Food Specialties of Cao Bang

Cao Bang is not only famous for its majestic natural scenery, but also attracts tourists with its typical mountainous dishes. Traditional cuisine associated with the indigenous culture of ethnic groups not only reflects their life and customs but also shows their sophistication and ingenuity in preparation and combinations of natural ingredients. Varying according to each season, dishes such as wild vegetables, stream fish, black pork, and hill chicken are always fresh and rich in flavor. A typical meal for receiving visitors normally includes 7-flavored roasted duck, wild vegetable (Melientha Suavis Pierre) soup, smoked sausage, black jelly or Mac Pup jelly. Leaf-fermented corn wine is indispensable during the meal, which shows the friendliness and hospitality of the mountain people. Cao Bang's products and food specialties like Xoi Tram Den (a delicious dish made from sticky rice and black canarium fruit), Coong Phu, Banh Cuon, Che Lam, Ap Chao, Phja Den Arrowroot vermicelli are in the top 100 food specialties and gifts of Vietnam.

The space to enjoy cuisine is in harmony with the beauty of folk art and culture such as on-stilt house culture and folk songs. Markets and festivals are where the culinary culture of ethnic groups is most clearly and vividly portrayed. In Cao Bang, visitors have the opportunity to enjoy delicious and irresistibly attractive dishes. The unique features of Cao Bang cuisine have been contributing to creating a unique and rich Vietnamese cuisine.

Cao Bang's rustic street food including Banh Ap Chao, crispy pâté bread, fragrant grilled chicken feet, Banh Duc, Banh Te, Banh Cao Chang, etc always makes it unforgettable for those who have enjoyed it. Just stop by any street food stalls, the journey to discover Cao Bang street food will bring visitors interesting experiences.

With a harmonious combination of traditional ethnic cuisine, street food and regional cuisine, Cao Bang has favorable conditions to develop culinary tourism. Cao Bang has carried out many practical measures to exploit and promote the beauty of culinary culture. Propaganda, training and raising public awareness about promoting the value of traditional products and specialties are also emphasized. Service quality, menu, food hygiene and safety have been continuously improved to meet the needs of diners. The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Cao Bang province organized a food contest named "delicious food of Cao Bang" to honor the province’s gastronomy. The contest aimed of introducing the province’s gastronomy, sharing experience in the field of chefs in the field while finding unique dishes bearing the typical culture of the locality.

International visitors enjoy the local cuisine

In recent years, local branded culinary products have not been able to fully develop their potential and have not made a clear impression. Most of the dishes known to many tourists are only prepared on a small scale at food stalls, restaurants, and accommodations that serve food. The organization of specialized culinary activities such as culinary cultural festivals and food fairs has not been paid attention to and implemented on a large scale. In fact, currently, there is no "food tour" in the province to specifically introduce Cao Bang's native cuisine to tourists. In addition, self-sufficient tourists who are not in groups often have to research culinary destinations on their own through the Internet and social networks. Cao Bang cuisine still cannot "stand alone" from the chain of tourism activities like many other provinces and cities.

To be able to form food tours with the Cao Bang brand, it requires the participation of all levels, sectors, businesses and the community. It is necessary to build a systematic culinary communication strategy with unique characteristics and imprints, make use of the application of digital technology platforms to promote culinary tourism, and increase investment in designing food tour maps so that tourists can explore Cao Bang cuisine for themselves. So, it not only helps diversify the experience for tourists, but also contributes to realizing the goal of developing tourism into a key economic sector of the province.