Thanh Hà

SƠN LA — Visiting Sơn La Province in the remote Northwest region for the very first time brought a delightful surprise – especially when it came to the food.

On business trips to other places, I typically stick to familiar savoury dishes like pork, beef or chicken with rice to play it safe and avoid any stomach trouble. But in Sơn La, nearly 300km from Hà Nội, things took an unexpected turn.

Our driver asked the whole group if he could have little time to visit a classmate living in the province, as they had not seen each other for many years. We had no objection and were happy to make a new friend.

That new friend was a wonderful host. He not only told us stories about Sơn La that we had never heard before but also introduced us to the local speciality of goat meat and invited us to lunch – an offer we couldn't refuse.

He explained that Sơn La goat meat was a celebrated speciality of the Northwest mountains, sourced from goats raised naturally and allowed to roam freely on rugged rocky hillsides. Because these animals were constantly active, grazing on wild forest leaves and drinking fresh mountain stream water, their meat was exceptionally firm, lean and uniquely savoury, without a strong gamey smell.

These mountain goats described by our host as an indigenous, small-eared breed, were considered best for cooking when they were between 10 months and a year old and weighed 25–30kg. He said that once they grew heavier, the meat became less flavourful, affecting the quality of the dishes.

We were taken to a restaurant that seemed to cater mainly to locals, as I could not see a signboard displaying its name.

As we were hungry and excited about a new experience, we ordered all the dishes to be served at the same time.

The first dish to arrive was grilled goat meat, prepared using a traditional recipe of from the area, where goat farming has long been part of local culture.

 

The meat was cut into chunks and marinated simply with salt, pepper and local ingredients to preserve its natural savour, I assumed, before being placed on an electric grill.

Charcoal grilling is said to enhance the overall flavour, but the restaurant unfortunately did not offer this traditional method.

Our friend took charge of grilling, as the heat needed to be kept low to prevent the naturally lean meat from drying out.

Thanks to the combination of the marinade and his skills, the result was succulent, flavourful and tender. The meat was then wrapped in a large leaf with a selection of aromatic herbs and peanuts, and dipped in a special sauce made of with local herbs. It was, in a word, amazing!

It was a dish so addictive that everyone could hardly stop eating – one bite led to another, and another, and another.

Next up was raw goat’s blood pudding, one of the most surprising dishes for travellers in Việt Nam. Even many locals were reluctant to taste it because of its blood-red appearance.

The dish may appeal to adventurous diners interested in unusual local foods, but consuming raw animal blood carries a risk of serious infection and is not recommended.

A bowl of goat offal soup cooked with local herbs seemed the strangest to me, as I had only eaten pork offal previously.

Often referred to as 'bitter goat offal soup', this distinctive delicacy features tender pieces of intestine, liver and lung simmered with bitter leaves. The leaves gave the soup a distinctive bitter flavour.

The soup paired particularly well with steamed white rice or could be enjoyed alongside cold beer.

Goat meat hot pot is a popular and hearty dish in Vietnamese cuisine, enjoyed across the country in both casual street-side eateries and specialised restaurants.

While the preparation was fairly elaborate, the end result was entirely worth it. It was a popular shared dish that brought us together around a simmering pot of flavourful broth to cook fresh meat, vegetables and noodles, and to chat about anything and everything

 

No mountain goat meal seemed complete without a cup of rượu men lá (traditional rice liquor fermented with a mixture of leaves and herbs), which complemented the flavours of the dishes.

Our friend said the custom of offering and enjoying the liquor was a distinctive cultural feature that reflected the hospitality and sense of community among the ethnic groups of the Northwest.

It highlighted how sharing a simple drink can be a meaningful exchange of respect and warmth between a host and a guest.

There were still many items left on the restaurant's menu – steamed goat with lemongrass, five-spice braised goat, goat stir-fried with satay sauce, lime-cured goat and goat congee – that we had to save for our next visit. — VNS