In Quang Ninh, home to 43 ethnic groups, traditional dishes not only preseve community memories, beliefs and cultural identities, but also serve as a “bridge” bringing indigenous culture into contemporary life and tourism.
At San Diu festivals in the eastern part of Quang Ninh or the Dai Phan Festival in Van Don, visitors are often impressed by the delicate flavour of khau nhuc, a familiar dish served during festivals and Lunar New Year celebrations of the San Diu community. Made from carefully selected pork belly marinated with various herbs and steamed for many hours, the dish is known for its tender texture, rich aroma and savoury taste without being overly fatty.
If the San Diu people preserve stories of family lineage through festive trays of food, many dishes of the Tay people in Binh Lieu are closely tied to seasonal cycles and highland agricultural life. In late October and early November each year, when upland rice ripens, many families hold ceremonies celebrating the new rice harvest to express gratitude to heaven, earth and their ancestors. The local Tay community also maintains traditional dishes such as father-and-mother “chung” cake, “cooc mo” cakes and five-colour sticky rice, all prepared from agricultural and forest products. These dishes reflect a culture closely connected with upland farming, folk beliefs and aspirations for prosperity and harmony with nature.
For the Dao Thanh Y people in Bang Ca of Quang La Commune, cuisine is distinguished by colourful sticky rice, chicken cooked with herbal leaves, traditional herbal yeast wine... Prepared from natural ingredients, these dishes reflect indigenous knowledge of medicinal herbs and concepts of yin-yang balance. During ceremonies marking the new rice harvest, dishes made from newly harvested rice, chicken and rice wine are first offered to ancestors before families gather for ameal, expressing gratitude to nature and strengthening community bonds.
Beyond the distinctive culinary traditions of the San Diu, Tay and Dao Thanh Y communities, Quang Ninh is also a cultural space shared by more than 40 ethnic groups, each with its own culinary identity. From the mountainous districts of Binh Lieu, Ba Che and Dam Ha to the coastal areas of Ha Long, Van Don and Co To Special Zone, each community has developed flavours shaped by its living environment, labour practices and history of cultural exchange.
By Ta Quan
