Published:  10:10 Tuesday - May 14, 2013

Visitors to the northern mountainous region, particularly Ha Giang province, will be treated to a special local dish of the Mong ethnic people called Thắng cố.

The dish is traditionally made from horse meat, including almost all the offal such as intestines, liver, and kidneys, but beef and pork may also be used.

The meat and offal are cut into small pieces and mixed with special spices that are popular with the Mong people. Then all the ingredients are poured in a big pot of water and simmered over a fire for a long time.

Thắng cố is an indispensable dish at Mong ethnic markets, eaten mainly when the market closes and everyone sits around a pot of Thắng cố enjoying the speciality along with some potent corn wine.

Slaughtering a horse by the stream

Ingredients prepared for cooking 

Making a fire


The giant pot used to cook the dish

Cooking lasts about half the day

Scooping out the food into small bowls



Shoppers sitting around and enjoying the food with corn wine

Women and children also like the dish

Source:VOV