Specialties becoming tourism products

At the production facility of Trần Thị Yến in Điện Biên Phủ ward, familiar ingredients such as buffalo meat, pork, mắc khén seeds, and hạt dổi wild pepper are processed into products steeped in Northwestern flavors. Every day, the establishment sells 200 to 300 kilograms of finished products. During holidays, Lunar New Year, and tourism seasons, output increases significantly to satisfy market demand. Products are not only consumed locally within the province but are also present across many localities nationwide.

Trần Thị Yến shared: “Currently, the facility has two 3-star OCOP products: smoked pork belly and smoked sausage. To maintain a foothold in the market, quality is always the top factor we prioritize. Alongside preserving traditional processing methods, we have also invested in modern machinery to upgrade preservation capacity, helping products retain their characteristic flavor when shipped to distant markets.”

While smoked meat represents a story of elevating value through processing, the Hoa Ban Trắng Cooperative in Mường Lay ward opens up an identity-rich direction by turning cultural heritage into tourism products.

From familiar ingredients of the Northwestern mountains and forests such as upland sticky rice, gấc fruit, bó phón flowers, and magenta plant, Lò Chúc Chi alongside members of the Hoa Ban Trắng Cooperative restored the traditional craft of making khẩu xén and chí chọp crackers of the White Thái people. These crispy, fragrant crackers, colored naturally with native flora, were originally familiar treats during festivals, New Year holidays, and weddings of the Thái people. From a simple rural cake, the Hoa Ban Trắng Cooperative has transformed it into a commercial product imbued with cultural identity. Packaging is professionally designed, production workflows are standardized, and quality is strictly controlled, creating products that meet modern market demands while fully retaining traditional flavors.

These efforts yielded positive results. In 2024, the khẩu xén and chí chọp cracker products of the Hoa Ban Trắng Cooperative were recognized as 3-star provincial OCOP products and earned the title of Typical Rural Industrial Products. Notably, in November 2024, the traditional craft of making khẩu xén and chí chọp crackers of the White Thái ethnic group was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Lò Chúc Chi shared: “Currently, the cooperative collaborates in production with more than 30 households in Mường Lay ward. Over the past year, we produced and sold over 35 tons of crackers, creating jobs and increasing income for many families. My family also renovated our stilt house into a homestay to welcome guests to experience the traditional cracker-making process, while our former livestock area was converted into a production workshop. Every family member joins hands to preserve the traditional craft and develop the cooperative.”

“Ambassadors” promoting the image of Điện Biên

The growth of tourism has created a wide consumption space for local specialties, while driving OCOP entities to continuously innovate to satisfy increasingly high market requirements.

At the Tây Bắc Gift Store in Điện Biên Phủ ward, the tourism season is always the busiest time of the year. Hundreds of Điện Biên’s characteristic products are displayed systematically, ranging from Điện Biên rice, smoked buffalo meat, wild honey, arrowroot vermicelli, various teas, coffee, and macadamia to numerous processed native agricultural items. Most products feature investments in packaging, traceability QR codes, quality certifications, and brand identity systems, building trust among consumers.

Nguyễn Thị Phương, Manager of the Tây Bắc Gift Store, noted: “The best-selling items currently include Điện Biên rice, arrowroot vermicelli, smoked buffalo meat, various teas, coffee, corn, and many other OCOP products. Customers highly appreciate the quality, reasonable prices, attractive packaging, and especially the peace of mind when using Điện Biên products made under food safety workflows, with many products developed organically.”

Market reality shows that current consumer trends increasingly value product origin, safety, and cultural storytelling. Consequently, specialties tied to geographical names, history, and indigenous identity hold a clear competitive edge in the tourism gift segment.

Visiting Điện Biên for the first time, Nguyễn Trần Thùy Linh, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City, had already known about many of Điện Biên’s OCOP products through digital platforms. Upon directly experiencing them, she felt even more reassured as all products featured clear origin, food safety certification, and strong local identity.

Linh shared: “I am very satisfied purchasing Điện Biên’s OCOP products. This is both a meaningful gift for loved ones and a way for me to bring along the flavor of the land I visited.”

The journey from mountain and forest gifts to souvenirs following tourists across all regions of the country stands as clear evidence of Điện Biên’s agricultural transformation toward enhancing added value. When products receive methodical investment in quality, brand, design, and close integration with tourism, every specialty becomes an “ambassador” promoting the image of Điện Biên’s historical land, culture, and people. This also serves as a baseline for the agricultural economy, tourism economy, and OCOP Program to continue resonating, generating momentum for sustainable rural development and bringing native values far into domestic and international markets.