Crazy about food in San Thang

When mentioning Lai Chau, many people will say “what is there to do there”. Perhaps you have missed out on many interesting things by not including Lai Chau in your journey of discovery.

Coming to Lai Chau, you must definitely come and immerse yourself in the San Thang market which takes place every Thursday and Sunday. The market is located right on Highway 4D, about 5 km from the center of Lai Chau city. Coming here, you will see a lot of goods brought by local people such as: pigs, chickens, dogs; vegetables, agricultural tools, brocade clothes... and especially you will feel like you are lost in the world of typical cuisine. Travel enthusiasts often jokingly call it "San Thang market food tour".

You will be surprised to feel like you are lost in the world of cakes of the people in Lai Chau. No matter which stall you go to, everyone enthusiastically introduces the cakes and invites you to enjoy them. The fragrant, golden fried cakes are covered with a layer of honey that looks shimmering. The sticky rice cake at the market is quite special. The cake is made from finely pounded sticky rice dyed naturally purple instead of the traditional white color. The small, pretty sticky rice cake is wrapped in banana leaves, making anyone who sees it want to enjoy it.

Or like the rustic and simple looking cut cake wrapped in banana leaves, the ingredients are not elaborate but when you bite into it, you can immediately feel the aroma of sticky rice, the fatty taste of peanuts and sesame. The seller said that to make the cut cake, they have to prepare the ingredients from the day before, wake up early in the morning to knead and steam it. At 5am, the cake is displayed on a stall at San Thang market.

People explain the name of the cake like this: “The cake is made according to the length of the selling table. The longer the table, the longer the cake. The cake is rectangular and when sold, it is cut into small pieces, so it is called cut cake”. Just like that, the cut cake has been passed down for many generations and is loved by people.

The most typical cake at San Thang market is “banh bo”. Looking at the banh bo displayed on the table, the steam rising, the sweet aroma and the characteristic golden brown color make you stop to enjoy.

Ms. Huong, a Giay ethnic, said while cutting the cake: “The cake weighs 7 kg. Each market session only sells 2 because there are many sellers. The ingredients are not complicated, just rice and brown sugar, but it takes a lot of time to make.”

The cake has a honey yellow color, is spongy, melts lightly when put in the mouth, not greasy but only sweet on the tip of the tongue. The elegant taste of the cake becomes a very unique flavor, indispensable at San Thang market.

Before that on Saturday night, don’t forget to go to San Thang night market to enjoy horse meat thang co. The night market has many dishes but perhaps thang co is the dish that defines the brand of San Thang night market.

At 7 p.m., San Thang night market is packed with people. Groups of tourists or families from Lai Chau city also wait for the weekend to come here to eat thang co. "Anyone who is Mong knows about thang co. Any Mong man has cooked thang co at least once in his life." Those are the words that Mong people often say when asked about their ethnic specialty.

And now Lai Chau people say this: "If you go to Lai Chau, you must eat San Thang thang co. If you want to eat thang co, go to Lai Chau". To serve tourists, thang co restaurants here prepare spices more suitable for tourists from all regions, so that everyone can enjoy it.

Horse meat stew combined with a cup of fragrant corn wine is an inseparable dish in the daily life of the Mong people in Lai Chau. And now this dish is remembered by many diners from near and far when coming to Lai Chau.