Not only attracting tourists with the romantic beauty of the plateau and terraced fields stretching endlessly, Son La also has a rich cuisine culture with unique dishes that make all visitors impressed. Let’s see which are the must-try Son La specialties.
Nom da trau (buffalo skin salad)
The buffalo skin is thick, hard and tough. It is often used as a drum skin, however, in Son La, it is a special food that you should try at least once. To reduce toughness, Thai people have to process buffalo skin through stages. First, the buffalo skin is scorched to burn all the hair. Then they will scrape of the black outer until it becomes lighter. The next step is to soak the skin in cold water for hours to make the skin crispy.
Thai people do not use lemon or vinegar as the ingredients to make Nom da trau but they use fermented bamboo shoots. It creates a very different flavor for the dish. Sipping a cup of wine while enjoying the buffalo skin salad will be an interesting experience on your trip.
Pa Pinh Top (Grilled fishes)
Trust me, your trip to Son la will not be complete if you do not try Pa Pinh Top. Pa Pinh Top or also known as a special type of grilled fishes caught in rivers and streams in the Northwestern mountains area of Vietnam. This dish can be made from many kinds of fishes such as Lang fish, Chien fish or Tram fish, etc.
Many people like this famous grilled fish not only because of its culinary value but also by skillful hands of the processor. To make a tasty dish, people use a lot of spices such ass ginger, lemongrass, chili, herbs, onion, basil and a very important ingredient – mac khen. Then they fold the fish, nip it by a piece of bamboo and roast on the red charcoal.
Meat hanging up the kitchen – One of the most famous Son La specialties
Thit gac bep (meat hanging up the kitchen) is a very popular specialty of the Northwest area of Vietnam. However, the most famous one is Son La buffalo meat hanging up the kitchen.
Buffalo meat is sliced into pieces, marinated with spices then smoked with smoke of burnt trees growing on the rocky mountain. This is also the top choice to eat with some wine of the locals.
Com lam (bamboo-tube sticky rice)
Bamboo-tube sticky rice is a dish that you can easily see in the festivals of ethnic groups. However, nowadays, it is always available for tourists to buy at anytime and anywhere when coming to this province.
Sticky rice is soaked in water that is added some salt and grinded ginger then stuffed inside bamboo tubes and roasted in the fire. When it is done, you will separate the outer shell and enjoy the amazing taste of the sticky rice inside immediately. Locals usually eat Com Lam with Muoi Vung (toasted sesame mixed with salt). If you do not like Muoi Vung, you can try to dip Com Lam into Cham Cheo (a mixture of salt, grilled fresh chili, garlic and Mac Khen).
Besides the dishes listed above, you also should try other Son La specialties such as Nam Pia (buffalo’s small intestine), five-color steamed sticky rice, Mac Hung porridge and green elaeagnus latifolia wrapped in cabbage. Come and enjoy the most unique dishes in Son La!
