Thắng cố

Thắng cố is a traditional dish originating from Sa Pa in Northwest Vietnam, although it can be found anywhere where the Hmong people reside, as it's their specialty dish. The name of this stew means big pot of water. It's made with a combination of the meat, bones, and offal of horses (most common), cows, pigs, or buffalos, chopped into small pieces. Other ingredients that accompany the dish are vegetables such as cabbage, lemongrass, chayote, and chili leaves. The unique flavor of the dish comes from a special sauce that contains many spices and has a slightly bitter zing. In this mountainous area, thắng cố is especially popular on cold and chilly days. In the past, the locals only walked on foot or rode horses, and the dish is a result of the abundance of horse meat, when they got sick or became too old.