Nong Khai Edible Souvenirs
Mu Yo, Nham, Isan Sausage — Where to Buy

🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026

Nong Khai's souvenirs are no joke, because the town has a community of Thai-Vietnamese families who have been making mu yo, nham nueang and sausages for a living for generations — many for over 40 to 50 years, to the point that these have become the province's signature products. What makes them stand out is that they're edible souvenirs you can carry home by car or plane, instead of a keychain or T-shirt that ends up shoved in a drawer. We've picked the shops that Nong Khai locals actually buy from and that are open now, with the neighborhoods and prices laid out straight.

What Edible Souvenirs Does Nong Khai Have?

Before you head to the shops, get to know the products so you can match them to whoever you're buying for. Some you can eat fresh right away, some need frying or steaming first, and some keep for a long time and travel well over distance.

• Mu yo — a dense, finely-ground Vietnamese-style pork sausage, already steamed and cooked. Slice it and eat with sticky rice or toss it into a mu yo salad. Some recipes fold in pork skin or black pepper. Keeps several days in the fridge.
• Fried mu yo / cha yo — mu yo made specifically for frying, crisp on the outside and soft inside when fried, with a great aroma. Cha Yo is an old maker going back over 40 years and a provincial OTOP product.
• Nham nueang — seasoned ground pork shaped onto skewers and grilled, eaten wrapped in rice paper with fresh vegetables and a signature dipping sauce. It's a fresh dish best eaten the same day, but many shops sell travel packs to carry home.
• Isan sausage — sausage fermented with sticky rice for a sour tang, grilled or fried, eaten with sliced ginger, bird's-eye chilies and peanuts. The well-known shops make it fresh daily.
• Kunchiang — a sweet Chinese-style sausage with a hint of rice wine, the longest-keeping item in this group, ideal for carrying to far-off provinces.
• Dried goods — pork floss, fried fermented pork ribs, pla som (fermented fish) and mam. Easy to store and a good way to round out a souvenir set.

Nong Khai Edible-Souvenir Shops You Can Buy From Right Now

This list is ordered by how easy each shop is to reach and how popular it is with locals — not because the shops near the bottom are worse. Some are strongest on mu yo, others on Isan sausage or nham nueang, so pick based on what you want to carry home. Prices are rough ranges that shift by day and weight, and you should call or message any shop ahead if you're buying in bulk.

Tha Sadet Market — The Riverside One-Stop Hub

If you're short on time or want to buy several things in one place, Tha Sadet Market (formerly called the Indochina Market) is the answer. Sitting right on the Mekong River in the center of town, it brings together mu yo, Isan sausage, kunchiang, dried goods, souvenirs and products from the Lao side, with plenty of stalls so you can compare prices and taste before deciding.

• Shop and sightsee together — the market sits right on the Mekong, so once you've bought your souvenirs you can carry on shooting river views or grabbing a riverside dinner.
• Compare before buying — there are several mu yo and kunchiang sellers in the market, so taste and ask about production dates before picking the stall you like.
• Dried goods and Lao products too — beyond the Isan-Vietnamese food, you'll find pla som, Lao coffee and dried goods to round out a souvenir set.
• Go late morning to evening — stalls are up from mid-morning through evening; the evening riverside breeze makes for an easier stroll than the harsh afternoon sun.

Getting Your Souvenirs Home Without Spoiling

• Ask for vacuum-sealed — tightly sealed mu yo and kunchiang keep longer and won't mess up your bag. Almost every shop can do this if you ask.
• Refrigerate if buying ahead — if you buy several hours before traveling, leaving it chilled at the shop or packing it in a cooler bag is safer.
• Eat nham nueang quickly — fresh nham nueang should be eaten within 1-2 days. For a long haul, go with a travel pack or the frozen version the shop arranges.
• Kunchiang travels best — within this group of edible souvenirs, kunchiang keeps the longest, ideal for anyone traveling across regions or passing it along.
• Keep the receipt / find them online — many of the well-known shops have LINE or Shopee, so you can reorder for home delivery. If you fall for something, you don't have to wait until you're back in Nong Khai.

Planning Your Nong Khai Souvenir Run