Thang Co

Thang Co is a strange dish considered by tourists as a specialty of the H'Mong ethnic group. This dish means “a big pot of water” in the Hmong language.

The main ingredient of Thang Co is horse meat, but in fact, Sapa locals cook Thang Co mainly with beef, buffalo or pork. It is not easy to eat for most visitors to Sapa, especially women. To make it easier to eat, people often eat it with fresh vegetables such as chayote, lemongrass, cabbage, chili leaves. Thang Co's special sauce has a characteristic bitter taste, this is what makes it unique, completely different from other flavors you have ever enjoyed.

According to local people, in the past, the H'Mong people only walked or rode horses and Thang co was born as a traditional dish because of the abundance of horse meat.

Horses, after being used as means of transportation, are sick or too old and cannot work anymore, they are used as the main ingredients in Thang Co dishes. Horse meat is washed, cut into small pieces and mixed with various spices in a large, well-cooked pot. At first, its smell is very pungent, but then it will neutralize with spices to create a characteristic taste. In the process of stewing meat and bones, water is added several times and left for several hours.

Currently, there are many places in Sapa that serve Thang Co, including restaurants for tourists. The phrase "Cheer Thang Co" was born in the H'Mong community to honor this specialty in local markets.