Culinary tourism positioning of tea land

In the rapidly changing tourism picture of Thai Nguyen tea land, cuisine has emerged as a unique cultural resource, both familiar and attractive. From the famous “First Tea” Tan Cuong, Bo Dau Chung cake with the story of “round sky, square earth” to ethnic dishes with the rich flavor of Viet Bac mountains and forests, all are becoming important pillars to build the brand and position the culinary tourism of the tea land.

In the rapidly changing tourism landscape of Thai Nguyen tea land, cuisine has emerged as a unique cultural resource. In the photo: Domestic and foreign tourists experience the New Rice Festival at the Thai Hai Ethnic Ecological Stilt House Village Conservation Area, in Tan Cuong commune. Photo: Ngoc Hai

Great opportunity to become a "golden touch point"

Culinary positioning is the process of creating cultural values, stories, experiences and local identity. When tourists come to a land, what makes them remember for a long time is not only the landscape but also the typical flavors of the place they set foot. Thai Nguyen tea cuisine is facing a great opportunity to become a "golden touch", contributing to affirming the position of the province on the map of Vietnam tourism .

Each region of the country has its own culinary essence that creates its brand: Hue is known as the cradle of royal cuisine with sophistication and sophistication in preparation and presentation. Thanh Hoa is marked by the salty taste of the ocean. Nghe An is memorable for its simplicity and simplicity with eel porridge, Nam Dan soy sauce, and Thanh Chuong pickled vegetables.

Nature has always been fair in giving each region its own special dishes. So people travel to enjoy the quintessence of the land and sky of each region. Of course, traveling is not only to eat, but also to discover and experience a cultural beauty.

Thai Nguyen province has 150 culinary dishes made from tea and tea leaves.

The precious gift that nature has bestowed on Thai Nguyen is the dishes associated with the natural landscape. The cuisine of the people of Thai Nguyen tea land is elegant, close and purely indigenous.

The dishes impress with the flavor of the mountains and forests combined with tea culture. As the years pass by, generations pass on, breathing life into traditional dishes, giving cuisine a life of its own through stories told at the banquet table to entertain guests.

Rich culinary resources

The “great land” of Thai Nguyen cuisine must include tea and tea. Tea is not only a product that brings benefits to people, but also contains in daily life the beauty of culture and behavioral skills. Take a sip of tea and feel a whole field full of the aroma of young rice, then the mild astringency, the lingering sweetness that feels like a royal happiness in everyday life.

Humpback Chung Cake - the culinary quintessence of the highlands.

In recent years, tea-based cuisine has been strongly exploited by Thai Nguyen people. For example, handmade Matcha from green tea; green tea peanut candy, green bean cake with tea flavor. Travel gift combos are always associated with tea culture.

From here, stories about tea and tea are shared, spread and clearly identified. The tea farmers lead tourists through stories through the vast green tea regions. From midland tea, hybrid tea in the low hills to ancient Shan Tuyet tea on the mountainside covered in clouds all year round. From drinking tea to experiencing with farmers about the production and processing process, Thai Nguyen people have planted in the hearts of tourists a unique cultural identity of the tea land.

The diversity of Thai Nguyen ethnic groups also opens up a rich, but unique culinary resource. Because each culinary dish has its own life, carrying the story of a custom, practice, and mark throughout the migration and resettlement journey of ethnic communities. Therein lies the simple story of everyday life and people's conception of the universe and human life.

Cooperatives in the province organize livestreams to introduce and promote many regional culinary products.

For example, the Cooc Mo cake of the San Chay ethnic group is a symbol of prosperity. Dinh Hoa bamboo sticky rice, bamboo sticky rice, hill chicken, smoked meat, grilled stream fish, and wild vegetables, just hearing about them makes the whole Viet Bac region rush to the table with a cup of fragrant fermented wine of the Tay, Nung, and Dao ethnic groups. Then, Lam tea, Tram sticky rice, Ha Chau specialties; Ba Be lake fish, wild banana salad evokes a region of green mountains and blue water...

Diners are “enchanted” by the dishes skillfully prepared by chefs from natural ingredients. Fish caught in the lake, vegetables picked from the forest, “running” chickens, “exercising” pigs bring a pristine impression, rich in natural flavors, creating a unique appeal that can only be found on the dining tables of people from the tea land of Thai Nguyen.

Regarding cuisine, mentioning neighboring provinces such as Lang Son has roast duck; Cao Bang has Chinese sausage, black jelly; Tuyen Quang has au tau porridge with pig's feet; Quang Ninh has squid rolls...

Thai Nguyen people are proud of the dishes associated with local names, such as: Bo Dau Chung Cake, Dai Tu sour sausage, Ha Chau black plum, and Uc Ky sticky rice sauce. After the administrative merger, the names of the dishes are still associated with the place name and the owner of the land.

Cuisine with the flavors of Thai Nguyen mountains and forests is chosen by tourists to buy as gifts for relatives.

Experiential tourism and green tourism open up great opportunities

The trend of experiential tourism and green tourism opens up great opportunities for the tea land of Thai Nguyen. Many international tourists have expressed their interest in experiencing with farmers how to pick tea, dry tea, ferment soy sauce, make sticky rice with canarium fruit, go to the forest to collect bamboo shoots, wade through streams to catch mountain snails, grill bamboo rice, grill fish on charcoal, wrap croissants, live in a stilt house, sit down to eat with the host family, listen to stories of the mountains and forests and learn to speak the languages ​​of the ethnic minorities.

Through that, visitors can immerse themselves in the material and spiritual life and feel like they are touching the beauty of local culture.

At the seminar on building Thai Nguyen culinary tourism tour in 2025, experts commented: Thai Nguyen has a favorable location at the gateway to Hanoi capital, with nearly 1,200 historical and cultural relics, including 3 special national relics; 336 festivals, 709 intangible cultural heritages.

Banh giay la wormwood is one of the specialties of the Tay ethnic group in the province.

Thai Nguyen has long been an attractive destination attracting a large number of domestic and international tourists. However, Thai Nguyen does not have a strong branded culinary product.

Therefore, Thai Nguyen tourism industry should have a suitable direction to enhance the brand of cuisine. By building a space for storytelling, performance, and culinary processing suitable for each area and destination.

For example, Thai Hai Eco-tourism Stilt House Village Conservation Area with ethnic culinary space combined with tea culture; Phu Dinh with experience in making bamboo rice and ant egg cake; Ba Be Lake with freshwater fish products becoming tourist specialties...

Thai Nguyen is on the way to become one of the attractive destinations of the country. To do that, cuisine must become a brand pillar and a golden factor in the tourism development strategy.

So that domestic and international tourists coming to Thai Nguyen, when returning, will bring back the story of their experience with the exquisite dishes of a lifetime. And tourists do not forget to buy them as gifts for relatives with the promise to return to Thai Nguyen to learn more about the culinary culture of the tea land.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202511/dinh-vi-am-thuc-du-lich-xu-tra-533543e/