Ninh Bình

Ninh Bình, land of the old capital Hoa Lư amid ranges of limestone karst, is famous for cơm cháy (crisp fried rice crust) eaten with a goat or beef sauce, and for mountain goat meat kept firm by herds that climb and graze freely. Nem chua Yên Mạc, whose origins trace to the Huế royal kitchen, is another of the region's signature gifts.