6 specialties of Ninh Binh

Ninh Binh is a Vietnamese Northern province with enormous potential in the travel industry thanks to its 4 UNESCO titles. Ninh Binh has a long-standing history for being the capital during three Vietnamese dynasties from 968 to 1010. Travellers come to Ninh Binh for its landscapes and history but return for its gastronomy and cuisine of Ninh Binh. Read on to see what food lovers can find in this beautiful province of Vietnam.

1. Burned rice (Com chay)

Burned rice is a crispy dish made from over-burned rice with onion, dried pork and sriracha sauce or handmade sauce. It is one of the most famous specialities of Ninh Binh that we highly recommend to you. Ninh Binh burned rice is fried to be crispy and the special handmade sauce will make you keep wanting for more. You can find burned rice at many restaurants but below are a few famous ones:

- Thang Long Restaurant (7 am to 10:30 pm) at Trang An, Truong Yen, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh

- Duc De Restaurant (6 am to 9 pm) at No. 29, alley 458, Nguyen Hue St., Nam Binh, Ninh Binh

De Quy restaurant Ninh Xuan, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh

Burned rice (Com chay)

2. Goat meat

Another must-try in Ninh Binh is goat meat. Raised on the rock mountains of Ninh Binh, the goat meat very tender and chewy. It is cooked in a variety of styles from roasted, steamed to the most popular one being marinated in ginger sauce. For good goat meat in Ninh Binh, you can come to:

- Thang Long Restaurant (7 am to 10:30 pm) at Trang An, Truong Yen, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh

- Duc De Restaurant (6 am to 9 pm) at No. 29, alley 458, Nguyen Hue St., Nam Binh, Ninh Binh

De Quy restaurant Ninh Xuan, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh

Goat meat

3. Bun cha quat

Bun cha - not only a specialty of Ninh Binh, it is also the pride of Vietnamese cuisine. Bun cha is a type of Vietnamese caramelised pork meatballs served with rice noodle. The typical meatballs in bun cha is relatively small and round but the ones found in Ninh Binh’s bun cha quat is much bigger and is retangular. The dipping sauce made from fish sauce with a sour and sweet taste goes along well with the meatballs. Bun cha quat is also served with fresh vegetable and fermented carrot or radish. You can try Bun cha quat at one of the most popular bun cha place in Ninh Binh at Bun Cha Tinh Mai at no. 7, Pham Hong Thai, Thanh Binh, Ninh Binh. The restaurant is opened from 6 am to 10 pm.

Bun cha quat

4. Ant egg sticky rice (Xoi trung kien)

Don’t let the name of this dish creeps you out because if so, you are going to miss out on one of the best Ninh Binh dishes. Ant egg sticky rice is a traditional dish of the Tay people in the Northern mountainous part of Vietnam. The egg from black ants are fried with seasonings and then mixed with fried garlic and sticky rice for a unique taste of crispiness from the egg and fattiness from the garlic. There are many places that offer Ant Egg sticky rice in Nho Quan District of Ninh Binh.

Ant egg sticky rice (Xoi trung kien)

5. Nhech raw fish salad (Goi ca nhech)

Nhech fish salad is a speciality of Kim Son in Ninh Binh. The nhech fish looks similar to eel but is bigger and longer in size. The nhech fish salad makes a great combination with the fish sauce dipping sauce mixed with garlic, chili and ginger. In order to minimize the unpleasant fishy smell, the Nhech fish chosen for this salad is fresh and is processed with herb. Many like to have their Nhech fish salad with rice paper and sticky rice. 

Nhech raw fish salad (Goi ca nhech)

6. Kim Son Sticky Rice Wine

Indispensable in Ninh Binh cuisine is a specialty made from sticky rice and is also originated from Kim Son, Ninh Binh is the Sticky Rice Wine. The rice are locally produced and carefully chosen to made the highest quality rice wine. Sticky rice wine is handmade by the skilled local wine makers with their secrets technique that brings a unique taste to the wine. It is advisable to drink this cold. Kim Son Sticky Rice Wine can make for a great souvenir for your trip to Ninh Binh.

Kim Son Sticky Rice Wine

Above are the Top 5 Ninh Binh specialties not to be missed, if you are planning to visit Ninh Binh, hopefully these suggestions will help you quickly find a dish to enjoy and feel Ninh Binh cuisine completely.