Nutritious cuisine of the Dao people

Dao women in green robes introduce their local specialty, rượu bầu (rice wine).

Chicken soup with medicinal herbs

The medicinal chicken soup is a dish prepared by the Dao people in Sin Ho, Lai Chau province, for everyday meals or when honored guests visit. To make a delicious medicinal chicken soup, many ingredients are needed, including medicinal plants harvested from the forest, dried, and stored for year-round use. Ms. Cheo My Lai, from Zone 5, Sin Ho town, Lai Chau province, explains that to make this flavorful soup, the Dao people often use medicinal plants beneficial for bones and joints, cardiovascular health, and various types of ginseng dug deep in the forest. These medicinal plants are washed and then simmered in water to make the broth.

After slaughtering the chicken, chop it into small pieces and mix it thoroughly with minced ginger and lemongrass, along with seasonings such as salt, pepper, and a little white wine. Marinate for about an hour to allow the chicken to absorb the flavors. Next, add a little fat and stir-fry the chicken until it is firm. Then, pour in the herbal broth until the chicken is completely covered and simmer over low heat until the chicken is cooked through and fragrant.

In Sin Ho, every Dao Khau family keeps medicinal herbs in their homes to cook soup year-round. When spring arrives, Dao women often go to the fields and forests to gather medicinal plants. After gathering, they wash the baskets full of herbs, chop them finely, and dry them in the kitchen attic for later use. They only take the herbs out to soak in water before cooking. On cold, windy days, after bathing in the herbal water, a bowl of chicken soup is invigorating. This is one of the secrets that helps the Dao Khau people maintain good health, rosy complexions, and an optimistic spirit.

Specialty rice wine

The Dao ethnic group in Bang Ca commune, Hoang Bo district, Quang Ninh province, has a specialty drink called "bau men la" rice wine. This rice wine has a clear yellow color, a sour and sweet taste, and the aroma of glutinous rice.

The specialty rice wine of the Dao Thanh Y people in Bang Ca.

Chicken soup with medicinal herbs – a nutritious dish.

Regarding the preparation of rice wine, each family has its own recipe and cooking method, depending on the family's inherited secrets. The Dao people make rice wine from glutinous rice; the rice is cooked into rice and then fermented for about two days and nights with wild forest yeast. After that, the fermented rice is put into earthenware jars, and after about ten days, it can be taken out and drunk.

To make delicious, golden-yellow rice wine, the Dao people use glutinous rice grown in mountain fields, with plump, evenly sized grains, and pound them in a stone mortar. Those who make the rice wine must find five types of forest leaves growing in the natural forests of Hoành Bồ to make the leaf yeast. The Dao people consider this a closely guarded secret, not widely shared, to preserve the secrets of their ethnic group's rice wine making.

Bang Ca rice wine is a nutritious product beneficial for everyone. Drinking rice wine helps improve physical condition, is good for the digestive system, and is especially effective in enriching the blood and beautifying the skin for women.

Currently, in Bang Ca commune, there are over 10 households specializing in the large-scale production and sale of Bau wine, with a productivity of 1,000-2,000 liters per household per year. Bang Ca Bau wine has also been recognized as a 4-star OCOP product of Hoanh Bo district, produced by Bang Ca Traditional Products Development Joint Stock Company. The company was established in 2014 with 33 shareholders, all of whom are Dao ethnic people from Hoanh Bo district.

The branding of Bang Ca rice wine has provided local people with an additional production sector, creating jobs and increasing income. The rice wine is bottled according to standards, with sturdy and attractive packaging. It is consumed during holidays, anniversaries, festivals, and important family events of the Dao people in the area. The rice wine is not only popular locally but also well-received in markets both within and outside the province.

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