Sour Chicken Hot Pot with Giang Leaf (Lẩu Gà Lá Giang)
A bright, tangy Vietnamese hot pot where chicken simmers in a broth soured naturally by wild giang leaf, finished with mushrooms and a tangle of fresh herbs. Ladled over rice vermicelli, it's the kind of pot everyone gathers around.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Blanch the chicken
Rinse the chicken pieces well. Bring a separate pot of water to a rolling boil and drop in the chicken for 2 minutes, then drain and rinse the pieces under cold water. This washes away the grey scum that would otherwise cloud the final broth.
- 1.2 kg chicken pieces
✅ Done when: the blanching water has turned grey and foamy and the chicken pieces look pale and clean after rinsing
Build the aromatic base
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, ginger, lemongrass and chilies, and stir for 1–2 minutes until fragrant and just starting to turn golden; do not let the garlic brown too much or it will taste bitter.
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 shallots
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 slices ginger
- 2 stalks lemongrass
- 2 bird's eye chilies
✅ Done when: the kitchen smells strongly of lemongrass and garlic, and the shallots look soft and golden at the edges
Simmer the chicken
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Add giang leaf and season
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Add the mushrooms
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Assemble and Serve
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Blanch the chicken
Rinse the chicken pieces well. Bring a separate pot of water to a rolling boil and drop in the chicken for 2 minutes, then drain and rinse the pieces under cold water. This washes away the grey scum that would otherwise cloud the final broth.
- 1.2 kg chicken pieces
✅ Done when: the blanching water has turned grey and foamy and the chicken pieces look pale and clean after rinsing
Build the aromatic base
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, ginger, lemongrass and chilies, and stir for 1–2 minutes until fragrant and just starting to turn golden; do not let the garlic brown too much or it will taste bitter.
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 shallots
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 slices ginger
- 2 stalks lemongrass
- 2 bird's eye chilies
✅ Done when: the kitchen smells strongly of lemongrass and garlic, and the shallots look soft and golden at the edges
Simmer the chicken
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Add giang leaf and season
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Add the mushrooms
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Assemble and Serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Lá giang grows wild as a climbing vine along canals and garden fences across the Mekong Delta, and cooks there have long known that its leaves turn a pot of broth tangy and sour without needing lime or tamarind. Chicken simmered with this leaf became a favourite way to use a whole bird at once, stretching it into a shared pot for the family table.
⭐ Why It's Famous
As Southern Vietnamese cooking spread into restaurants and city hot pot menus, lẩu gà lá giang became one of the signature sour hot pots, loved for its clean tang and the way the broth gets better the longer it simmers at the table.
💡 Fun Fact
Lá giang is rarely sold outside Vietnam fresh, so home cooks abroad often grow it in a pot on the balcony, or freeze leaves brought back from a trip home.
Southern Vietnam, Mekong Delta
10.05°N, 105.75°E
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