Traveling to Yen Tu, Quang Ninh? Remember to Bring Back These Local Specialties

1 Where is Yen Tu located?

Yen Tu, also known as the Yen Tu Special National Relic and Scenic Area, is a spiritual complex featuring a series of pagodas, hermitages, stupas, and statues, along with ancient forests and majestic natural scenery stretching from Doc Do to the summit of Yen Tu Mountain. 

Address: near Road 18A, in Thuong Yen Cong Commune, Uong Bi City, Quang Ninh Province.

See also: Yen Tu Pagoda – Leaving the crowded city behind to make a pilgrimage to a tranquil place

The spiritual complex of the Yen Tu Special National Relic and Scenic Area is considered the birthplace of the Truc Lam Zen sect in Vietnam from the late 13th century. On the summit of Yen Tu Mountain stands Dong Pagoda, located at an altitude of 1,068m above sea level. It lies within the overlapping mountain ranges of the Northeast region. Since ancient times, the forests and mountains of Yen Tu have been famous for their spectacular scenery and have been listed among Vietnam’s renowned mountains.

At such an altitude, Yen Tu Mountain has long been regarded as one of Vietnam’s renowned mountains. As early as the 10th century, the Taoist Yen Ky Sinh came here to practice and attain enlightenment. However, Yen Tu only truly became famous when King Tran Nhan Tong—a ruler during a prosperous period in the late 13th century—renounced his throne to practice here, study Buddhist teachings, and become the first patriarch of the Truc Lam Zen sect, with the title Dieu Ngu Giac Hoang.

See also: Exploring Trinh Pagoda, the sacred gateway to Yen Tu, Quang Ninh

2Top Yen Tu and Ha Long specialties you should buy as gifts

2.1 The first Yen Tu and Ha Long specialty to mention is bamboo shoots

When mentioning travel to Yen Tu, the first specialty that every visitor remembers is bamboo shoots. Yen Tu bamboo shoots are a famous specialty that has existed for a long time, estimated to date back to the period when the Yen Tu mountain region of Quang Ninh was first reclaimed. During each important festival on Yen Tu Mountain, it is easy to see large numbers of tourists flocking to Western Yen Tu to enjoy bamboo shoots that are both fragrant and nutty, carrying the distinctive flavor of Quang Ninh’s forests and mountains. Yen Tu bamboo shoots can be prepared in various ways, including soup, stir-frying, boiling, and pickling.

A special feature of Yen Tu bamboo shoots is their long, slender, and firm stalks. Cooks prepare them with stir-fried goat or veal to enhance the flavor of the dish. Another point is that dishes made with Yen Truc bamboo shoots must include celery, fresh scallions, and ground pepper.

Although this is a fairly simple and easy-to-make dish, what makes Yen Tu and Ha Long bamboo shoots special is their distinctive flavor, a unique taste found only here. A characteristic of Yen Tu bamboo shoots is that once cooked, they no longer have the sour and bitter taste found in most ordinary bamboo shoots.

See also: When traveling to Ha Long, remember to try all the specialties on this list

2.2 Banh che lam

This Yen Tu specialty, banh che lam, must have left anyone who has tried it “completely captivated” from the very first bite. You will sense a wonderfully harmonious combination among the ingredients in this banh che lam.

This Yen Tu and Ha Long specialty has the soft, chewy texture and distinctive fragrance of Yen Tu glutinous rice flour. Each piece releases sweet syrup that melts in your mouth, the warm spiciness of ginger, and a little rich nuttiness from roasted peanuts. Together, they create a classic, fascinating, and refined combination that passes through many different emotional nuances.

This Yen Tu and Ha Long specialty, banh che lam, is often enjoyed during the cold winter in Quang Ninh. When temperatures drop and you are holding a steaming bowl of banh che lam in your hands, it can feel “warmer than your ex-lover.”

See also: Hanoi banh che lam – A specialty infused with the spirit of the Vietnamese countryside

2.3 Fiddlehead greens

This Yen Tu and Ha Long specialty usually grows in Yen Tu during spring. Long ago, when local people went to work in their fields, they would carry baskets and, during their lunch break, pick wild vegetables to prepare for meals. Among the countless plants growing densely in Yen Tu’s forests, one particularly special and popular vegetable later became a Yen Tu specialty: fiddlehead greens. This vegetable looks like a fern but is smaller, with branches and leaves that spread outward.

This is an extremely delicious and unique specialty of the Yen Tu mountain region. Fiddlehead greens are not only a popular food but also a herb that helps treat several common ailments. In addition, local people use them to make a decoction for women to drink after giving birth. The tender leaves can be boiled, cooked, stir-fried, or made into a salad.

2.4 No list of Yen Tu and Ha Long specialties would be complete without Yen Tu apricot wine

Yen Tu apricot wine has been produced by Thang Long Beer Company since 2006. It is now the most famous wine in the area and always holds a place in visitors’ hearts whenever they have the chance to visit Yen Tu Mountain. This wine has an amber color and a warming sensation in the stomach. When enjoying Yen Bai apricot wine, you will taste a pleasantly sweet and sour flavor. Although it has a rustic character, it is in no way inferior to imported wines available in Vietnam. 

Yen Tu and Ha Long specialty apricot wine also has several notable effects, such as improving stomach pain because its acid content is higher than that of lemons, cooling and detoxifying the body, improving abdominal pain or constipation, and helping relieve fatigue and regulate blood circulation throughout the body. 

2.5 Banh tai long ep

Banh tai long ep is a signature cake of Quang Ninh Province, originating from the San Diu people of the province. It is dark brown and prepared as one large slab; vendors cut off pieces according to how much each customer buys.

Preparing this cake is rather elaborate. It has the characteristic chewiness of glutinous rice and a mild sweetness from honey. Banh tai long ep is not only a snack or casual treat but is also used as an offering during festivals and Tet.

2.6 Yen Tu forest-flower honey

Wild honey is considered a daily nutritious food by some people. Many enjoy it because it is good for their health and has a gentle, mild sweetness. In most tourist destinations that make use of the natural forests and mountains, honey is always a sought-after product among visitors. Yen Tu is no different. Nature has been exceptionally generous to this area, giving humanity a premium forest-flower honey that cannot be found everywhere.

Yen Tu forest-flower honey is said to beautify the skin, reduce fatigue, restore muscles, regulate blood sugar, relieve coughs in children, and boost energy in adults. Flower honey helps with beauty, increases energy, reduces muscle fatigue, regulates blood sugar, and relieves coughs. The honey is dark yellow, thick, and may crystallize. However, even when crystallized, its quality does not change.

2.7 Yen Tu one-leaf betel

One-leaf betel, also known as tien betel, can only be grown in Yen Tu, Quang Ninh Province. It is considered a one-of-a-kind Yen Tu and Ha Long specialty found here. One-leaf betel grows at elevations above 400m above sea level, on lofty mountain peaks or beneath the canopies of damp, deep forests.

The betel leaves are soaked in alcohol together with other ingredients such as lesser galangal, wild ginger, star anise, cinnamon, and tien nien kien root, creating a massage oil that is highly effective in treating colds, wind sickness, and bone and joint pain.

For visitors, traveling to Yen Tu is a return to a place of inner freedom. You can experience a sense of lightness while visiting the distinctive spiritual and cultural complexes here. Along with that, the Yen Tu and Ha Long specialties are also good for your health, so why not buy some specialty gifts for your family and loved ones? Hopefully, the information above will be useful to you. Have a wonderful trip, and remember to share those moments with MIA.vn!