Nestled at the top of the country, Lao Cai is as beautiful as a majestic natural picture, captivating people's hearts. This place is known as the "land of fog" with towering mountains and green terraced fields filled with romantic mist all year round.

Coming to Lao Cai, visitors will admire Fansipan - the roof of Indochina, conquered Say hello - Magical foggy town, often lost in And you - poetic "white cloud paradise". Besides beautiful nature, Lao Cai also attracts tourists because Unique culture and rich cuisine. Visitors will be able to immerse themselves in the dances and melodious music of ethnic minorities, and enjoy specialties with rich mountain flavors such as salmon hotpot, thang co, five-color sticky rice,...

And when traveling to Lao Cai, don't forget to bring these things back specialty famous here as gifts for relatives and friends.

Lao Cai is a famous tourist destination in the North with many outstanding landscapes such as Sapa, Fansipan peak, Y Ty or Bat Xat,...

See more: Travel to Sapa 3 days 2 nights: Itinerary & Experience

1. Buffalo meat in Sapa kitchen - Lao Cai specialty 

Kitchen buffalo meat, also known as dried buffalo meat or smoked buffalo meat, is a specialty dish of Lao Cai in particular and the Northwest region in general. Stove buffalo meat is loved by many people because of the natural sweetness of buffalo meat mixed with the spiciness of chili, the strong taste of mac Khen, and the aroma of kitchen smoke. This dish not only attracts tourists because of its delicious and unique flavor but also because of its extremely special way of processing.

Kitchen buffalo meat is said to originate from the Black Thai ethnic group living in the Northwest. Due to harsh living conditions and lack of food, the Black Thai people have created a method of preserving buffalo meat by smoking it on a wood stove. Thanks to this unique processing method, buffalo meat can be preserved for a long time while still retaining its delicious flavor.

• Where to buy Lao Cai specialty - kitchen buffalo meat: Note that when buying this Lao Cai specialty, you should buy it at reputable stores with clear origins. Or you can buy it at Sapa market or Bac Ha market. However, you need to be careful when choosing because here you can even sell buffalo meat of unknown origin.

• Reference price: The price of dried buffalo meat ranges from 700,000 - 1,500,000 VND/kg

2. Lam rice - Specialty of Lao Cai, Northwest

Lam rice is a symbol of Northwest cuisine and will be one of the ideal suggestions for those who are looking for Lao Cai specialties as gifts. Lam rice tubes are made from upland sticky rice, giving them elasticity and fragrant texture. This Lao Cai specialty is grilled over charcoal, creating a characteristic dark crust. While measuring, the rice inside still retains its pure whiteness and characteristic aroma. To fully enjoy the flavor of lam rice, you can buy additional sesame salt. 

Although this Lao Cai specialty makes many people worry about the preservation time not being too long. However, according to local people, Lam rice can be kept in the refrigerator for 5 to 6 days. When eating, just put it in the microwave to reheat and you can enjoy it. 

• Suggested some places selling Northwest specialty bamboo-tube rice: Sapa barbecue area, tourist villages such as Cat Cat village or Lao Cai restaurants and specialty shops,... 

• Reference price: About 30,000 - 50,000 VND/tube

3. Bac Ha green rice - Fragrant Lao Cai specialty

When talking about Lao Cai specialties, you probably can't ignore Com Bac Ha. This is a Lao Cai specialty as a gift that many people choose. 

Bac Ha green rice is considered one of the most delicious green rice in Vietnam. Com has a delicious, delicate flavor that is hard to match anywhere else. The grains are large, even, flexible, naturally green in color, with a faint aroma of new rice mixed with a sweet, nutty flavor. Bac Ha green rice should be stored in a dry, cool place, away from direct sunlight. Can be stored for about 1 week at room temperature or 2 weeks in the freezer.

• Place to buy Lao Cai specialties - Bac Ha green rice: Highland Cultural Market, or local markets in Lao Cai such as: Bac Ha market, Sapa market,...

• Reference price: About 100,000 - 200,000 VND/kg. The price of Bac Ha green rice may change depending on the time and location of sale.

Bac Ha green rice is made from young sticky rice grown on the towering terraced fields of the Tay and Dao people in the Bac Ha mountains.

4. Pig tongue bamboo shoots - Lao Cai mountain and forest specialty

Pig tongue bamboo shoots are a specialty of Lao Cai, often found in high mountainous areas such as Sapa, Bat Xat, and Bao Thang. This type of bamboo shoot has an elongated, curved shape like a pig's tongue, the skin is dark brown, and when peeled, the inside is ivory white. Pig tongue bamboo shoots have a sweet taste, are crunchy and have a characteristic aroma of the mountains and forests.

You should buy pork tongue bamboo shoots in the fall, when bamboo shoots are in season. When buying pork tongue bamboo shoots, you should choose bamboo shoots that are dark brown in color, have shiny skin, and are not moldy or dull.

• Where to buy Lao Cai specialty - pork tongue bamboo shoots: Can be bought at local markets in Lao Cai such as: Bac Ha market, Sapa market or at Lao Cai specialty stores,...

• Reference price: ranges from 50,000 to 100,000 VND/kg. The price of pork tongue bamboo shoots may vary depending on the time and location of sale.

5. Wild shiitake mushrooms - nutritious Lao Cai specialty

Lao Cai wild shiitake mushrooms with their characteristic aroma and sweet taste are also a suggestion for those who do not know what specialties Lao Cai has as gifts. Mushrooms grow naturally in old forests, where the climate is chilly all year round, creating a unique, unforgettable flavor.

Sapa forest shiitake mushrooms only grow after summer showers, usually appearing in June to August. Ethnic minorities in villages often go into the forest to pick mushrooms early in the morning. Then, they string the mushrooms into small skewers to sell to tourists at markets as a specialty of Lao Cai and Sapa town.

• Place to buy Lao Cai specialty as a gift - wild shiitake mushrooms: You can visit the weekly markets held by ethnic minorities or visit Sapa market to buy Lao Cai specialties as gifts for relatives. 

• Reference price: Prices range from 30,000 VND to 50,000 VND/string, each string weighs about 1 or 2 ounces. 

Visitors can find and buy many types of Lao Cai specialties as gifts for relatives at night markets and local markets.

6. Cat apple - Lao Cai specialty as a gift

Cat apple, also known as medlar, is a specialty fruit of the Northwest mountains, especially Lao Cai. Cat apples have a sour, mildly astringent taste, strong aroma and have many good health effects.

Lao Cai cat apples are popular with many people because of their delicious taste and great health benefits such as supporting digestion, reducing blood fat, supplementing vitamin C, strengthening the immune system,...

• Where to buy Lao Cai specialty as a gift - cat apples: You can buy Lao Cai cat apples at specialty stores or at markets in Lao Cai. When buying apples, you should choose fruits that are dark red in color, have shiny skin, and are not crushed.

• Reference price: Cat apples, large, beautiful fruits, cost about 50,000 - 60,000 VND/1kg. The average type costs from 20,000 - 30,000 VND/1kg. The selling price of dried cat apples usually ranges from 150,000 - 180,000 VND/1kg.

7. Meo apple wine - Passionate flavor of Lao Cai

In addition to fresh cat apples, cat apple wine is also a suggestion in the list of Lao Cai specialties as gifts for those who are looking for them. This wine has a shiny yellow color, a characteristic sweet and sour taste and the passionate aroma of the Northwest mountains and forests. Apple cider vinegar is not only a delicious drink but also has many good health effects such as: helping good digestion, reducing blood fat, supporting the heart,...

• Place to buy Lao Cai specialty as a gift - apple cider: You can buy Lao Cai cat apples at specialty stores or at markets in Lao Cai. When buying apples, you should choose fruits that are dark red in color, have shiny skin, and are not crushed.

• Reference price: About 100,000 VND for a one-liter bottle or about 10-liter bottle, its price will fluctuate around 600,000 VND.

8. San Lung wine - Lao Cai specialty of the Red Dao people

If you are a wine lover and don't know what specialties Lao Cai has, don't miss the wine of the Red Dao people - San Lung Wine when coming to Lao Cai. San Lung wine is made from upland rice that is being fermented into milk, sticky rice grown on high terraced fields, where the climate is cold all year round. Thanks to that, San Lung sticky rice grains have a unique aroma and contain many nutritional essences. San Lung wine is produced according to the traditional process of the Red Dao people, going through many meticulous and elaborate stages. 

Sticky rice is harvested, dried, and then cooked into rice. Sticky rice is fermented with wild leaves for many days until fermented. Finally, the wine is distilled by hand to retain its delicious flavor. This Lao Cai specialty wine has a shiny yellow color, a sweet, spicy taste and the passionate aroma of forest leaf yeast. 

• Place to buy Lao Cai specialty as a gift - San Lung wine: You can buy cat cider at wineries in the Bat Xat area, Lao Cai. 

• Reference price: about 27,000 VND/1 liter. Price may vary depending on time and location of sale.

Lao Cai specialty - San Lung wine is made from upland rice that is being fermented into milk, sticky rice grown on famous terraced fields in the Northwest.

9. Sapa vegetables - Lao Cai specialty make a cool gift

With a cold, cool climate all year round, Lao Cai in general and Sapa in particular have ideal conditions to grow many special types of vegetables. The list of Lao Cai specialties as gifts includes many seemingly unique fresh vegetables in Sapa. That's mustard greens.

Sapa mustard greens are characterized by their unique flavor, with both bitter and sweet flavors. This Sapa specialty mustard variety is very crunchy, first you will feel a slight bitter taste, then you will feel the sweetness that lingers on the tip of your tongue. If you first eat it, if you find it bitter, you won't eat it anymore, but if you keep eating it, you will feel the sweetness. According to the shares of ethnic people Butt native, you should choose to buy small mustard greens with tiny white hairy leaves. They will taste better when prepared than large ones.

In addition to mustard greens, you can also buy other Lao Cai specialty vegetables as gifts such as chayote vegetables/tops, kale, and cauliflower. The vegetables here are all very fresh and delicious!

• Place to buy Lao Cai specialty as a gift - Sapa vegetables: You can buy it at local markets in Lao Cai. 

• Reference price: The price of vegetables in Lao Cai is not expensive, only about a few tens of thousands of VND/kg, depending on the type.   

With a cool climate all year round, Lao Cai and Sapa have many favorable conditions to grow many delicious vegetables.

10. Tam Hoa plum - Lao Cai specialty fruit

Tam Hoa plum is a Lao Cai specialty fruit. Anyone who comes here must taste the unforgettable sweet and sour taste of this famous fruit. Tam Hoa plum is most grown in Bac Ha district, Lao Cai. 

• Place to buy Lao Cai specialty as a gift - Tam Hoa plum: You can buy it at places like Bac Ha Market, Hoa Man valley,... 

• Reference price: Tam Hoa plums come in all types, priced from 10,000 - 100,000 VND/kg depending on the quality and size of the fruit.

In addition, you can also buy some other specialties of Lao Cai such as: Seng Cu rice, wild honey, Thang co, armpit pork,... When buying Lao Cai specialties as gifts, you should choose to buy them. at reputable stores to ensure quality. You should choose dry, easy-to-preserve specialties so that you can bring them home easily and ensure the quality of these Lao Cai specialties.

To ensure the freshness of Lao Cai specialties as gifts, you can choose fast, time-saving means of transportation. The fastest and most convenient way to move from Lao Cai to Hanoi is to choose an interprovincial bus. For tourists from Ho Chi Minh City, neighboring provinces or in the Central - Central Highlands region, choosing to buy air tickets from Hanoi is the fastest way to travel. One-way direct flights from Hanoi and round-trip flights to provinces and cities at Vietjet It only takes about 2 hours, helping you save travel time in an optimal way.

Don't hesitate any longer, pack your backpack, visit this beautiful land in the Northwest and bring home delicious specialty gifts for your loved ones! Choosing to travel with Vietjet, your trip to Lao Cai will be easier than ever. Currently, Vietjet is having a promotion program for 0 VND air tickets at 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. every day. Find out now HERE. 

Above are suggestions for those who are looking for information about what specialties Lao Cai has. Hopefully this article will help you choose Lao Cai specialties as gifts for your relatives and friends.

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