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Chiem Hoa buffalo is one of the four main genetic sources of Vietnam's indigenous buffalo. Chiem Hoa has the largest buffalo herd proportion in Tuyen Quang province. During the resistance war against French colonialists (1945-1954), specifically in the 1953-1954 Winter-Spring Campaign, Tuyen Quang provided 52,770 kg of buffalo meat to the frontlines. Chiem Hoa buffalo is also famous for the ritual of plowing the first furrow at the Chiem Hoa Long Tong Festival, held annually on the 6th to 8th day of the Lunar New Year.  

Chiem Hoa buffalo meat includes fresh and dried (smoked) buffalo meat. Fresh buffalo meat has a dark pink color with small streaks of white fat marbled throughout.  

  

 

Figure 1. Fresh Chiem Hoa Buffalo Meat  

  

In terms of quality, fresh buffalo meat contains 20.60-24.60% protein and 1.85-4.36 mg/100g of iron. Dried buffalo meat contains 41.20-54.10% protein and 3.90-7.73 mg/100g of iron.  

Chiem Hoa is a region with a highly fragmented terrain due to its river system and numerous mountain ranges. Between the hills and mountains lie wide valleys, ideal for growing elephant grass (occupying most of the area), Guinea grass, Stylo grass, and Ruzi grass, providing year-round feed for buffalo, especially in winter. Thanks to the abundant green feed primarily from elephant grass, Chiem Hoa buffalo meat has a high protein content.  

The dark pink color of fresh buffalo meat is due to the high iron content in Chiem Hoa buffalo. The high iron level is not only inherent in the genetics of the local buffalo breed but also results from farmers supplementing the buffalo's diet with mineral licks (containing iron) during production. These licks are products legally circulated in the Vietnamese market.  

Dried buffalo meat (smoked buffalo) is made from fresh buffalo meat bearing the "Chiem Hoa" geographical indication. Traditional smoking uses charcoal, without electricity or firewood.  

The combination of natural geographical conditions and farming practices in the region has created the renowned Chiem Hoa buffalo meat product.  

Geographical area: Trung Ha commune, Hung My commune, Phu Binh commune, Vinh Quang commune, and Hoa Phu commune in Chiem Hoa district, Tuyen Quang province (corresponding to Tan My commune, Kien Dai commune, Kim Binh commune, and Yen Nguyen commune in Tuyen Quang province as of July 1, 2025), as confirmed by the Tuyen Quang Provincial People's Committee in Document No. 3071/UBND-THCBKS dated June 20, 2025. 

  

Source: Bảo hộ chỉ dẫn địa lý “Chiêm Hóa” cho sản phẩm thịt trâu  

Translator: Nguyễn Hải Phong