When night falls, a unique culinary culture of Sa Pa captivates diners amidst the characteristic cold, hardened cold of the Northwest mountains and forests. Throughout the streets of Sa Pa, especially Cau May neighborhood, Xuan Vien street and the city's central night market, you will easily be attracted to irresistible delicious grilled food stalls.
Sa Pa grilled food is special in the unique combination of unique spices from the mountains and forests. Spices such as goi seeds, macadamia, ginger, lemongrass, and wild chili are used to marinate. In particular, macadamia and goi seeds bring a strong, nutty fragrance at the tip of the tongue that only this Northwest land has.
Sa Pa grilled food is not limited to a few dishes but is a rich culinary world, showing the creativity and exploitation of natural resources of the local ethnic people.
Grilled skewers are the "key" dish of night eateries in Sa Pa. Pork, chicken or beef are deeply marinated, grilled on charcoal, creating a characteristic aroma of highland spices mixed with the sweetness of the meat.
The menu of grilled skewers is extremely diverse, including: mushroom meat rolls, cat-tailed meat rolls, birds, cows, goats, boneless chicken feet... Besides, there are also vegetables and fruits such as sweet potatoes, corn, cassava, eggplant, gourds... and some dry foods such as kitchen-smoked buffalo meat, sausage, grilled chicken eggs...
The price of grilled skewers is quite "affordable", only from 10,000 - 50,000 VND/slice depending on the type. Besides ordering individual dishes, tourists can also choose grilled combos pre-set up by many restaurants according to portions, making ordering more convenient and saving time.
In addition, grilled stream fish, grilled chicken and grilled armpit pork are also Sa Pa specialties that tourists hunt for.
Grilled rice - a traditional dish of the Mong and Dao people is also loved by many diners. Highland sticky rice is washed clean, put in young bamboo tubes, add a little salt and then grilled on charcoal until it emits a fragrant aroma. When eating, diners peel off the bamboo peel and enjoy the chewy and fragrant white rice.
The best time to enjoy Sa Pa grilled food is in the evening or early morning of winter, when fog is spreading throughout the city. Visitors can both enjoy hot grilled meat and inhale the cold of the mountains and forests.
