Ha Long is not only renowned for its magnificent bay but also captivates travelers with its diverse and rich culinary landscape. In this article, Halong Lan Ha Bay Cruise Tours will introduce you to the delicious specialties of Ha Long that you can savor during your travels or purchase as gifts.
See more: The Ultimate Ha Long Travel Guide from A to Z
1. Fresh Seafood
Thanks to high tidal ranges, nutrient-rich currents, and pristine sea waters, the region provides an ideal habitat for marine life to flourish. Consequently, Quang Ninh’s seafood is not only diverse in variety but also exceptional in quality, earning its reputation as a specialty throughout the country. From firm-fleshed tiger prawns and sweet, tender squid to fresh crabs, every catch offers a distinct flavor that enchants food enthusiasts. However, when it comes to true culinary uniqueness, the following are the standout delicacies:
Cù Kỳ (Stone Crab)
Cù Kỳ, also known as stone crab or “thunder crab,” is found primarily along the coasts of Quang Ninh and Khanh Hoa, though it is the Quang Ninh variety that is most celebrated by gourmets. Despite being more affordable than regular crabs, the flavor of the stone crab is just as exquisite, making it a famous specialty in Ha Long. With a unique appearance—a flat, wide body, a shell ranging from reddish-brown to dark brown, and distinctive bright green eyes—this crab is easily recognized by its powerful claws and hairy legs. Stone crabs average 10-15cm in size, with some reaching up to 20cm.
Cù Kỳ Noodle Soup
The meat of the stone crab is firm, sweet, and fragrant, making it perfect for a variety of enticing dishes. Popular preparations include steamed stone crab with beer, tamarind-glazed crab, and charcoal-grilled crab. For travelers who prefer a local experience over high-end seafood restaurants, you can enjoy stone crab noodle soup at famous local spots like Cong Doan or Huong Beo in Bai Chay.
Ngán (Mud Clam)
The “Ngan” is a bivalve mollusk with a hard shell, resembling a clam or cockle. It features a round or oval shell with distinct ridges, ranging in color from light to dark brown. While they can reach up to 10cm when fully mature, the most common size is 5-7cm. Inside the shell lies tender, white meat with a signature sweet and savory flavor. These mollusks inhabit saltwater and brackish environments, particularly estuaries, tidal zones, and mangrove forests. In Quang Ninh, while found in several areas, the most flavorful ones come from the Bach Dang estuary in Quang Yen town, where the meeting of fresh and salt water imparts a unique character to this seafood.
Grilled Ngan
Despite its name—which translates to “boring” or “cloying”—once served on the table, the distinct taste of the Ngan is unforgettable. It offers a savory, slightly astringent flavor combined with a delicate sweetness that permeates through its hard shell, creating an incredibly unique sensation on the palate. The lingering aftertaste leaves diners craving more. Ngan can be prepared in various enticing ways, such as Ngan-infused rice wine, steamed, grilled, or cooked into porridge… Every dish offers a distinct, indescribable flavor.
Ruốc Lỗ (Small Octopus)
Ruốc lỗ, also known as long-legged octopus or baby octopus, is a tiny cephalopod species. While present in many coastal regions of Vietnam, those harvested in Quang Ninh waters are more abundant and possess a higher nutritional value. The lower salinity of the local sea, combined with a rich food source, results in octopus with firm, sweet, and deeply flavorful meat. They are quite small, generally just larger than a thumb, with a round, guava-shaped head. The larger specimens have tentacles stretching over 20cm, leading to the name “long-legged octopus” to distinguish them from the short-legged variety.
Ruoc lo (octopus) – A signature delicacy of Quang Ninh
While octopus can be prepared in many ways, in Ha Long, “ruoc” boiled with guava leaves has been a traditional local delicacy for generations. The flavor of this species is remarkably unique, distinct from other members of the squid family. Its meat is subtly sweet, rich, and wonderfully crisp, offering a clean, oceanic aroma without any fishiness. During the breeding season, locals call them “sticky rice octopus” (ruoc com xoi) because they carry tiny eggs that provide a creamy texture and an exceptionally enticing flavor.
Horseshoe Crab (Sam bien)
In Vietnamese folklore, there is a saying “stuck together like horseshoe crabs” (dính như sam), a phrase many are familiar with, though few know the romantic origin behind the comparison. According to local coastal legends, the story tells of a deeply devoted poor couple. One day, the wife was abducted; the husband was gifted a magical pearl by a fairy to help him find her, with a strict warning never to reveal the secret of the pearl. The man kept the pearl in his mouth, sailed out to sea, and successfully found his wife. However, his wife persistently begged him to tell her the secret of his success. Unable to refuse his wife, the husband forgot the fairy’s warning; the pearl fell into the sea, and the couple perished, transforming into a pair of horseshoe crabs that remain inseparable to this day. Since then, devoted couples are often compared to the horseshoe crab pair from this legend.
Horseshoe crab is one of the unique seafood specialties in Quang Ninh
Prior to the 2000s, horseshoe crabs were not considered a delicacy in Ha Long – Quang Ninh. The preparation was complex, and the dish was notoriously difficult to digest, often causing food poisoning for those with sensitive stomachs. During that time, locals primarily processed the meat as feed for livestock like pigs and chickens. Horseshoe crabs were sold abundantly in markets for a mere 25,000 VND per pair. However, as tourism blossomed and international trade demand surged, the price has skyrocketed to 600,000 – 750,000 VND per pair, and they are now increasingly rare to find.
2. Local Delicacies
Ha Long is not only famous for its fresh seafood but also captivates travelers with a unique culinary culture featuring delicious, exotic, and signature local dishes, such as:
Steamed Rice Rolls with Squid Cake (Banh cuon cha muc)
Banh cuon with squid cake is a popular breakfast staple and a renowned specialty of Ha Long. This dish enchants diners through the harmonious balance between delicate, silky rice rolls and crispy, savory squid cakes. The rolls are made from rice batter steamed into thin sheets, creating a tender, slightly translucent texture, typically filled with a savory mixture of minced pork and wood-ear mushrooms—sometimes enhanced with small shrimp for extra sweetness. However, the true soul of the dish is the squid cake, made from fresh, hand-pounded Ha Long squid, shaped into patties, and fried to golden perfection. A high-quality squid cake must be beautifully golden, crisp yet firm, and fragrant with the natural, rich sweetness of fresh squid—never fishy. When dining, the rice rolls are dipped in a tangy, spicy, and savory sauce, then enjoyed with a piece of squid cake; the combination creates an unforgettable flavor profile. It is this subtle interplay between the softness of the rolls, the rich sweetness of the squid, and the zest of the dipping sauce that makes this dish so irresistible.
Ha Long Squid Cake: Named among the top 50 best specialties in Vietnam
Pearl Yogurt (Sua chua tran chau)
Ha Long Pearl Yogurt is not just a beloved cooling snack in this beautiful coastal city; it has become a famous brand with over 300 locations nationwide. The story began in the 1990s, tied to the family of Mr. Pham Manh Ha. This treat defined his childhood and became a fond memory whenever he was far from home. Wishing to preserve those nostalgic flavors and develop the dish’s potential, Mr. Ha officially established the Ha Long Pearl Yogurt brand in 2019. The brand captivates customers by balancing the mild, refreshing tang of naturally fermented yogurt made from pure fresh milk with the chewy, satisfying texture of handcrafted tapioca pearls, cooked to perfection and coated in a rich, creamy coconut sauce.
Ha Long Pearl Yogurt
3. Specialty Souvenirs
After every trip to Ha Long, travelers often look for signature local specialties to bring back as gifts for friends and family. Here are some of our top recommendations for delicious, easy-to-pack Ha Long delicacies that make for the perfect souvenir.
Dried Squid
Dried squid is one of the most famous specialties of Ha Long – Quang Ninh, highly favored by both domestic and international visitors. Beyond being a delightful snack, it serves as a meaningful gift to share the flavors of your Ha Long journey with loved ones. The distinction of Ha Long dried squid lies in its premium ingredients, harvested directly from high-salinity waters, resulting in a much richer and more flavorful meat.
Ha Long Dried Squid
Once caught, the squid is cleaned, processed, and dried on coastal racks under natural sunlight. Local Ha Long residents possess a unique mastery of timing the sun and wind, ensuring the squid is dried to perfection—neither too tough nor susceptible to moisture. As a result, the finished product boasts a beautiful amber hue, thick texture, and a chewy, sweet profile that releases an irresistible aroma when grilled. The more you chew, the sweeter it becomes, leaving a lasting, memorable impression.
Sá Sùng (Sipunculus nudus)
Sá sùng, also known as “sea worm” or “ocean ginseng,” is a rare, highly nutritious seafood often referred to as the “ginseng of the ocean.” Resembling a earthworm in shape, this soft-bodied, reddish-brown creature dwells in sandy burrows along the coast. In Vietnam, while found in regions like Nha Trang and Con Dao, the sá sùng from Quang Ninh (Van Don, Mong Cai) is widely considered the finest due to its firm, thick meat and characteristically deep, savory-sweet flavor.
Dried Sa Sung
While sá sùng can be eaten fresh, the dried variety is most popular among travelers for its convenience in storage, unique flavor profile, and ease of gifting. High-quality dried sá sùng carries a distinct oceanic aroma; when chewed thoroughly, it reveals a subtle sweetness, a satisfying crunch, and a delicate salinity. Many connoisseurs even compare the texture and snackability of dried sá sùng to artisanal crisps.
Ha Long Squid Cake (Chả Mực)
Ha Long Squid Cake, a renowned specialty of the Quang Ninh coast, has captivated countless gourmets with its unique taste and refined texture. More than just a local source of pride, this dish is a true icon of Vietnamese cuisine, rightfully recognized as one of the top 50 specialty dishes in Vietnam.
Ha Long Squid Cake: One of Vietnam’s Top 50 Specialties
The secret behind the distinction of Ha Long Squid Cake lies in its primary ingredient: fresh cuttlefish caught directly from the waters of Ha Long Bay. The cuttlefish here, thriving in a sheltered marine environment abundant with seaweed, yields thick, deeply sweet meat that creates an unmistakable flavor profile. Furthermore, the cake is crafted entirely by hand using traditional mortar-and-pestle techniques, demanding great skill and meticulous care. The squid meat is pounded into a paste and blended with natural spices to create a fragrant, supple mixture. When fried, the cakes turn a beautiful golden hue, offering a crispy exterior and a tender, chewy interior—an unforgettable culinary experience.
4. Quang Ninh OCOP Specialties
Beyond the famous specialties mentioned above, if you visit Ha Long during an OCOP (One Commune One Product) event, you have the chance to discover a wide array of unique, locally-sourced products from across Quang Ninh that are fully quality-certified. These events are typically held at the Quang Ninh Planning, Fair, and Exhibition Palace (Hon Gai – Ha Long). Here are some Quang Ninh OCOP specialties you should explore:
1. Ba Che Golden Camellia Tea:
Cultivated in the high mountains of Ba Che, this premium tea is celebrated for its distinctive aroma, delicate lingering sweetness, and brilliant golden hue. More than just a refined beverage, Ba Che Golden Camellia tea is prized for its exceptional health benefits, including potent antioxidant properties, immune system support, and stress relief.
Ba Che Golden Camellia Tea
2. Dong Trieu Yellow Flower Sticky Rice:
Renowned for its round, uniform, and milky-white grains, Dong Trieu Yellow Flower sticky rice is a culinary treasure. When cooked, it offers a chewy texture, a fragrant aroma, and a rich, savory sweetness. It serves as the essential foundation for many traditional Vietnamese delicacies, such as Banh Chung, Banh Giay, and various sweet sticky rice dishes.
Dong Trieu Yellow Flower Sticky Rice
3. Ba Che Ba Kich Wine:
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