Sour pho, Ha Giang is a unique delicacy that will definitely make many tourists curious to learn when they have the opportunity to come to Ha Giang. There are a lot of ingredients for sour pho, so you won’t get bored eating it quickly, it has a strange sour taste, so it will definitely suit the taste of lovers who like to eat sour. Let’s explore more about this famous dish of Ha Giang with Karst Plateau.
1. Introduction to Sour pho, Ha Giang
1.1 Origin of sour pho, Ha Giang
Sour pho is one of the famous specialties in Ha Giang
Referring to the cuisine of the Northeast and Ha Giang, tourists will often mention dishes such as Au Tau porridge, Corn wine, Dried buffalo meat, Shan Tuyet tea, Thang co, etc. However, few people mention sour pho, Ha Giang – An equally famous delicacy in this land.
This delicacy originated from the Manchu Qing Dynasty of China, about 300 years ago.
After being introduced to Vietnam, people called it sour pho because of its characteristic cool taste. In the past, people in Ha Giang often used sour pho on the occasion of death. However, today, the people here choose sour pho as a dish for breakfast. In the cold weather of Ha Giang morning, enjoying a bowl of warm and sour pho is nothing more wonderful.
1.2 Ingredients to make delicious Sour pho
Pho Cake is made from upland rice so they are white, soft, chewy, and naturally fragrant
To be able to make delicious and sour pho with the right taste, ingredients are one of the important factors. The first is that pho must be fresh pho softly coated from rice grown in the village. The second is toppings such as roast duck, fried pork, minced garlic, sausages, and peanuts fried in oil.
The condiment that makes up the dish’s signature taste is the sweet, sour broth made according to the standard recipe of vinegar and sugar, along with tapioca flour. When eating to reduce boredom, serve with papaya and grated cucumber. And the ingredients of sour pho in the mountain town are completely natural, fresh, clean, planted, and taken from the forest by the villagers themselves, so the bowl of pho has a very attractive natural sweet taste and is full of nutrition.
2. How to prepare Sour pho in Ha Giang
During a trip to Ha Giang, visitors can enjoy sour pho cooked by the people of Ha Giang themselves and can learn how to cook this dish. In contrast to the simplicity of finding ingredients, the way to prepare the dish is quite sophisticated.
The sour water is made from vinegar and sugar, creating a unique flavor for sour pho, Ha Giang
First, the people must order the pho cake separately, ensuring it is soft and fresh. Next, they make the salty filling topping for the pho dish using fragrant sausage. They also roast the duck until it is crispy and fragrant and cook the peanuts in oil before pounding them.
The soul of this sour pho lies in the broth. This is the key ingredient that makes Ha Giang’s sour pho different. The water is stewed from the bones, simmered. The bone broth will then be seasoned to have enough acidity and sweetness.
At the presentation stage, the pho cake will be spread evenly on a plate and then add delicious sausage and a few pieces of golden roast duck meat. Adding to the dish are a few tops of basil that bring up the flavor and mashed greasy peanuts.
Finally, the worker will pour in sweet and sour broth to form a bowl of sour pho in Ha Giang style.
3. How to enjoy sour pho properly?
When the bowl of Ha Giang sour pho has been laid out, you can add a little stir-fried chili, or chili sauce to have a spicy, numbing taste on the tip of the tongue to enhance the taste of the dish. Sour pho has a cool taste, chewy noodles, and spices mixed evenly on the consistency, both sweet and sour taste which makes many diners nostalgic.
When eating, visitors should add a little sour vinegar or spicy pangolin chili sauce to make the dish more stimulating to the taste buds
Going on a trip to Ha Giang, you can enjoy sour pho at markets on the rocky plateau. Sitting on rustic wooden benches, waiting for the owner to make a bowl of pho, while enjoying the sweet aroma and watching the process of creating a complete bowl of pho will be an extremely interesting experience for you.
To enjoy a bowl of sour and sweet pho, you must drink it with a little corn wine – a fragrant specialty wine of the Mong ethnic group to be standard. Besides, watching the bustling people trading in the market and listening to a few stories of the local people will help you discover more interesting things about this place.
4. Where to eat Sour Pho, Ha Giang?
4.1 Pho Chua gia truyen Hien Luong
Hien Luong Restaurant has a spacious, airy space and is a family-owned restaurant
Quan Hien Luong Ha Giang is the place to sell the best quality and standard sour pho in the region. This place is only about 1km from Ha Giang bus station, so it is extremely convenient for tourists to stop by to eat as soon as they get off the bus.
Quan Hien Luong provides a large and airy space, so visitors will not feel pumpkin when sitting for a long time. With a signature flavor that has been preserved for generations, the restaurant is the perfect place for you to enjoy sour pho.
Address: 12 Bach Dang, Ha Giang city, Ha Giang province
Price range: 25,000 VND – 35,000 VND
Opening hours: 7 a.m – 9:30 p.m
4.2 Ly Dinh
Ly Dinh Restaurant serves quickly, does not let customers wait long, the owner is extremely generous when adding toppings for diners
This is one of the famous addresses to enjoy delicious and sour pho in Ha Giang. The sour pho here has a rich flavor, the noodles are white, and the mouth is both soft and chewy, with a natural taste. And especially the broth here is quite natural, sour, sweet, and easy to eat.
The space of the restaurant is extremely spacious and can accommodate up to hundreds of guests. The staff and owner are quite enthusiastic and quick. So when you come here, you will not have to wait in line for a long time.
Address: 543 Nguyen Trai, Ha Giang City, Ha Giang Province
Price: 35,000 VND – 70,000 VND
Opening hours: 7 am – 9 pm.
4.3 Dong Van Fair Market
Another interesting place to enjoy sour pho is at Dong Van fair market, extremely rustic but also very delicious
Finally, besides exploring Ha Giang City to enjoy sour pho, you can also find markets to experience. In particular, Karst Plateau highly encourages you to come to Dong Van Fair Market. The market is only open every Sunday, so you also need to pay attention! This is one of the large-scale markets in the Ha Giang area, so besides eating delicious food, you can also find many other specialties of Ha Giang or buy very beautiful brocade dresses!
Unlike other indoor restaurants, here you will sit on benches and wait for the owner to make a bowl of pho. The interesting point is that you can both enjoy and see each step to make a complete sour pho. This dish is not only attractive to locals but also to tourists. So, don’t miss it!
Address: Dong Van Town – Ha Giang
Reference price: 25,000 VND – 50,000 VND
Opening hours: Every Sunday
Sour pho, Ha Giang is a unique, delicious, and attractive dish. This dish deserves to be ranked among the top must-see specialties when coming to the Rock Plateau. If you have the opportunity to visit Ha Giang, don’t forget to enjoy this delicacy to feel the special taste that only this land has. Karst Plateau wishes you a delicious meal and a memorable trip.