1. Sour Pho
Discover the unique flavor of sour pho (Image source: Collected)
Sour pho is one of Cao Bang 's famous dishes, known for its unique flavor and elaborate preparation. The main ingredients include soft, chewy rice noodles made from local rice, served with pork belly, fried pork liver, roasted duck, thinly sliced and crispy fried sweet potatoes, and the distinctive mac mat leaves of the mountainous region. All these ingredients blend together with a skillfully prepared sweet and sour sauce, creating a dish that is both unusual and appealing. Each taste is a memorable experience, preserving the authentic flavors of the mountainous region.
2. Roasted pork with mac mat leaves
Roasted pork with honey glaze - a specialty dish of the people of Northern Vietnam (Image source: Collected)
One of the dishes in Cao Bang that tourists love is roasted pork wrapped in mac mat leaves. The ingredients are pigs weighing 4-6 kg, raised using traditional local methods to ensure firm, flavorful meat. Before roasting, fresh mac mat leaves are stuffed into the pig's belly, and a mixture of honey and characteristic spices is brushed evenly on the outside. The pig is roasted over charcoal, resulting in a golden, crispy skin, while the meat inside is tender, sweet, and fragrant with the aroma of forest leaves, making this highland specialty unforgettable for diners.
3. Sticky rice with black beans
Black olive sticky rice - a famous local dish of Cao Bang (Image source: Collected)
Sticky rice with wild olives is a dish in Cao Bang that many tourists love whenever they visit this region. This is a traditional specialty of the Tay and Nung people, usually made from fragrant, sticky upland rice combined with ripe wild olives. As a result, the cooked sticky rice has an eye-catching pinkish-purple color, a smooth texture, and a distinctive nutty, creamy flavor. Not only delicious, sticky rice with wild olives evokes the rustic flavors of highland cuisine , making it an unmissable culinary experience when exploring Cao Bang's delicious dishes.
4. Steamed rice cakes
Ap Chao cake is one of Cao Bang's favorite dishes among tourists, thanks to its unique flavor and preparation method. The outside of the cake looks quite similar to a fried donut, but the filling is made from finely minced duck meat, seasoned to perfection. The crust is a combination of glutinous rice flour and regular rice flour, creating a soft, chewy texture and the characteristic aroma of this traditional mountain cake. After wrapping the filling, the cake is dropped into a pan of boiling oil and fried until golden brown and crispy on both sides. This is a delicious dish not to be missed on your culinary exploration of Cao Bang and a taste of the local specialties of this northern mountainous region.
5. Cao Bang Rice Rolls
When it comes to dishes in Cao Bang that are popular with tourists, rice rolls (banh cuon) always stand out. Unlike many other places, banh cuon here is not served with fish sauce but with a broth simmered from pork bones, giving it a naturally sweet and savory flavor. The broth often includes minced meat and fragrant fried scallions, creating an unforgettable rich taste. Diners can enjoy traditional hot banh cuon or choose egg banh cuon, an attractive variation in the cuisine of the northern mountainous region. Eating banh cuon the right way in Cao Bang not only allows you to fully appreciate the flavor but also highlights the subtlety of this Cao Bang specialty.
6. Ant Egg Cake
Unique and unusual ant egg cake from Cao Bang (Image source: Collected)
One of the dishes in Cao Bang that embodies the cultural identity of the Tay people is ant egg cake, also known colloquially as Peng Ray. This specialty is made from unusual yet appealing ingredients: young ant eggs mixed with minced pork, fragrant shallots, and crunchy roasted peanuts. The cake's wrapper is made from chewy glutinous rice flour, rolled thinly and wrapped in fig leaves – a type of forest leaf that creates a distinctive aroma when steamed. After the filling is placed inside the dough, another layer of fig leaves is added to preserve the flavor during the cooking process. To taste this unique cake, visitors should visit Cao Bang around April to May – the time when the ant egg season is in full swing, and the ingredients are freshest and of the highest quality.
7. Roast duck with mac mat leaves
One of the must-try dishes when exploring Cao Bang's cuisine is roasted duck with mac mat leaves – a famous specialty that has captivated countless diners. The ducks selected for roasting are usually free-range ducks, known for their firm, flavorful meat. After cleaning, the ducks are meticulously marinated with various traditional spices, most notably fresh mac mat leaves – a distinctive ingredient found only in the northern mountainous region. Roasted over charcoal, the ducks have a golden, crispy skin, while the meat inside is tender, sweet, and infused with the rich flavors of the forest. This is a Cao Bang dish that tourists shouldn't miss during their trip to this region.
8. Agarwood
Agarwood fish is one of Cao Bang's signature dishes, embodying the flavors of the mountains and forests, especially popular in the Ban Gioc Waterfall area. This fish lives in the wild and primarily feeds on the roots and decaying leaves of agarwood trees, resulting in fragrant, firm flesh. Locals typically stuff the fish's belly with various wild herbs, dill, spring onions, fresh chili peppers, and spices, then wrap it in banana leaves and grill it over charcoal. The sweetness of the fish, combined with the aroma of grilled banana leaves and pure fish sauce, creates an unforgettable culinary experience during your Ban Gioc Waterfall exploration.
9. Phia Den Vermicelli
Phia Den vermicelli - A specialty of Cao Bang (Image source: Collected)
One of the famous dishes in Cao Bang is Phia Den vermicelli – a specialty made from red arrowroot grown in the high mountains of Nguyen Binh. The vermicelli has a natural translucent color, a moderate chewiness, and a sweet, refreshing taste after cooking. During Tet (Lunar New Year), locals often prepare vermicelli soup with chicken, shiitake mushrooms, and wood ear mushrooms – a traditional dish that is both delicious and healthy.
10. Banh Khao (Vietnamese savory pancake)
Bánh khảo is a traditional dry cake closely associated with the culinary culture of the Tay and Nung ethnic groups in Cao Bang. Made from finely ground fragrant glutinous rice, it's filled with pork fat, sesame seeds, peanuts, and rock sugar, creating a subtly sweet and rich flavor. Thanks to its long shelf life, bánh khảo is not only a popular Tet (Lunar New Year) treat but also a favorite souvenir for tourists to take home after their trips.
11. Chongqing Chestnuts
Trung Khanh chestnuts are one of Cao Bang's standout dishes, captivating both tourists and locals. Thanks to the region's unique climate and rich soil, Trung Khanh chestnuts are not only large, about the size of a thumb, but also possess a delicious, nutty flavor. Their distinctive dark yellow color is what makes this dish so special. Besides being enjoyed fresh after roasting, Trung Khanh chestnuts are also used in many delicious dishes, such as stewed with pork trotters or ground into a paste for fillings in pastries, offering unique culinary experiences for those who love exploring Cao Bang's delicacies.
Cao Bang cuisine always knows how to leave a lasting impression on visitors with its unique flavors. After hours of exploring, don't forget to take some time to discover the local specialties! Book your flights and hotel rooms today to take advantage of promotions on Traveloka. Access the app now for more details!
Source: https://www.vietravel.com/vn/am-thuc-kham-pha/mon-an-o-cao-bang-v16998.aspx
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