Tuyen Quang: Dong Van highland culinary paradise attracts tourists

Not only famous for its majestic rocky mountains, Quan Ba Heaven Gate or ancient houses, Dong Van (Tuyen Quang) is also known as the "capital of market cuisine " of the northernmost region of the country.

Every winter, when the buckwheat fields turn a dreamy pink-purple color, people flock to the rocky plateau to immerse themselves in the scenery and enjoy dishes that carry the soul of the Mong, Tay, Dao people... passed down through many generations.

Buckwheat cake

Buckwheat is a symbol of the northernmost land, but few people expect that dried, ground and steamed buckwheat seeds can become such a rustic yet memorable cake.

Buckwheat cake has a rich, fatty taste, light aroma, the crust is golden when grilled over hot coals, each bite is warm in the cold highland sky.

This simple cake appears in most Dong Van markets, where tourists often stop for a long time next to Mong mothers and sisters who are quickly turning the cake over the fire.

Not just a dish, buckwheat cake is the "sign" that marks the beginning of a tourist season in Ha Giang - the most beautiful season of the year when buckwheat flowers bloom all over the hills.

Pho Trang Kim

Amidst the vast rocky mountains, Trang Kim pho exists as a unique culinary mark of the highlanders. The pho noodles are hand-rolled into sheets, dried on wooden slats before being thinly sliced according to the diners’ taste. Unlike lowland pho, Trang Kim pho uses hill chicken broth – a type of chicken raised naturally by the Mong people on the fields.

The broth is clear and sweet, simmered with fresh turmeric, onions and mountain spices such as star anise and cardamom. A hot bowl of pho in the early morning market of Dong Van is not only a breakfast but also a gift that awakens all the senses.

Thang Co

When mentioning Dong Van, many people will immediately remember thang co - a "challenging" dish but extremely addictive once tasted. For a long time, thang co Dong Van has been a dish closely associated with the life of the Mong people, appearing in most markets and festivals.

Initially, thang co was mainly cooked from horse meat and organs; later, beef and buffalo meat were added to suit tourists' tastes. The meat and organs were carefully prepared, marinated with more than a dozen typical spices such as cardamom, star anise, cinnamon, hawthorn, then stewed in a large pan.

A bowl of hot, steaming thang co, fragrant with cardamom and a bit spicy, is a culinary experience that any tourist coming to Dong Van wants to try at least once.

Banh cuon chan

People enjoy culinary dishes right at the market. (Photo: Hoang Hieu/VNA)

Dong Van rice rolls are not eaten with fish sauce like in the lowlands, but are served with hot pork bone broth. The bowl of broth is served with green onions, herbs and a few pieces of ham, creating a rich, sweet flavor.

The cake is filled with meat and wood ear mushrooms; sometimes eggs are added upon request. Enjoy the attractive cake, then sip a cup of fragrant hot tea, this is truly a special way to start a new day.

Men men

If you want to understand the Mong people, try men men - a dish made from twice-steamed corn flour. The rich, fatty taste of the corn and the gentle aroma when cooked thoroughly make this dish an indispensable specialty in highland meals.

Men men is often eaten with pumpkin soup, chayote squash, or simply eaten alone to feel the full flavor and warm the heart.

Win the game

Thang den - a sweet dish made from Yen Minh sticky rice - is considered the "soul" of winter in Dong Van.

The small round cakes are boiled and then poured with apricot blossom syrup, ginger, sesame and roasted peanuts. A bowl of hot, sweet and fragrant thang den is a great choice on a cold windy day in Dong Van ancient town.

Five-color sticky rice

An indispensable dish in the meals of the Tay people in Tuyen Quang .

Sticky rice is cooked from delicious upland sticky rice, both fragrant and sticky. Sticky rice has 5 colors: original white from sticky rice, red from gac fruit, green from pandan leaves, yellow from ginger juice and purple from banana leaves.

All the rustic, simple ingredients of the mountain town have blended together to create the unique flavor of this delicious dish in Tuyen Quang./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/tuyen-quang-thien-duong-am-thuc-vung-cao-dong-van-niu-chan-du-khach-post1076975.vnp