, fatty and scrumptious thanks to the high-protein ant-eggs.

Vit Quay Bay Vi

Vit quay bay vi literally means roasted duck with seven flavors. Before roasting the duck, the cook marinates it with seven ingredients including ginger, garlic, shallots, peppers, honey, tofu, and a special ingredient which is Clausena indica, a fruit grown in Cao Bang’s forest.

After roasting, the duck is cut into small slices and put on a plate. When eating vit quay bay vi, you should chew slowly to experience the seven flavors of this dish. Try to guess the ingredients as most people do when trying this food for the first time. When travelers return home and try to cook it, they say it never has the same taste as it did in Cao Bang. The reason is the absence of Clausena indica, which only grows in Cao Bang.

Banh Coong Phu

Banh coong phu is a specialty of the Tay and Nung people. According to the Tay and Nung language, the name of this food means the floating cake. The Viet people also have a dish called banh troi nuoc, which has the same meaning and is very similar to banh coong phu in terms of recipe.

The best time to eat banh coong phu is in the winter. A vendor will put banh coong phu in boiled water and wait until the pieces float to the surface. She will then put them to a bowl and pour in the sugar water. Hot banh coong phu will warm you up and the sugar provides much-needed energy to fight against the cold of this high land.

Banh Che Lam

The list of the unique delicious Cao Bang food cannot miss, “Banh Che Lam” which is made from the roasted sticky rice, roasted peanuts, ginger, and malt. The cake brings the enjoyable eating experiences in which foodies appreciate the sticky sweet honey, the soft sticky rice, the ginger taste, and the scrumptious peanut. All makes this cake unforgettable. Served with the hot tea, this traditional cake makes guests fall in love with the green charming land. The cakes are on sales in local markets and shops.

Read more: The unique experiences in Sapa, Vietnam

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5 cities to visit in Northern Vietnam

Northern Vietnam are mostly famous for its wild beauty and breathtaking scenes. Below are cities that can be considered the most beautiful and worth-visiting in this particular region of Vietnam.

1. Hanoi

The seat of government and the cultural and historical capital of Vietnam, Hanoi hides remnants of the past down every boulevard and alleyway. The city is perhaps the largest and best preserved piece of history Vietnam has to offer. Those visiting will most likely be centered around the winding narrow streets of the Old Quarter. It’s a district made up of ancient shops and storefronts dating back more than 1000 years.

Whole days can be spent exploring the streets of the city and effort should be made to visit as many treasures of the past as possible. These include Hoan Kiem Lake and its tortoise tower, Tran Quoc Pagoda, the colonial era Sofitel Metropole Hotel, the opera house, the Temple of Literature and Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum. The city is renowned for water puppetry and a night should be spent on the banks of Hoan Kiem Lake at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater.

2. Lao Cai

Located in the distant and mountainous northwest, Lao Cai sits on the intersection of the Red and Nanxi Rivers just across from the Chinese border. Those spending any time in the city will be based either around the banks of the Red River or by the backpacker-heavy neighborhood near the train station. A night should be spent exploring the bars and restaurants in the glow of neon lights reflecting on the river. Like many other Vietnamese cities, Karaoke is wildly popular in Lao Cai and there are dozens of clubs running late into the night located near the backpacker area.

The majority of travelers who find themselves in Lao Cai are stopping through on their way to see nature. The city is less than an hour away on a motorbike from the rice terraces of Sapa, the Tam Tron Pass which is Vietnam’s loftiest road, and the towering peak of Mount Fansipan which is Vietnam’s tallest mountain.

3. Sapa

Near to Lao Cai, yet wholly dominated by the tourist industry, the mountain town of Sapa is a nice option for those seeking western comforts in the midst of their Vietnamese adventure. The city has a number of western bars and restaurants and is a mainstay of the northern backpacker trail. Hundreds of affordable hostels, guesthouses and hotels line the winding streets.

The city is also a jumping off point for countless treks and hikes that traverse along peaked ridges, through mountainside rice terraces and into minority villages. The region is home to a number of ethnic minorities, including the Hmong, Dao, Pho Lu and Tay, and the hillsides are dotted in the vibrant mix of their colorful clothing.

4. Cao Bang

Cao Bang is the capital of the similarly named province, located in the northeast of Vietnam. It’s a common stopping point for those riding east from Ha Giang or north from Hanoi. The city of little more than 100,000 climbs from the banks of the Bang Giang River and most of the shops, restaurants and bars are located on the main streets nearby. A number of great food stalls line the back end of the city’s central market, Cho Xanh. The sprawling, fun shopping center should be visited by any travelers passing through.

Most individuals traveling to the region will use Cao Bang to visit any number of nearby natural attractions. The stunning Ban Gioc Falls break through jungled walls just two hours to the north and mythical Hai Giang lies several hours west.

5. Ha Giang

Ha Giang is the capital of what is arguably the most beautiful province in all of Vietnam. This was an area once left alone, that has since seen a recent spike in visitors. The city is bordered by picturesque limestone juts framing the horizon in all directions. A number of great hotels sit on either side of the Lo River. Seafood restaurants can be found nearby as well. For those looking to rent a motorbike to explore the nearby Dong Van Karst Plateau, Ha Giang is the place to do it. Most hostels and hotels will be able to set this up and the cost should never be more than seven or eight USD per day.

See more: The amazing destinations you cannot miss in Ha Giang

Source: theculturetrip