Sapa Speciality Food Tour  

(Evening Walking Tour)

Sapa Speciality Food Tour – Exotic Street Food & Cultural Tasting Experience

Food is our common ground, a universal experience
— James Beard

Duration: 3 hours (approximate)
Departure time: Offered daily from 5.30pm
Physical activity: Easy
Location - Sapa town 
Travel Style: - Cultural immersion and food tasting 
Connectivity: Wifi - available, Mobile coverage - good.

Summary:

  • Weird and wonderful food tour, ideal for the culinary adventurous and culturally inquisitive.​

  • Minimum: 2 people

Traveller enjoying traditional Sapa street food during speciality food tour in northern Vietnam.

Discover Exotic Local Dishes and the Culinary Traditions of Northern Vietnam

With a complex geopolitical history, the people of the northern Vietnamese highlands have shown great resilience and creativity to overcome hardship.  This is evident in day to day life and reflected in the food which is both exotic and highly varied. Our street food tour takes in some of the more unusual Sapa foods, many of which are foraged from the forest or collected in and around the rice paddies.  Our tour offers a variety of local dishes presented in the traditional style.

The culinary tradition of the ethnic groups around Sapa is based on the fantastic natural produce resulting in simple dishes with clear flavours and unique taste combinations.

Due to the tradition of slaughtering of whole animals at festive gatherings it is a culture who has embraced the concept of nose to tail eating and the lack of refrigeration means there is a wide array of exciting and unique textures and flavours.

Highlights

  • Exotic street food tasting

  • Genuine conversations with local ethnic minorities

  • Exploring Sapa culture & history

  • Friendly atmosphere among local people

A Guided Food Journey Through Sapa’s Unique Flavours, History, and Culture

The Menu:

Food *

  • Steamed paddy field snails with lemon grass

  • Fried quail egg embryos in tamarind sauce

  • Fried foraged grasshoppers with lemon leaves

  • Fried paddy frogs with ‘long legs’

  • BBQ local leaf wrapped in beef

  • BBQ wild perfume mushrooms

  • BBQ rice paddy frog

  • BBQ chicken hearts

  • BBQ chicken feet

  • BBQ sweet potato and sticky rice in bamboo.

  • Ant egg omelet

  • Bamboo shoots in fragrant leaf

  • Wild fern salad

Desserts:

  • Sweet soup or Chestnut cakes

​Drinks:

  • Bia hơi – Draft rice beer or soft drinks

  • Rượu mận - Home made wild plum liquor.

Sapa Speciality Food Tour menu showcasing exotic Vietnamese street food dishes and ETHOS community logo.

Prices - Sapa Speciality Food Tour Experience

2 people - $42 per person

3 people - $38 per person

4 people - $35 per person

5 people - $30 per person

6 people - $28 per person

Notes: 

10 selected items from the above list. All menu items subject to availability.  In the event of any dish being unavailable, a suitable equivalent will be made available. 

Community based tourism (CBT) is a form of tourism where local communities are directly involved in developing, managing, and benefiting from tourism activities within their area. It emphasises community ownership, cultural preservation, and sustainable practices, offering visitors authentic experiences and fostering economic opportunities for residents.

Food tastes different when it carries the scent of earth and fire
— Unknown
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Please travel with respect. Dress modestly, support local crafts, protect nature, be patient, and stay safe. Connect, learn, and contribute positively during your ETHOS journey. Please refer to our terms for booking conditions for all ETHOS experiences.