Dishes of Mong people in Na Hau commune.

Typical and diverse dishes imbued with the local cultural identity of Van Yen district have helped the locality become more attractive to tourists.

Local popular dishes include Na Hau sturgeon, Mit fish, Chiem Huong rice, Na Hau black chicken, "lon cap nach" ("carried-under-arm” pig), blue-necked duck, stream fish and snail, medicine soup of Dao ethnic minority people, fermented pork, banh te (rice cake with minced pork, onions, wood ears fillings), banana cake, banh gu (humpback cake) and men men (steamed minced corn).

Materials for these dishes are usually taken from forests or in gardens of local residents, which are always fresh and full-flavoured.

The dishes are made by locals based on their traditional recipes. To cook mouth-watering dishes, they combine spices such as "doi" seeds, "mac khen" seeds, pepper, chili, and scented leaves…

With the goal of promoting and introducing local specialties to people and tourists, the district’s authority will host a food festival for the first time on March 26 in the resort of Dai Phu An Herbal Medicine Co., Ltd in Mau A town.

The highlight of the festival will be a culinary competition. Other activities include an exhibition introducing specialty and organic products; an art performance and cultural exchange programme, and a sports event. 

The festival is expected to contribute to promoting local specialties to visitors, thus opening a new opportunity for the locality to develop food tourism in the future.