Cuisine made from flowers… delicious

Sesbania flowers. Photo: NGUYEN HUNG

From these flowers, many delicious dishes have been created by the locals, bearing very distinctive, subtle, and rich flavors. "When the water rises, the water hyacinth blooms" - a line from the song "Homeland Soul" composed by musician Thanh Son - reminds us that when the water hyacinth blooms, it signals the arrival of the flood season. Water hyacinth is remembered as a specialty flower of the riverine region, unforgettable to anyone who has tasted it. Every year, during the flood season from August to October, it's easy to find them blooming profusely along roads and in vast flooded fields.

Ms. Ngoc Huyen, 37 years old, residing in Phu Tan commune, said: “When the Sesbania flowers bloom, they have a very beautiful yellow color that easily attracts attention, so every time I go to pick them, I have to admire them for a while. Sesbania flowers are very fragrant, delicious, crispy, and slightly bitter. They are delicious when prepared in dishes such as sour salad with Sesbania flowers, stir-fried Sesbania flowers with shrimp, or mixed salads… But the best dish is undoubtedly sour soup with Sesbania flowers and snakehead fish, which has the distinctive flavor of dishes from the riverine region.” For many years, Sesbania flowers have had high economic value, and at the same time provide income for people when the flood season arrives.

Not only do water hyacinths bloom during the rainy season, but water lilies also thrive in flooded fields. Water lilies have soft stems, so when preparing them, the outer layer must be peeled off and they must be thoroughly washed. Water lilies are suitable for hot pot and sour soup dishes. In addition, water lilies can be eaten raw, mixed in shrimp and meat salads, or pickled in vinegar. When water lilies are combined with water hyacinths, they become a delicious and attractive specialty dish of the Southwestern region of Vietnam.

Nowadays, the Sesbania grandiflora flower is also used as an ingredient in many unique dishes with a distinctive flavor. This flower has a slightly bitter but unusual taste and can be used as an accompaniment to fish sauce hotpot or in sour soup with snakehead fish or tilapia, which is very appealing. This flower usually only blooms from October to December, serving both as an ornamental plant and having high nutritional value. During the season, people usually pick the fresh flowers early in the morning, remove the stems, wash them, and then prepare them into sour soups with tilapia, snakehead fish, or carp, or make sour hotpot with other vegetables…

"Because the Sesbania grandiflora tree is very easy to grow, people in the countryside, especially those with empty land, often plant a few trees in front of their houses to beautify the space, and they can also conveniently pick the flowers to eat. In the past, people in the countryside used to boil Sesbania grandiflora flowers and dip them in fish sauce or boil them with other vegetables to cool down during the hot summer months. It was a favorite dish for many, but nowadays, Sesbania grandiflora trees are not widely grown, so very few young people know about it," shared Thanh Hung, 58, a resident of My Duc commune.

Besides seasonal flowers, we cannot forget year-round produce like banana blossoms. Banana blossoms are often used in salads, sour soups, or as a side vegetable, all of which are delicious. Dishes made from banana blossoms are rustic, familiar, and diverse. Nowadays, banana blossoms also bring significant profits to gardeners. With nearly 20 acres of garden land, Mr. Nguyen Huu Phuoc, 53 years old, residing in O Lam commune, intercrops nearly 100 banana trees, bringing a considerable income to his family.

There are many other types of flowers used as ingredients in delicious dishes served at the table, demonstrating that many flowers are not only beautiful but also contribute to enriching Vietnam's culinary scene.

NGUYEN HUNG

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/am-thuc-tu-hoa-ngon-a463852.html