When traveling to Yen Tu, Quang Ninh, remember to bring home these specialties

1 Where is Yen Tu located?

Yen Tu, also known as the Yen Tu Scenic Relic Complex, is a spiritual complex featuring a series of pagodas, shrines, towers, and statues, surrounded by ancient primeval forests and magnificent natural landscapes extending from Doc Do slope all the way to the peak of Yen Tu Mountain. 

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

See more: Yen Tu Pagoda - Leaving the bustling city behind for a pilgrimage to a peaceful sanctuary

The spiritual complex of the Yen Tu Scenic Relic Complex is considered the cradle of the Truc Lam Zen sect from the late 13th century in Vietnam. At the summit of Yen Tu Mountain stands Dong Pagoda, situated at an altitude of 1,068m above sea level amidst the rolling mountain range of the Northeast. Since ancient times, the forests and mountains of Yen Tu have been renowned for their spectacular scenery and listed among the sacred mountains of Vietnam.

With such an altitude, Yen Tu Mountain has long been considered a celebrated mountain of Vietnam. As early as the 10th century, Taoist master An Ky Sinh arrived here to practice and attain enlightenment, but Yen Tu only truly became famous when King Tran Nhan Tong—a monarch at the height of his reign in the late 13th century—renounced the throne to practice asceticism, study Buddhism, and become the First Patriarch of the Truc Lam Zen sect under the title Dieu Ngu Giac Hoang.

See more: Discover Trinh Pagoda - The sacred gateway to Yen Tu, Quang Ninh

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

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

When speaking of Yen Tu tourism, the first specialty that every visitor remembers is bamboo shoots. Yen Tu bamboo shoots are a famous local delicacy that has existed for ages, dating back to the reclamation era of this mountainous region in Quang Ninh. During major festivals at Yen Tu Mountain, you will easily see crowds of tourists flocking to Western Yen Tu to enjoy dishes made from fragrant, nutty bamboo shoots imbued with the distinct flavors of the Quang Ninh mountains and forests. Yen Tu bamboo shoots can be prepared in various ways, from soups, stir-fries, and boiled dishes to pickles.

The distinctive feature of Yen Tu bamboo shoots is their slender, firm stalks. Chefs often cook bamboo shoots with stir-fried goat meat or veal to enhance the dish's flavor. Furthermore, dishes prepared with Yen Tu bamboo shoots typically include celery, fresh scallions, and ground pepper.

Although these dishes are quite simple and easy to make, the uniqueness of Yen Tu - Ha Long bamboo shoots gives them a distinct, signature flavor that can only be found here. A characteristic highlight of Yen Tu bamboo shoots is that once cooked, they lose the sourness and bitterness common in most ordinary bamboo shoots.

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

2.2 Che lam cake

This Yen Tu specialty, che lam cake, will undoubtedly captivate anyone who tastes it from the very first bite. You will savor the harmonious blend of ingredients that make up this traditional treat.

This Yen Tu - Ha Long specialty cake features a soft, chewy texture and the distinctive aroma of Yen Tu glutinous rice flour, bursting with sweet molasses melting in the mouth, the warm spiciness of ginger, and the rich nuttiness of roasted peanuts. It is truly a classic, delightful, and refined combination that evokes a rich spectrum of sensations.

This Yen Tu - Ha Long specialty, che lam cake, is often enjoyed during the chilly winters of Quang Ninh; when temperatures drop, holding a piping-hot portion of che lam cake is even 'warmer than your ex.'

See more: Hanoi che lam cake - A delicacy steeped in Vietnamese countryside soul

2.3 Don vegetable

This Yen Tu - Ha Long vegetable specialty typically sprouts in the spring in Yen Tu. Long ago, while working in the terraced fields, locals would carry back-baskets and pick wild vegetables during their noon break to prepare meals. Among the myriad of wild plants growing lushly in the Yen Tu forest, one very special vegetable loved by many eventually became a Yen Tu specialty: rau don (wild fern). This vegetable resembles a fern plant but is smaller in size, with fronds spreading outward.

This is an exceptionally delicious and unique specialty of the Yen Tu mountainous region. Rau don is not only a popular edible green but also an herbal remedy used to treat several common ailments. In addition, local residents brew don vegetable water for postpartum women to drink. People typically harvest the young shoots and fronds to boil, cook in soups, stir-fry, or toss in salads.

2.4 Yen Tu apricot wine - An unmissable Yen Tu - Ha Long specialty

Yen Tu apricot wine has been produced by Thang Long Beer Company since 2006; it is now the most famous in the region and always holds a special place in the hearts of visitors whenever they visit Yen Tu Mountain. This wine features an amber color with a warming sensation. Tasting Yen Tu apricot wine, you will experience a pleasant sweet-and-sour flavor that, despite its rustic character, rivals imported wines in Vietnam. 

The Yen Tu - Ha Long specialty apricot wine also offers notable health benefits, such as soothing stomach aches due to its high organic acid content, clearing heat and detoxifying the body, relieving abdominal discomfort or constipation, as well as dispelling fatigue and promoting healthy blood circulation throughout the body. 

2.5 Tai long ep cake

Tai long ep cake is a specialty in Quang Ninh Province originating from the San Diu ethnic community. The cake has a deep brown color and is made in large slabs, sliced to order for customers.

The preparation of tai long ep cake is quite elaborate; the cake has the chewiness of special glutinous rice and a delicate sweetness from molasses. Tai long ep cake is not only a snack for leisure but also a ceremonial cake offered during festive occasions and Tet.

2.6 Yen Tu wild forest flower honey

Wild honey is considered a daily nutritious staple by many who appreciate it for its health benefits and its gentle, delicate sweetness. In most travel destinations featuring mountainous nature, honey is consistently sought after by tourists. The mountains and forests of Yen Tu are no exception; nature has generously bestowed upon this land a premium wild forest flower honey that can hardly be found anywhere else.

Yen Tu wild forest flower honey helps enhance beauty, relieve fatigue, aid muscle recovery, regulate blood sugar levels, soothe coughs in children, and boost energy in adults. The honey has a deep golden color, a thick texture, and may crystallize naturally. However, crystallization does not alter the quality of the honey.

2.7 Yen Tu single-leaf betel

Single-leaf betel, also known as fairy betel, can only be grown in Yen Tu, Quang Ninh Province. It is considered a truly unique Yen Tu - Ha Long specialty. Single-leaf betel grows at an altitude of over 400m above sea level on soaring mountain peaks or beneath the damp canopies of deep forests.

The leaves are infused in alcohol along with other herbal ingredients such as aromatic ginger, bitter ginger, cinnamon anise, homalomena occulta roots... to produce a medicated massage oil that is extremely effective in relieving colds, chills, and bone and joint aches.

For travelers, a journey to Yen Tu is a pilgrimage to inner peace, where you can unwind in serene mindfulness while exploring the remarkable spiritual and cultural complex here. Furthermore, Yen Tu - Ha Long specialties are also wholesome and beneficial to health, so there is every reason to bring home some specialty gifts for your family and loved ones. Hopefully, the information above will be useful to you. Wishing you an enjoyable trip, and don't forget to share those moments with MIA.vn!