Thai cuisine does not emphasise elaborate preparation but instead values preserving the natural flavours of its ingredients. As a result, every step of the cooking process requires patience, skill, and experience. This is particularly evident in the making of purple sticky rice, a traditional dish commonly served during festivals, Lunar New Year celebrations, and when welcoming honoured guests.

Lo Thi Thuy, who has spent many years making traditional purple sticky rice in Thuan Chau commune, shared: "To create the sticky rice's distinctive purple, the Thai people use leaves of khau cam, a wild plant that grows naturally in the mountains. While the leaves are green when fresh, boiling them produces a deep purple liquid used to soak glutinous rice before steaming. Making purple sticky rice is labour-intensive. We have to wake up early to soak the rice and steam it but I continue doing it because it is a traditional dish of the Thai people. It provides additional income while helping preserve our cultural heritage."

If purple sticky rice showcases the ingenuity of Thai women in creating natural colours from forest plants, grilled minced pork wrapped in banana leaves reflects their skill in combining simple ingredients to create a distinctive flavour. The ingredients are all common household staples, including pork, mustard greens, spring onions, garlic, chili, mac khen (wild pepper), and black pepper. The pork is finely minced, mixed with vegetables and seasonings, carefully wrapped in banana leaves, secured between two bamboo strips, and grilled over charcoal. Although the preparation is simple and requires no sophisticated equipment, the banana leaves and charcoal fire give the dish its signature aroma and flavour.

Hoang Thi Mai, a chef at Pho Nui Restaurant in Chieng Coi ward, said: "Grilled minced pork wrapped in banana leaves is one of our best-selling dishes. Nearly every customer orders it because it is a signature dish of the Thai people and tastes delicious with either sticky rice or steamed rice. A serving currently costs around 120,000 VND to 150,000 VND (5.7 USD)."

If purple sticky rice and grilled minced pork wrapped in banana leaves are highlights of a traditional Thai meal, cham cheo is the indispensable dipping sauce. With its spicy, aromatic flavour, cham cheo complements almost every dish, from boiled and grilled foods to seasonal fruits. Made from familiar ingredients such as salt, chili, garlic, culantro, kaffir lime leaves, and various local herbs, the Thai prepare two versions: dry cham cheo and fresh cham cheo.

For the dry version, the ingredients are roasted or grilled until fragrant before being pounded by hand or finely ground into a seasoning mixture that can be stored for long periods. It is commonly used as a dip for fruits such as green mangoes, plums, and ambarella, or as a seasoning for marinating dishes. Fresh cham cheo, on the other hand, is made from fresh ingredients that are pounded together in a stone mortar until they form a smooth, aromatic paste. It is typically served with sticky rice, grilled meat, freshwater fish, boiled chicken, and wild vegetables.

Beyond being a familiar condiment in the daily meals of the Thai community, cham cheo has become a popular specialty that many visitors choose to buy as a souvenir after traveling to Son La. Dry cham cheo is now packaged in various sizes and sold for about 30,000 VND to 60,000 VND per 200-gram box. Fresh cham cheo, meanwhile, is usually prepared upon request or served on-site because of its short shelf life.

Each dish of the Thai people offers not only its own distinctive taste but also reflects the community's cultural values and hospitality. On a meal prepared to welcome honoured guests, purple sticky rice, grilled minced pork wrapped in banana leaves, and cham cheo all embody the host's sincerity and respect. This is why the cuisine of northwestern Vietnam leaves a lasting impression - not only through its rich flavours but also through the cultural traditions that have been carefully preserved and passed down from generation to generation.