Coconut tubers - a rustic delicacy that has become a specialty

People in Tan Thanh commune ( An Giang province) harvest coconut tubers.

In the past, eating coconut tubers was not easy, because you had to cut down the whole coconut tree that was in bloom after a long time of care. People only dared to cut down old trees that were about to die, then select the young core inside the tree trunk, called tubers. It was both a lot of work and a waste of money, so this dish was very rare, only appearing on special occasions such as weddings, housewarmings or when having distinguished guests.

Freshly harvested coconut tubers are white.

Nowadays, the people of Miet Thu have found a way to grow coconuts for their tubers, both preserving the source of commercial coconuts and creating a new livelihood. The local coconut can be harvested after 3 years.

The trees are planted densely and carefully tended, producing large, sweet, crunchy tubers without having to cut down the fruiting trees as in the past. Creativity has turned a dish that was thought to be a one-time product into a product that can be made all year round.

Banh xeo with coconut root filling is a rustic dish that everyone wants to try at least once.

From the Miet Thu coconut garden, the coconut tubers have crossed the pond banks, fences, gone further into eateries, restaurants, and then become local OCOP products. Visitors from far away come to An Giang, enjoy a plate of coconut tubers salad mixed with shrimp and meat, smell the sweet taste on the tip of their tongues and exclaim: "Only the West has this natural crispness and coolness!".

Coconut and shrimp salad, crispy and fragrant meat.

Among the countless delicious dishes, banh xeo with taro filling is probably the one that makes people easily fall in love. Taro is shredded, mixed with bean sprouts, shrimp, pork belly, poured into a hot cast iron pan, hearing the pleasant “sizzling” sound, the aroma spreads throughout the kitchen.

When the crust is golden brown and crispy, take a bite, the fatty taste of coconut milk blends with the crunchy sweetness of taro, dip in a bowl of sweet and sour fish sauce mixed with garlic and chili, life seems a little sweeter.

Cold coconut tubers with salt and chili are delicious, require little effort, but are memorable to many people.

Coconut root salad with shrimp and meat is a memorable dish in country meals. Thinly sliced coconut root is mixed with boiled shrimp, shredded pork belly, Vietnamese coriander, fried onions, and sprinkled with crushed peanuts.

The salad is crispy, fragrant, and delicious. Served with shrimp crackers, it is truly delicious. Some people say that coconut root salad is not only delicious in taste but also delicious in soul, rustic and sweet soul.

Dried coconut tubers help preserve longer and are more convenient, market price from 900,000 to 1 million VND/kg.

Among so many delicacies, coconut tubers still retain their own unique features, not fussy, not luxurious, but make people remember forever. It is a dish of memories, of the sweat of farmers, of hard-working hands who know how to cherish the land to create specialties.

Fresh coconut tubers are packaged as OCOP specialties.

Nowadays, in that Mien Thu region, coconut growers not only wait for the fruit to fall to sell but also earn extra income from the pure white “hearts” of the coconut trunks. Every time I look at the young coconut trunks in the garden, I suddenly think that maybe the hometown specialty also started from such a simple innovation in thinking and doing.

Article and photos: AN LAM

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/cu-hu-dua-mon-ngon-dan-da-vuon-tam-dac-san-a465075.html