Top 10+ dishes in Cao Bang with rich flavors of the mountains and rivers

Cao Bang stands out as a culinary paradise, where visitors can enjoy special dishes made from fresh ingredients, typical of the Northern mountainous region. This is an ideal destination for those who are passionate about exploring traditional culinary culture. If you have the opportunity to visit Cao Bang, you cannot miss the following outstanding dishes, with rich local flavors, which will surely make you remember forever.

1. Sour Pho

Discover the unique flavor of sour pho (Image source: Collected)

Sour Pho is one of the famous dishes in Cao Bang thanks to its unique flavor and elaborate preparation. The main ingredients include soft rice noodles made from local rice, served with pork belly, fried pork liver, roasted duck, thinly sliced fried sweet potatoes and mac mat leaves typical of the mountainous region. All combined with a skillfully prepared sweet and sour sauce have created a dish that is both strange and attractive. Each time you taste it, you will fully capture the flavor of the mountainous region.

>>> See the latest Northern tours <<<
1. Hanoi - Ha Long - Yen Tu - Ninh Binh - Bai Dinh - Trang An
2. Hanoi - Ha Long - Sapa - Cat Cat Village - Fansipan - Free Muong Hoa mountain train ticket
3. Ha Giang - Lung Cu - Dong Van - Ma Pi Leng - Meo Vac - Cao Bang - Ban Gioc Waterfall - Ba Be Lake

2. Roasted pork with Chinese madder leaves

Roasted pork with honey - a specialty of the people in the North (Photo source: Collected)

One of the dishes in Cao Bang that tourists love is roasted pig with mac mat leaves. The ingredients are pigs weighing about 4 - 6 kg, raised according to traditional local methods to ensure firm, delicious meat. Before roasting, people stuff the pig's belly with fresh mac mat leaves, and spread a mixture of honey and typical spices on the outside. The pig is roasted over hot coals, the skin becomes golden brown and crispy, while the meat inside is soft, sweet and fragrant with the smell of forest leaves, making it difficult for diners to forget the flavor of this highland specialty.

3. Sticky rice with Chinese plum

Black sticky rice - a famous rustic dish of Cao Bang (Photo source: Collected)

Xoi Tram is a dish in Cao Bang that many tourists love when they have the opportunity to visit this land. This is a traditional specialty of the Tay and Nung people, often made from fragrant sticky rice combined with ripe wild canarium fruit. Thanks to that, the sticky rice grains after being cooked have an eye-catching purple-pink color, are smooth and have a very characteristic fatty taste. Not only delicious, xoi tram also reminds of the rustic highland cuisine flavor, is one of the culinary experiences not to be missed when exploring the delicious dishes of Cao Bang.

4. Chao cake

Banh ap chao is one of the dishes in Cao Bang that many tourists love because of its strange taste and unique way of making. The outside of the cake looks quite similar to fried cake, but the filling is made from minced duck meat, marinated with spices to taste. The cake crust is a combination of sticky rice flour and rice flour, creating the soft, fragrant texture typical of traditional mountain cakes. After wrapping the filling, the cake is dropped into a pan of boiling oil, fried until both sides are golden brown until the crust is crispy. This is a delicious dish not to be missed on the journey to explore Cao Bang cuisine and enjoy local specialties of the northern mountainous region.

5. Cao Bang rice rolls

When it comes to Cao Bang dishes that are loved by many tourists, banh cuon is always a prominent name. Unlike many other places, banh cuon here does not use fish sauce but is served with broth simmered from pork bones, bringing a natural sweet taste. The broth often has minced meat and fried spring onions, creating an unforgettable rich flavor. Diners can enjoy traditional hot banh cuon or choose egg banh cuon, an attractive variation in the cuisine of the Northern mountainous region. The way to eat banh cuon in the right way in Cao Bang not only helps to fully experience the flavor but also highlights the sophistication of Cao Bang specialties.

6. Ant egg cake

Unique specialty of Cao Bang ant egg cake (Photo source: Collected)

One of the dishes in Cao Bang that bears the cultural identity of the Tay people is ant egg cake, also known by the popular name Peng Ray. This specialty is made from strange but attractive ingredients: young ant eggs mixed with minced pork, fragrant pickled shallots and fatty roasted peanuts. The cake crust uses chewy sticky rice flour, rolled thinly and wrapped in fig leaves - a type of forest leaf that creates a characteristic aroma when steamed. After the filling is put into the dough, people will cover it with another layer of fig leaves to preserve the flavor during the cooking process. If you want to taste this strange cake, you should visit Cao Bang around April to May - the time when ant egg season begins, when the ingredients are fresh and of the best quality.

7. Roasted duck with Chinese pepper leaves

One of the dishes that cannot be missed when exploring Cao Bang cuisine is roasted duck with mac mat leaves - a famous specialty that has captivated many diners. The duck chosen for roasting is usually hill duck, firm and fragrant. After cleaning, the duck is carefully marinated with many traditional spices, notably fresh mac mat leaves - a typical ingredient only found in the northern mountainous region. After roasting on hot coals, the duck will have a golden, crispy skin, the meat inside is soft, sweet and rich in the flavor of the forest. This is a dish in Cao Bang that visitors should not miss on their journey to explore this land.

8. Agarwood Fish

Tram Huong fish is one of the dishes in Cao Bang with a strong flavor of the mountains and forests, especially popular in the Ban Gioc waterfall area. This fish lives naturally and mainly eats the roots and rotten leaves of the Tram Huong tree, so its meat is very fragrant and firm. When preparing it, local people often stuff the fish with wild vegetables, dill, green onions, fresh chili and spices, then wrap it in banana leaves and grill it over hot coals. The sweetness of the fish mixed with the aroma of grilled banana leaves and pure fish sauce creates an unforgettable highland delicacy on the journey to discover Ban Gioc cuisine.

9. Phia Den vermicelli

Phia den vermicelli - Cao Bang specialty (Photo source: Collected)

One of the famous dishes in Cao Bang is Phia Den dong vermicelli - a specialty made from red dong rieng tubers grown in the highlands of Nguyen Binh. The vermicelli has a natural clear color, moderate toughness and a sweet taste after cooking. During Tet, local people often prepare vermicelli with chicken, shiitake mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms - a traditional dish that is both delicious and good for health.

10. Rice cake

Banh Khao is a traditional dried cake associated with the culinary culture of the Tay and Nung ethnic groups in Cao Bang. The cake is made from finely ground fragrant sticky rice, combined with pork fat, sesame, peanuts and rock sugar, creating a slightly sweet and fatty flavor. Thanks to its ability to be preserved for a long time, Banh Khao is not only a Tet dish but is also chosen by many tourists as a dried food to bring back as a gift after each trip.

11. Chongqing Chestnuts

Trung Khanh chestnuts are one of the outstanding dishes in Cao Bang, captivating tourists and locals here. Thanks to the unique climate and rich soil of this land, Trung Khanh chestnuts are not only large in size, the size of a thumb, but also have a delicious, fatty flavor. The characteristic dark yellow color of the chestnuts is the highlight that makes this dish special. In addition to being able to be enjoyed directly after roasting, Trung Khanh chestnuts are also processed into many attractive dishes, such as stewed with pig's feet or ground into cake fillings, bringing unique culinary experiences to those who love to explore the delicious dishes of Cao Bang.

Cao Bang cuisine always knows how to "make visitors miss" with its unique flavors. After hours of exploring, don't forget to take the time to explore the specialties here! Book your flight tickets and hotel rooms from today to receive incentives from promotional programs on Traveloka, access the app now for more details!

For more information about the program, please contact:
VIETRAVEL
190 Pasteur, Vo Thi Sau Ward, District 3, HCMC
Tel: (028) 3822 8898 - Hotline: 1800 646 888
Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/vietravel
Website: www.travel.com.vn

Source of article: Collected and compiled
@traveltips #traveltips

Source: https://www.vietravel.com/vn/am-thuc-kham-pha/mon-an-o-cao-bang-v16998.aspx