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11 Must-Try Sapa Foods and 1 to Avoid on Your Next Vietnam Trip

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2 months ago

Perched 1600 meters above sea level, where hillsides are enveloped in low-hanging clouds, rivers flow through the mountains, bamboo forests engulf the local landscapes, and terraced rice paddies crisscross terrains; Sapa is magical! 

Nestled within Vietnam’s northwestern region, Sapa is one of the most unique places in the country and isn’t too far off from the Chinese border. Different hilltop tribes have called these parts home for eons, and there’s a distinct mix of Vietnamese and Chinese influences — including Sapa food and its culture. 

Very rural and mountainous, the cuisine reflects this, with little seafood in these parts. Also, because of Sapa’s smaller size and positioning, for centuries locals have relied on ingredients that are readily available to them, including rice and even insects, as well as produce that thrives in cold temperatures. 

There isn’t an overload of restaurants, and markets and streetside foods are very popular. Get ready to try some unusual Sapa foods. I’ve compiled a list of the most popular Sapa food, as well as one dish you might want to avoid if you’re anything like me.

Sapa Food 

1. Cuốn sủi (Dry pho with sauce)

If you’re no phở-eating rookie, you’re in for a surprise with Sapa’s local rendition. Instead of the classic bowl of noodle soup (like the phở you find in Hanoi, Saigon, and Danang, where phở noodles float in a bone-rich broth), con sui is a “dry” phở dish with sauce. The noodles sit on just enough sauce to coat the bottom layer. 

This is topped with roasted peanuts, crispy fried shallots, beef (or sometimes pork), herbs, and some residents like to add sweet potato and boiled egg. Like things spicy? Add a heap of chili to bring out the flavors. 

Local (eating) tip: In Vietnam and Asia, when a dish is called “dry,” it typically means it is devoid of a soup base. A sauce usually accompanies the dish instead.

Another scrumptious phở dish to try from Sapa is phở chua, i.e., sour pho, with a soup base boiled from fermented Sapa veggies

Where to try in Sapa? Cốn Sủi Ông Há

2. Gà đến (Black chicken)

Striking black (hence the name), if you’re a fussy eater, don’t be put off by the color of this chicken (dish). 

— Hey, a huge part of traveling is getting out of your comfort zone and trying new things, right? —

Similarly to Hanoi’s Chicken Street, the best way to enjoy this gà (chicken) dish is when it’s BBQ’d and straight off the grill. In Sapa, it’s also usually slicked in honey and cooked until crispy over coals, or served as a hot pot

So, how does it get its black color? The chickens roam free range, and it’s due to the foods they eat around these hillsides. Locals also believe that gà đến has loads of medicinal properties and it’s often part of local natural remedies. 

Where to try in Sapa? Halosa Restaurant

3. Lợn cắp nách (Carried-under-arm pig)

First things first, the name of this local dish has nothing to do with carrying any pigs under your arm. Sort of. If you’re vegetarian, skip this. Freely roaming the farms and mountains around Sapa, this type of pig breed is very small. When caught, the piggies are carried off under the arm to the market. 

Anyway, back to the food. Lợn cắp nách features in many dishes, most commonly smoked until extra crispy and fatty, then chopped into chunks and accompanied with rice. Before cooking, it’s lathered in a bunch of spices similar to five spice (cinnamon, star anise, pepper, etc.), showcasing more of Sapa’s Chinese influences in cuisine.

Where to try in Sapa? Nhà Hàng Anh Dũng – Sapa

4. Xoi ngu sac (Five-colored sticky rice)

I ordered this side dish purely for the vibrant display of rainbow-colored sticky rice — but I could also eat rice with just about anything and every day of the week. 

Dyed by ingredients like turmeric, pandan, and magenta plants (which grow in abundance in Sapa), xoi ngu sac comprises five kinds of sticky rice in yellow, green, purple, red/brown, and white. It comes with an array of other Sapa foods, usually in the middle of the table/basket, and is a feast on the eyes.

Where to try in Sapa? Bắc Hà Market; Thắng Cố A Quỳnh

5. Lau ca tam (Salmon hot pot)

With no oceans in sight, the only seafood in these parts of Vietnam comes straight from the streams and rivers. A very popular Sapa food is the local salmon, thriving in the hilltop location’s cool climate. Salmon is one of my all-time favorite fish to eat, and so I indulged in it plenty. 

Find it in an array of local dishes, from grilled salmon to salmon hot pot, and a few more “upmarket” restaurants serve it sashimi-style

Another popular fish in Sapa is the small stream fish (cá suối). Wrapped with spices, herbs, chili, and tons of garlic, it’s fired up over the grill. The crispy skin is out of this world! 

Where to try in Sapa? Nhà hàng Cá Hồi Vua Sa Pa

6. Cháo tày (Tay porridge) 

Ready for another unusual one? While you may not realize it before looking below the surface, Vietnamese cuisine is filled with all sorts of weird and unusual meats. In the bigger cities, they’re easier to avoid. For example, snake is very popular in Hanoi. But in tiny little Sapa, there’s only so much variety. 

Cháo tày (Tay porridge) is sort of like congee, except for one major factor. The savory porridge is topped with eel, or sometimes bee pupae, or grilled… geckos

The dish is named after the Tay tribe of Sapa

Where to try in Sapa? The local food markets 

7. Tiết canh gà (Chicken blood pudding)

How brave are you? The Brits have their blood pudding; locals from Sapa have tiết canh gà, i.e., chicken blood pudding. 

Ground chicken organs are minced with local herbs, spices, and lemon leaves. The “tangy” soup is served raw, sometimes topped with peanuts, and accompanies other dishes. I’ve never tried it; never will, but there you go. 

Where to try in Sapa? Thắng Cố A Quỳnh and the local food markets.

8. Thang co (Horse meat soup) – 1 to Avoid

Originating from the H’mong tribe, thang co is one of the most famous Sapa foods. However, I have some qualms about it because the main ingredient in this local stew is horse meat. 

Horses are extremely sentient beings, and the mere thought of eating horse is enough to send me over the edge. I’m a pretty adventurous eater, but this is one dish I won’t tuck into. But, if you’re all about sampling the local cuisine wherever you go, you might feel differently, albeit it being a controversial contender

Cooked in a huge iron pan or pot, it contains horse organs and meat, buffalo, pork, and about 20 local herbs

P.S. BEWARE the smell! 

Where to try in Sapa? Thắng Cố A Quỳnh or the local markets 

Sapa Snacks, Sweets, and Drinks

9. Cơm Lam (Sticky rice cooked in bamboo shoots)

Smokey and salty; com lam is probably one of the most popular Sapa food snacks, and is sold all around the hills, town, and markets. A bamboo shoot (about 25 to 30 centimeters) is cleaned and emptied, then filled with uncooked sticky rice, salt, and river water. Steaming the bamboo shoot over a hot flame lends a real smokiness, and mixed with the aroma from the bamboo wood itself gives it a truly unique flavor

Locals cook it plain or often add mung bean or sesame seeds to the shoot before cooking. 

10. Thịt trau gac bep (Dried buffalo meat)

The equivalent to South African biltong, or beef jerky; thịt trau gac bep is simply dried buffalo meat. 

Spicing the meat first helps preserve it without any cooking. Then, the meat is hung above a fire for an extra smoky flavor, and then left to cure (whilst still hanging from a hook) for a minimum of a year (to 18 months). 

If you have ever had the pleasure of trying South African biltong (and if you haven’t, do yourself a favor. You can read more on South African foods here), the flavor profile of thịt trau gac bep is a little different, as its marinating spices are typically garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper — no coriander seeds here. 

11. Bánh hạt dẻ (Chestnut cake) 

Earthy, sweet, and nutty chestnuts are used for the baking of the crispy bánh hạt dẻ, or as we call it, chestnut cake. 

This sweet cake combines roasted puréed chestnuts, wheat flour, sugar, and soft green beans. The cakes are then topped with sesame seeds, and looks like a British crumpet-meets-scone.   

12. Tao Meo Sapa Wine (Assam Apple wine)

For when you’re feeling in the festive mood or are looking for a fantastic Sapa food keepsake, a bottle of Sapa wine goes down well. 

Similar to rice wine, Assam apples (a local Sapa Apple) are fermented for a crazy six to eight months in water. This process allows the apples to soak and draw out their juices, producing a brown alcohol.

It’s got a slight fizz from the acidity of the apples and is sweet yet sour and also a little bitter. We’ve got the Hmong tribe to thank for this one. 

Fresh produce to try

While we’re on the topic of apples, here are some of my other favorite fresh Sapa produce which you’ll want to try when you’re in town.

  • Wild black mushrooms
  • Pickled Sapa bamboo shoots
  • Wild Sapa chestnuts 
  • Mầm đá, i.e., stone sprouts, only found in Sapa and a vegetable that grows once a year.
  • Rau cải mèo, i.e. cat’s whiskers; a leafy green vegetable similar to mustard greens
  • Sapa peaches

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