I’m a photography enthusiast, and the landscapes in Northwest Vietnam seem incredible for capturing scenic views. Are there any specific spots that are particularly photogenic...
Dien Bien is a mountainous province in the northwestern region of Vietnam, associated with the nation's glorious historical victories. Dien Bien is also known for the unique culture of many ethnic groups along with authentic culinary specialties. You might refer to the following list of Dien Bien specialties presented by Izitour.
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- 1. Grilled Chicken With Indian Prickly Ash Seeds
- 2. Smoked Buffalo Meat
- 3. Dien Bien Specialty Of Chẩm Chéo
- 4. Hoa Ban Vegetable
- 5. Dien Bien Specialty - Chit Worm Wine
- 6. Tua Chua Black Chicken
- 7. Dien Bien Steamed Sticky Rice
- 8. Grilled Fish Pa Pinh Top
- 9. Grilled Moss
- 10. Sticky Rice With Bird Meat From Muong Thanh
- 11. Bitter Bamboo Shoots
- 12. Cabbage Rolls With Green Bastard Oleaster
- 13. Braised Duck With Banana Flowers
1. Grilled Chicken With Indian Prickly Ash Seeds
Grilled chicken with local Indian Prickly Ash (Mắc Khén) seeds is the signature dish of the Thai ethnic minority in Dien Bien, it is processed in a unique way. The chicken is grilled over charcoal on medium heat to keep the sweetness inside the meat.
Over low heat, the chicken fat will melt into a layer of natural fat on the skin. When the meat becomes firm, Mac Khen seeds are put in and mixed with other spices such as salt, and chili. When exposed to high temperatures, Mac Khen seeds will give off a sweet aroma, stimulating diners' sense of smell.
2. Smoked Buffalo Meat
Also known as dried buffalo meat, this Dien Bien dish demonstrates the culinary beauty of the people of the Northwest in general and Dien Bien in particular. Chunks of buffalo meat are marinated with local spices and smoked on the stove to keep the firmness of the meat and the natural pink color inside. The meat is served with the special Northwest sauce.
This specialty is chosen by many tourists to buy as a gift because it is delicious and easy to store and transport.
3. Dien Bien Specialty Of Chẩm Chéo
Chẩm Chéo is a typical sauce from the mountains of the Northwest, including Dien Bien. To prepare this special kind of Dien Bien spice, people mix roasted Mắc Khén seed powder with dried chili and roasted golden salt. A good Chẩm Chéo bowl of sauce also has the addition of coriander along with chopped lemongrass.
This recipe is normally served as a sauce in the daily meals of local people, together with vegetables, sticky rice, meat dishes... Cham Cheo is also a sought-after gift for friends and family after your Dien Bien excursion.
4. Hoa Ban Vegetable
Hoa Ban Vegetable is a very delicious special kind of vegetable that is only grown in the Northwest of Vietnam, around March each year, when the mountains and forests of Dien Bien are painted in the colors of spring flowers, visitors to Dien Bien in this season can enjoy the beautiful scenery and the famous Dien Bien vegetable dish.
The natives will use the flower and leaf part of Hoa Ban vegetables to create many attractive dishes such as Hoa Ban vegetables stir-fried with meat, salad, soup, etc.
5. Dien Bien Specialty - Chit Worm Wine
At first glance, most visitors will be a little scared about these Chit worms but they are the main ingredient for traditional Dien Bien alcohol. The Chit worm is a species of insect that lives in the trunk of the local Chit tree. To be able to catch the worms, one must cut the trunk of the trees in two from the top.
Fresh worms are ivory-white in color. After they are freshly "harvested", they are immediately put into a light wine jar in order not to be degraded. Besides being used as food, Chit worms also contain many high nutritional values. Especially, they have the benefit of recovering health after illness, so they are used to soak alcohol for the purpose of curing back pain, asthma, sexual improvement, etc.
6. Tua Chua Black Chicken
This breed of chicken is one of the most distinctive wild chickens available in Dien Bien, raised by the H'mong ethnic group. Its distinctive feature is that its eyes as well as its skin, meat, and bones are black.
Tua Chua chicken meat is really tough and firm, it contains 2 times more glutamic and iron content than normal chickens. Especially, this kind of chicken contains very little cholesterol with an enticing flavor. It is indeed a specialty of Dien Bien that many tourists love.
7. Dien Bien Steamed Sticky Rice
Dien Bien is a famous land with the largest terraced rice paddy valleys in Vietnam, where the famous delicious mountain sticky rice is produced. Dien Bien sticky rice is characterized by large grains of rice. When well cooked, the rice grains are puffed and have a delicate flavor and great aroma. They are softer than other types of sticky rice.
Usually, Dien Bien Mountain sticky rice is always found in the daily family meals of local people. In special events like ritual ceremonies, the locals also make different dishes such as five-color sticky rice, sticky rice with chicken, etc.
8. Grilled Fish Pa Pinh Top
Pa Binh Top is a typical grilled fish dish among the Dien Bien specialties, made from the freshest river fish. It is often marinated with typical mountain spices and then grilled over a charcoal stove. A perfect grilled fish should remain fresh and sweet.
9. Grilled Moss
Referring to moss, many visitors must be skeptical about the question: is moss edible? The answer is that moss is completely edible, as long as it is the stream moss of Dien Bien Land. The moss is obtained from the clear stream areas. After being cleaned with stream water, it is mixed with local Doi seeds, Mac Khen seeds, and other spices such as garlic, chili, lemongrass, ginger, and lemon leaves.
To make the grilled moss more delicious, some fatty meat is added, then fresh leaves of the galanga are used to wrap it like a cake, tie it with bamboo strips, and then take it to the grill. This dish has many health benefits. It has the effect of blood circulation, removing heat, and strengthening stamina.
10. Sticky Rice With Bird Meat From Muong Thanh
It is often featured during events, and ritual ceremonies with eye-catching traditional decorations, sticky rice with birds on a bamboo tray of which the top is covered with a lid to keep the sticky rice warm and soft.
The main ingredients of the dish are definitely sticky rice and birds, with the sticky rice cooked from fragrant upland sticky rice, cooked twice using wooden trays. The sweet and fragrant pigeon meat is skillfully processed to make the dish delicious.
11. Bitter Bamboo Shoots
This Dien Bien specialty is a combination of all fresh green ingredients including all the flavors of sour, spicy, salty, sweet, and sour. Thanks to green cabbage, local bastard oleaster, cilantro, and the renowned Cham cheo sauce, when you eat it, you will wrap all the vegetables and dip them in the sauce bowl.
12. Cabbage Rolls With Green Bastard Oleaster
Known as a substantial and familiar part of the daily meals of the locals, Dien Bien bitter bamboo shoots are ingredients of various delicious and attractive dishes such as fried bamboo shoots, boiled bamboo shoots, bamboo shoot soup cooked with pork bones, etc. This dish is also a good choice if you want to take something home.
13. Braised Duck With Banana Flowers
This special dish is a great combination of many spices such as lemongrass, ginger, chili, Mac Khen seeds, etc. The duck will be marinated with the spices for about 3 hours, then it is covered in a large banana flower and braised on a small fire.
It has its own unique flavor, at first when tasting, visitors will feel the spicy taste quite clearly, but the sweet and fragrant aftertaste will make everyone fall for it.
Besides Ha Giang food, Dien Bien specialties are also the unique specialties of the northernmost region of Vietnam, so if you visit Dien Bien, don't forget to enjoy all 13 of these dishes.
See more about Dien Bien:
>> Dien Bien Phu Historical Victory Museum - Vietnam's Historical Travel Guide
