Highland flavors: 30++ Sapa food specialties that captivate visitors

With diversity in ethnic culture and special natural conditions of the highland region, Sapa has formed a distinctive cuisine rich in local identity. From hot dishes amid the cool weather to precious products of the mountains and forests, the cuisine here always leaves deep impressions in visitors' hearts. Join Vietnam Airlines in discovering over 30 Sapa food specialties worth trying and ideal to bring home as gifts in the article below.

Sapa food specialties you shouldn't miss

1. Salmon hotpot

Sapa is one of the few places in Vietnam that can successfully raise freshwater salmon. Enjoying salmon hotpot amid the cool highland weather is a wonderful experience. Each slice of fresh salmon with pinkish, lightly fatty but not greasy meat is dipped into the hotpot broth with mild sour taste from pineapple, tomatoes, and characteristic mountain forest seasonings. The dish becomes complete when eaten with plates of highland vegetables like cat mustard, chayote shoots, shiitake mushrooms, taro, and fresh vermicelli.

Besides hotpot, Sapa salmon can be prepared into many diverse dishes like deep-fried, steamed, salad, porridge, foil-grilled, steamed fish roe, smoked fish, or salmon with orange sauce and unique green pepper, etc.

Reference price: 250,000 - 800,000 VND/pot

Sapa salmon hotpot (Source: Internet)

2. Con sui Sapa

Con sui is likened to a special "dry pho" version of Sapa. Thick, chewy, ivory-colored pho noodles are blanched hot then mixed evenly with thick sauce specially made from bone broth, soybean sauce, fried shallots, and northern pepper. Added to this are diverse accompaniments like roasted pork, Chinese sausage, boiled eggs, roasted peanuts, and herbs. All create rich and diverse flavors with harmonious salty, sweet, and nutty nuances.

Reference price: 40,000 - 60,000 VND/bowl

Con sui Sapa (Source: Internet)

3. Sturgeon hotpot

Besides salmon, Sapa is also the "land" of sturgeon - a premium cold-water fish. Sturgeon meat is white, firm, with fatty-sweet taste and especially crispy cartilage without small bones. Sturgeon hotpot is usually cooked with fish head broth and sour bamboo shoots, pineapple, tamarind or fermented rice with mountain forest seasonings, creating sour-spicy flavors that are sweet and rich, perfectly balanced with the fish's fatty taste. The dish becomes complete when enjoyed with vegetables like cat mustard, chayote, water spinach, cabbage, mushrooms, etc.

Reference price: 300,000 - 800,000 VND/pot

Sturgeon hotpot (Source: Internet)

4. Black chicken hotpot

Black chicken (silky chicken) is a native breed of the H'Mong people, notable for its completely black skin, sweet firm meat, and high nutritional value. Sapa black chicken hotpot is usually stewed with herbs like red dates, goji berries, codonopsis, and shiitake mushrooms. The hotpot broth is sweet and clear, with light herbal aroma, eaten with noodles and fresh cool vegetables. This is not only a delicacy but also a folk remedy that helps nourish blood and qi, boost immunity.

Reference price: 400,000 - 800,000 VND/pot

Black chicken hotpot (Source: Internet)

5. Thang co

Dubbed the "soul of Northwest cuisine," thang co is a 200-year-old traditional dish of the H'Mong people. The main ingredient is horse or beef organs cleaned, cut into small pieces and simmered in large cast iron pots with over 10 characteristic mountain forest seasonings like black cardamom, cinnamon, lemongrass, ginger, mac khen, etc. The finished product has dark brown color, rich fatty taste, spicy heat and very warming to the stomach, especially when served with Bac Ha corn wine in cold weather.

Reference price: 300,000 - 1,500,000 VND/pot

Thang co Sapa (Source: Internet)

6. Armpit pig meat

"Armpit pig" is a humorous name for the native pig breed that locals raise free-range. Each pig weighs only about 10-20kg with very firm, sweet meat and little fat. Armpit pig meat can be prepared into many dishes like boiled, steamed, stir-fried with lemongrass and chili, smoked, but the most delicious is still whole roasted or grilled. The crispy roasted skin layer, thin fat layer, and sweet meat fibers, eaten with special salt mix and mac mat leaves will satisfy even picky diners.

Reference price: 150,000 - 300,000 VND/kg depending on preparation style

Armpit pig meat platter (Source: Internet)

7. Khau nhuc

Khau nhuc dish originates from the Chinese but has been adapted by the Tay and Nung people in Lao Cai to suit local tastes. The dish is prepared from fresh pork belly, carefully marinated with five-spice powder, wine, garlic, pepper, chili, mint, etc. then lightly fried and steamed in water bath for many hours. The steamed meat has attractive brown color and becomes tender, melting in mouth, with salty-sweet fatty taste extremely appetizing.

Reference price: 130,000 VND/portion

Khau nhuc (Source: Internet)

8. Grilled dishes

Sapa's characteristic cool air makes grilled dishes here an indispensable part, especially when experiencing nighttime cuisine. From local pork skewers, beef belly rolls with enoki mushrooms, chicken wings, chicken feet, highland vegetables like snap peas, corn, sweet potatoes, shiitake mushrooms, to sticky rice cake with fish paste, bamboo tube rice, roasted chestnuts, etc. each dish is richly marinated, grilled just right, maintaining sweetness and enticing aroma.

Reference price: 10,000 - 50,000 VND/skewer depending on type

Grilled dishes are specialties not to miss when visiting Sapa (Source: Internet)

9. Black sticky rice cake

A traditional cake of the Tay and Dao people, black sticky rice cake stands out with its shiny black color from being dyed with forest tree leaf water (purple glutinous rice ash or nuc nac tree bark); inside is mung bean filling, fatty meat, pepper, and dried onions. After boiling, the cake has chewy fragrant taste of glutinous rice blended with nutty mung bean taste, fatty meat taste, along with a light characteristic aroma from rice ash and forest leaves.

Reference price: 50,000 VND/piece

Black sticky rice cake (Source: Internet)

10. Colored sticky rice

Colored sticky rice - also called five-color sticky rice - attracts visitors from first sight with 5 brilliant colors: red, yellow, green, purple, white. These colors are all created from natural tree leaves, tubers, and fruits like pandan leaves, gac fruit, turmeric, forest ginger, rice ash, etc. Sticky rice is cooked from upland glutinous rice soaked overnight then cooked in wooden steamer, ensuring chewiness, fragrance, and glossy smoothness. The dish is usually served with grilled meat, Chinese sausage, or simply sesame salt, suitable for breakfast, vegetarian meals, and gifts.

Reference price: 10,000 - 30,000 VND/portion

Sapa colored sticky rice (Source: Internet)

11. Bac Ha pink pho

Bac Ha pink pho is characterized by pho noodles with pinkish-brown color made from local red rice. The noodles are thick, chewy, and fragrant with new rice aroma. Pho broth is simmered from pork or native chicken bones, sweet and clear with attractive transparency. The dish is served with chicken or minced pork, fried eggs, fried shallots, and herbs. Both visually unique and tasty, this is a very ideal choice for breakfast in Sapa.

Reference price: 40,000 - 50,000 VND/bowl

Bac Ha pink pho (Source: Internet)

12. Highland green vegetables

Coming to Sapa, visitors can enjoy many temperate vegetable varieties like cat mustard, chayote shoots, curly kale, watercress, artichoke, stone sprouts, etc. These are all vegetable varieties grown naturally in cool climate conditions year-round, without using growth hormones. Vegetables are commonly used in hotpots, garlic stir-fries, eaten raw with grilled dishes, or simply boiled and dipped in fish sauce, each way maintains characteristic crispy sweetness and rich taste.

Reference price: 40,000 - 60,000 VND/plate

Boiled Sapa stone sprouts (Source: Internet)

13. Forest bitter bamboo shoots

Bitter bamboo shoots grow naturally in forests, harvested at the beginning of rainy season, with mild bitter taste, sweet aftertaste, and crispiness. Bamboo shoots can be prepared into many dishes like boiled and dipped in fermented rice, grilled, stir-fried with chicken innards, braised with duck, stuffed with meat, or dried for long-term preservation. Bitter bamboo shoots bring distinctive taste experiences, both challenging and addictive for visitors who love mountain forest delicacies.

Reference price: 65,000 VND/500g

Bitter bamboo shoot leaves wrapped with minced meat (Source: Internet)

Besides the characteristic dishes mentioned above, Sapa also owns many other rustic delicious dishes, easily enjoyed at periodic markets, local eateries, or in community experience tours:

• Corn cake
• Bamboo tube rice
• Chicken innards stir-fried with papaya
• Duck stir-fried with sour bamboo shoots
• Sapa Chinese sausage
• Grilled stream fish
• Chicken cooked in ginger soup

Sapa food specialties to buy as gifts

14. Chestnut cake

Chestnut cake is an attractive snack with thin soft crust, filling made from ground forest chestnuts, blended with sugar, mung beans, or dried coconut. When baked, the cake has characteristic nutty aroma, mild sweetness, endlessly edible without getting tired. This is an easy-to-eat cake, convenient for boxing and suitable as gentle, refined gifts for relatives and colleagues.

Reference price: 75,000 VND/box of 10 cakes

Sapa chestnut cake (Source: Internet)

15. Tam Hoa plums

Tam Hoa plums usually ripen abundantly in May-June annually. The plums are large and round with beautiful deep purple skin, fruit flesh both crispy and refreshingly sweet with a touch of mild sourness. Visitors can eat fresh, soak in wine, or process into preserved plums, jam very convenient to carry as gifts.

Reference price: 60,000 VND/kg

Tam Hoa plums (Source: Internet)

16. Sapa peaches

Sapa peaches usually come around May-June lunar calendar. This fruit stands out with pink or bright red skin, fine fur layer, and natural fragrance. When enjoyed, peaches are crispy and sweet, refreshing and good for cooling. Thanks to being grown at altitude and cool climate year-round, Sapa peaches maintain consistent quality and good preservation time. Visitors can buy to eat immediately or make peach jam, peach syrup conveniently.

Reference price: 40,000 VND/kg

Sapa peaches (Source: Internet)

17. Muong Khuong tangerines

Muong Khuong tangerines (Quýt Mường Khương) are winter fruit specialties (harvested from October to early January next year) sought by many people thanks to sharp sweet flavor, juicy and refreshing. Tangerine skin is thin, easy to peel, inside segments are even with very few seeds.

Reference price: 30,000 VND/kg

Muong Khuong tangerines (Source: Internet)

18. Kitchen-smoked buffalo meat

One of the "souls" of Northwest cuisine, kitchen-smoked buffalo meat is taken from native buffalo thigh, marinated with salt, forest pepper, mac khen, ginger, garlic, chili, etc. then hung above kitchen hearth and continuously smoked for many days. The finished meat has dark brown exterior but pinkish-red interior, when eaten torn small and dipped with special sauce, you'll feel the meat's sweetness, spicy heat, and characteristic smoke aroma.

Reference price: 850,000 VND/kg

Kitchen-smoked buffalo meat (Source: Internet)

19. Bac Ha corn wine

Bac Ha corn wine is brewed from yellow corn grains grown on stone fields, then fermented with yeast made from hong mi seeds (a type of millet of H'Mong people) using traditional methods. Wine after distillation has clear color, characteristic rich aroma, when drunk has mild sweetness, warm spiciness. A bottle of corn wine will be a gift rich in Northwest sentiment for friends.

Reference price: From 60,000 VND/liter

Process of brewing and preserving Bac Ha corn wine (Source: Internet)

20. Sapa shiitake mushrooms

Unlike cultivated shiitake mushrooms, Sapa shiitake mushrooms grow naturally on chestnut tree trunks in old forests. Mushrooms are smaller with shorter stems but have much richer, more intense aroma. After harvesting, mushrooms are dried or dehydrated to preserve nutrition and flavor. This mushroom type has sweet taste and especially suits stewed, soup, or stir-fried dishes. This is precious ingredient in many family kitchens, also clean gifts that are easy to preserve and package.

Reference price: 1,000,000 VND/kg or 130,000 VND/100g

Sapa shiitake mushrooms (Source: Internet)

21. Various precious herbs

Sapa is where many precious herbs grow like notoginseng buds, codonopsis, angelica, black turmeric, mountain ginger, northern notoginseng, Hoang Lien reishi mushrooms, gynostemma, etc. These are all folk medicine ingredients that help nourish health, boost immunity, and support treatment of many diseases. Herbs are usually dried, bagged, or made into tea bags, very convenient for use and transport. This is a refined gift for elderly people or those concerned about natural health.

Reference price: From 100,000 VND/bag depending on type

Various herbs from Sapa mountain forests (Source: Internet)

Some other products worth buying:

• Don Ban Xeo vermicelli
• Upland rice
• Hawthorn (Wild apples)
• Mac cop fruit and pears
• Salmon floss

Where to buy Sapa food specialties? Suggestions for famous markets and shops

To find authentic and quality Sapa specialties, you can visit these reputable addresses:

• Sapa Market: Luong Dinh Cua Street, Sapa, Sapa, Lao Cai
• Sapa Agricultural Market: QL4D Street, Sapa, Sapa, Lao Cai
• OCOP Lao Cai Agricultural Products Store: 2A Muong Hoa, Sapa Town, Sapa, Lao Cai
• Specialty shops on Cau May Street, Fansipan: Find shops along main tourist streets like Cau May, Fansipan, Xuan Vien
• Specialty shops at Sun World Fansipan Legend tourist area: 89B Nguyen Chi Thanh, Fansipan Ward, Sapa, Lao Cai
• Buy directly from local people at tourist villages like Cat Cat, Ta Van, Ta Phin, etc.

Sapa cuisine - with subtle harmony between pure products of temperate climate and rich, rustic flavors of highland ethnic cultures - is an indispensable part of the journey exploring the "city in the clouds." From warm salmon hotpot, fragrant grilled meat skewers at night markets to precious mountain forest gifts like kitchen-smoked buffalo meat or shiitake mushrooms, don't hesitate to try and bring home these characteristic Sapa food specialties to make your trip more complete and memorable. Join Vietnam Airlines in exploring specialties of this land!