Whenever visiting any tourism destination in any country in the world, most travelers spend a considerable amount of time exploring and enjoying the wild wonders of cuisines there. Travellers to Halong Bay are no exception, and for good reason. There is so much incredible gastronomy at this charming Bay, for foodies and newcomers alike.
Favoured with the gifts of Mother Nature, Halong is famous for its variety of fresh and delicious seafood like crab, prawn, squid and snail as well as plenty of Vietnamese traditional foods. Travelling to Halong Bay, Vietnam without feasting on the following dishes would be a shame. Don’t miss out!
Cha Muc (Squid Sausage)
Cha Muc is the most famous food of Quang Ninh and also in the top 50 specialties of Vietnam. The main ingredient of Cha Muc, of course, is squid. However, according to local fishermen, the high quality dishes must use squid from the Halong area. The crunchy and delicate texture of this specific variety of squid, and the juicy flavour and attractive aroma of this dish goes perfectly well with Xôi (boiled rice, sticky rice) or Bánh Cuốn (a type of thin, steamed rice cake). This beautiful piece of culinary mastery is sold at many stores and stalls around the city and especially at Halong Market.
Sam (Horseshoe crab)
The meat of Sam can be processed into a lot of different foods, such as pudding crab, crab salad, sweet and sour crab legs, crab sauté with peppers and lemongrass, fried eggs and crab, steamed crabs, fried crab, fried crab’s cartilage, stir-fried crab and glass noodle. The endless menu of horseshoe crab is always awaiting the visitors in Halong, and it is ALWAYS fresher than you can get anywhere else!
Prawn, lobster and oyster Â
Halong Bay has many kinds of prawn, lobster, white pearl shrimp, or tiger shrimp. However, the most valuable and most delicious are prawn and lobster. There are two popular methods of prawn/lobster processing, steaming and breaded frying. However, steaming with using additional ingredients like beer or tubers lemongrass to remove the fishy smell is more preferable because people love to enjoy the natural taste it provides.
The best quality lobster and prawn are usually served on cruises, especially in top cruises. In luxury cruises such as Signature Cruise, Paradise Peak Cruise and Orchid Cruise, you would be definitely blown out by high class lobster dishes. It is always a wonderful moment to enjoy these dishes along magnificent scenes in Halong Bay.
Another well-known seafood in Halong Bay is oyster. Oyster is a nutrition-rich food and provides a plethora of energy for your body. Inside its hard-shell is blood-like red bowel, which carry the most delicious and nutritious part of an oyster. It can be eaten raw with a lemon slice or grilled with cheese.
Ngan
Ngan is a type of hard clam. In Vietnamese, Ngan means tasteless but in fact it is quite delicious and carries a very delicate and pleasant aftertaste. If you are planning on visiting Halong, you may have many Ngán dishes like grilled, steamed, deep-fried with vegetables. Amongst all products made from Ngan, the most famous one is Ngan wine. You should not miss the chance to experience this unique seafood when you come to Halong Bay. You can easily find it anywhere from street foods style to seafood restaurants in Halong.
Banh gat gu
Banh gat gu is made from steaming rice flour mixture. When you eat it, the cake is dipped in a special sauce, along with a piece of caramelized pork. This sauce is really a star of this dish. Having an okay or amazing experience with this food all depends on the sauce. The feeling of cool, soft cake and juicy pork is an enchanting culinary experience.
This would be a nice choice after devouring many seafood dishes. The origin of this cake is in Hoa Binh Street Tien Yen Town, Quang Ninh but you can easily try it in Halong.
These foods will absolutely make you fall in love with Halong Bay, so you must be sure that you try them all at least once. Try your best not to eat them all every day! Eating nice foods, meeting awesome people, visiting one of world heritage sites and sharing memorable moments with your beloved, how could it be more incredible!! Let’s take a tour to Halong to give a try!
