Lang Son Grilled Meat Ball

When it comes to Vietnamese meatballs, many people often think of the sour meatballs from Thanh Hoa or the delightful fried meatballs found on Hang Bong Street in Hanoi. However, the Grilled Meatballs from Lang Son offer a unique culinary experience that leaves a lasting impression on anyone fortunate enough to taste them. These meatballs, roughly the size of a wrist, are wrapped in three layers of green banana leaves and marinated for 1 to 2 days before being grilled over hot coals.  
Photo: vietnamtravelmagazine.com

In Lang Son, this chewy delicacy is crafted from high-quality pork, pork skin, and a special ingredient known as Thịnh. The ideal pork comes from the shoulder, offering the perfect balance of lean and fatty meat. Typically, a single meatball requires about 0.3 kg of pork, which is carefully cleaned and sliced into long, thin pieces. The pork skin is boiled and finely shaved before being combined with the pork and Thịnh. Care is taken to wrap each meatball loosely in banana leaves to ensure it remains tender after grilling. Once cooked, the charred leaves are peeled away, allowing the enticing aroma of grilled pork to fill the air.