Grilledchicken in bamboo tube, minced pork grilled in dong leaves, and purple sticky rice aremust-try dishes in Vietnam's northwestern region.

Grilled chicken in bamboo tube, minced pork grilled in dong leaves, and purple sticky rice are must-try dishes in Vietnam's northwestern region.

Grilled chicken in bamboo tube is a famous dish of the Thai ethnic minority people who live in several northwestern provinces. The dish features chicken that is marinated with mắc khén, a signature pepper used in the region, for about an hour and then placed in a hollow bamboo section.

The chef closes the section with dong leaves (phrynium placentarium) for added flavor before grilling the tube.

The other dish grilled with dong leaves and mắc khén pepper is minced pork.

The chef has to be careful to ensure that the meat is cooked evenly and comes out golden and the leaves only lightly burned on the outside.

The purple colour of the sticky rice is very eye-catching and delicious.

The rice requires time and meticulousness. The cook dyes the rice with a leafy plant that can only be found in the mountains. The leaves are boiled for more than one hour, turning the water purple.

The rice is then soaked in this water for about 8-10 hours. When the rice has changed color, It is ready to cook. The rice can be served with salt or pork. — VNS

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