Hanoi, Feb. 5 -- Wandering through the First Glorious Spring Fair 2026, visitors are drawn to the culinary exhibition area of Vietnam's Northwestern provinces, which unfolds like a miniature mountain town amid the bustling venue.

Free from urban sophistication, Northwestern cuisine captivates diners with its honesty, rustic charm and deep cultural roots, evoking the warmth and rhythm of life in the highlands.

A shared feature of the dishes on display is their close connection to forest-sourced ingredients and indigenous cooking methods.

From dark, smoke-cured buffalo meat and the robust "thang co" [a traditional highland stew made from horse meat and offal, seasoned with forest spices] traditionally enjoyed by ethnic communities, to gr...