- Aug 21, 2025
12+ Most Popular Hanoi Specialties as Beloved Souvenirs
Lost in the maze of the Old Quarter with its colorful array of gifts, have you ever wondered: "Among all these Hanoi specialties, which ones truly capture the essence of this thousand-year-old city?"
Join me on a special journey - from the fragrant lotus tea cups of West Lake, through the fresh green rice flakes of autumn, to the familiar sweet and sour taste of dried fruit from the old streets. Each gift holds its own story, a piece of the cultural puzzle that makes up the capital's thousand-year heritage.
This is the journey to discover the most distinctive regional souvenirs from the land of Thang Long that you simply cannot miss.
Special gifts waiting for you to discover
12+ Hanoi Specialties Waiting for Your Discovery
West Lake Lotus Tea - Hanoi Specialty Where Lotus Meets Green Tea
The story begins in the early mornings on West Lake, when mist still covers the water surface and lotus flowers have just begun to bloom. Following traditional methods, craftsmen must stay up late to place tea inside lotus buds, then return at dawn to harvest them. To produce 1kg of premium lotus tea requires 1,000 lotus flowers and 3-5 consecutive nights of infusing.
West Lake Lotus Tea as a gift is not just a present but an art form. When you take a sip, you're tasting the essence of both the sacred lake and the skilled hands of Hanoi's craftsmen.
West Lake Lotus Tea - Hanoi specialty with the most elegant flavor
Lotus Seed Candy - Sweet Drops from the Heart of West Lake
From those same lotus flowers, Hanoi people create another gift - lotus seed candy. While lotus tea carries a gentle fragrance, lotus seed candy contains the pure sweetness of young lotus seeds.
Making lotus seed candy requires special patience. Lotus seeds must be peeled piece by piece, removing the green core to avoid bitterness. They're cooked with rock sugar in precise proportions to achieve just the right sweetness while maintaining natural crispiness. In the list of Hanoi specialties, lotus seed candy deserves recognition as a symbol of refinement and patience.
Pure sweetness like morning dew drops
Green Rice Flakes (Com) - Hanoi Specialty and the Soul of Thang Long Autumn
Anyone who has lived through a Hanoi autumn will never forget the gentle aroma of green rice flakes drifting from small streets. This is when the entire city seems to awaken in the fresh green color of rice flake cakes.
Premium rice flake cakes must be made from Thai Binh fragrant rice, pounded when the grain is just perfectly ripe. The characteristic green color must be completely natural, beautiful as spring leaves. Com from Vong village, a century-old craft village, is considered the finest quality.
Each piece of rice flake cake is not just food, but a poem about Hanoi autumn - soft, fragrant, sweet, and full of nostalgia.
The fresh green of Hanoi autumn
Dried Fruit (O Mai) - The Taste of Time in Every Sweet and Sour Piece
Turn into a small alley on Hang Duong Street, and you'll smell the distinctive sweet and sour aroma floating in the air. This is the "paradise" for dried fruit lovers. O mai is not just a snack but represents an entire culture of Hanoi people.
Long ago, Hanoi girls would carry small bags of dried fruit, snacking while strolling around Hoan Kiem Lake. Traditional dried fruit shops have existed for generations, preserving original recipes and authentic flavors.
Hanoi Dried Fruit Flavor Map:
- Traditional dried fruit: Green plum, refreshing sour taste - perfect Hanoi specialty for gifting bosses
- Sweet dried fruit: Easy to eat, loved by children and international visitors
- Tamarind dried fruit: Rich in vitamin C, effectively cooling
- Salted lime dried fruit: Modern, unique flavor
Sweet and sour treasure in the heart of the old quarter
Dried Dracontomelon (Sau) - The Sour Taste of Childhood Days
"Who hasn't eaten dried sau as a child?" - a familiar saying among Hanoi people when mentioning this rustic specialty. Dried sau is not just a snack but a treasure trove of simple childhood memories.
Tourists, especially Western visitors, really enjoy dried sau because of its unique sour taste and interesting stories about Hanoi children's snacking culture from the past.
Why is dried sau special?
- Natural refreshing sour taste, no preservatives
- Rich in vitamin C, thirst-quenching and cooling
- Hanoi specialty easy to carry on planes - light and compact
- Deeply nostalgic and childhood memories
- Can be preserved for 3-6 months in dry conditions
Childhood memories in every sour piece of sau
Purple Sticky Rice Cake (Che Lam) - Mountain Purple in the Heart of the City
Che lam is not a drink but a traditional cake with over 100 years of history from the craft village of Thach Xa, Thach That, Hanoi. Many people hearing the name for the first time often mistake this for a sweet drink, but it's actually a soft sweet cake made from glutinous rice flour.
Che lam has a characteristic light brown color from sugarcane molasses and malt, covered with a layer of fine white glutinous rice flour. When you taste it, you'll experience the soft aroma of glutinous rice flour, the pure sweetness of sugarcane molasses, the rich taste of roasted peanuts, and the mild spiciness of fresh ginger.
In the treasure of Hanoi specialties, che lam is like a special musical note, bringing mountain colors blended with urban essence.
Soft and sweet like childhood - che lam carries the countryside flavor of Thach Xa
Special note: When you bring these gifts to relatives, especially during important holidays like National Day September 2nd, you're not just bringing flavors but the very soul of thousand-year-old Thang Long.
>>> See now: Watch the September 2nd parade in Hanoi and essential notes you can't miss
Roasted Peanuts with Lemon Basil - When Herbs Meet Harmony
Walking along Dinh Liet Street in the afternoon, you'll smell the rich aroma of roasted peanuts with lemon basil from afar. This is a snack that Hanoi people can enjoy anytime - from light drinking sessions to gift-giving.
Secrets to delicious roasted peanuts with lemon basil:
- Fresh peanuts roasted to perfection, crispy and crunchy
- Fragrant lemon basil, evenly absorbed into each peanut
- Warming, good for health
- Ideal Hanoi specialty easy to carry on planes
- Can be preserved for 3-6 months in sealed containers
Distinctive aroma spreading throughout the street
Xu Xe Cake - French Touch in Hanoi's Heart
Few people know that xu xe cake (or phu the cake) is a traditional Vietnamese cake dating back to the Ly dynasty, not of foreign origin as many mistakenly believe. Legend says that when King Ly Anh Tong went to war, the queen personally made cakes to send to the front lines, expressing their marital affection.
The king found them delicious and was moved by the queen's devotion, so he named them "phu the cake" (husband-wife cake). Due to different pronunciations in various regions, the cake is also called xu xe, xu xue, or su se.
Sweet for a thousand years - xu xe cake preserves marital devotion from the Ly dynasty
Bat Trang Pottery - 700 Years of Fire and Clay
The journey cannot miss a stop at Bat Trang pottery village. The steady sound of hammers, spinning wheels, and crackling fires in kilns has echoed for 700 years.
Each Bat Trang pottery product carries the craftsman's soul. From kneading clay, shaping, decorating to firing - everything is done with meticulousness and high skill. This is why Bat Trang pottery is highly valued worldwide. When mentioning the most exquisite Hanoi specialties, one cannot ignore these pottery masterpieces from this craft village.
The essence of craftsmen's hands in every stroke
Silk - Soft as Hanoi Waters
The art of silk weaving in Hanoi involves not only women but also many talented male craftsmen. At Van Phuc silk weaving village, looms operate from morning to night, creating exquisite silk products.
Hanoi silk is famous for its special softness and superior color retention. A quality silk scarf can remain beautiful over the years, without fading or becoming rough.
Soft as a breeze passing through Hoan Kiem Lake
>>> See now: 70+ Regional souvenirs with rich Vietnamese identity
Where Can You Reliably Buy These Attractive Specialties?
After the long journey exploring Hanoi specialties, the question arises: "Where to buy to ensure quality?"
CHUS is an e-commerce platform specializing in handmade gifts, personalized souvenirs, and Vietnamese culture - where each product is carefully selected from reputable craftsmen and producers. What's special about CHUS:
- Every gift has a story: Not soulless industrial products but items with cultural value
- Quality guaranteed from A to Z: From raw materials to production processes, everything is strictly controlled
- Personalized consulting service: Helping you choose the most suitable gift based on personality and preferences
- Professional packaging and delivery: Gifts always arrive in perfect condition
Trusted destination for meaningful gifts
>>> The discovery journey continues - Explore more treasures from all regions at CHUS! <<<
Bringing Hanoi Home
The journey exploring traditional gifts has taken us through many emotional experiences - from the purity of West Lake lotus tea, through the nostalgic nature of autumn rice flakes, to the rustic simplicity of childhood dried sau. Each gift is not just a product but a story, a memory, a bridge between past and present.
When you bring these gifts to loved ones, you're not just bringing flavors but the very soul of thousand-year-old Thang Long. Because the most meaningful gift isn't the most expensive one, but the one that contains love and pride for homeland. This is the true value of Hanoi specialties we've just explored together.
The journey of discovering Hanoi through its specialties awaits you → Start your journey now at CHUS
FAQs
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Why are Hanoi specialties often chosen as gifts for international visitors?
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Which Hanoi specialties are best to bring when traveling by plane?
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Where can I buy authentic Hanoi specialties with guaranteed quality?
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Why are Hanoi specialties often chosen as gifts for international visitors?
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Which Hanoi specialties are best to bring when traveling by plane?
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Where can I buy authentic Hanoi specialties with guaranteed quality?
