Nieng tubers are a part of the nieng plant (also known as corn) - a plant that grows and develops well in low-lying areas, along ponds or in flooded muddy areas. They are found in many provinces and cities in the North such as Nam Dinh, Hung Yen, Hai Duong . However, nieng in Nam Truc (Nam Dinh) is known to many people.
Accordingly, this special food tuber is grown a lot in An La village and neighboring hamlets in Nghia An commune, Nam Truc district, Nam Dinh province. According to statistics, Nghia An commune currently has more than 100 households cultivating nieng with a total area of over 10 hectares. Nieng tuber season usually only lasts for about 1.5 months (from mid-October to the end of November) every year.
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| A mobile stall selling lotus roots of people in An La village, Nghia An commune. (Photo: Kim Chien) |
Talking about her hometown’s specialty, Ms. Pham Thi Huong, a narcissus grower in An La village, Nghia An commune, said: narcissus has been planted on this land for about 40 years. We locals usually plant narcissus from around February to March of the lunar calendar, and after 7-9 months, the narcissus will produce tubers.
During the harvest season, the lotus root is cut close to the base, the leaves on top are removed and only the bulbous root, which looks like a pestle, is kept. At first glance, the lotus root looks very similar to lemongrass but is larger and brighter in color. After peeling off all the skin, people collect the lotus root flesh to process into many delicious dishes.
“The nieng plant is easy to plant, easy to grow and develop well. During the cultivation process, no pesticides need to be sprayed. Quality nieng tubers are often plump and white from the inside out, this is a truly clean food…” – Ms. Huong shared.
Mr. Tran Dinh Thong, another resident of Nghia An commune, said that the lotus root can be eaten raw or cooked and the preparation is also simple. After peeling off the outer skin, the lotus root just needs to be washed and sliced into thin slices. Nam Dinh people often stir-fry lotus root with beef or pork, but the most popular and favorite dish is still lotus root stir-fried with chicken or duck eggs. After thinly slicing the lotus root, stir-fry it over medium heat, when it is cooked, add eggs, herbs and season to taste. In addition, lotus root can be made into salad, or boiled and dipped in tamarind sauce.
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| Water chestnut is an ingredient in many delicious dishes rich in the culinary flavors of Thanh Nam. (Photo: Bao Ngoc) |
According to Mr. Thong, stir-fried water chestnuts with beef, although it is a rustic dish, is not too different from other vegetables stir-fried with beef. However, stir-fried water chestnuts with beef makes even the most fastidious eaters unable to stop eating. In this dish, after being processed, water chestnuts still retain their natural sweetness and crunchiness, combined with soft beef, it is truly an irresistible flavor. When served with hot rice, diners can only "eat until they are full"!
As for the salad, after being pre-processed in boiling water, the water chestnuts will be cut into long strips and mixed with fried egg rolls, adding a little ham. When mixing, you can add a little sugar, salt, ground pepper and sesame oil according to your family's taste. Water chestnut salad is considered a light dish, suitable for the elderly or those with high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes.
Boiled lotus root sounds very simple, but I know that this is the most popular way to prepare this rustic root. No need to be fancy, boiled lotus root is still enough to conquer everyone with its irresistible sweet taste. Boiled lotus root is very sweet and slightly soft, served with a little salt or soy sauce, it is extremely delicious. When chewing lotus root, in addition to the characteristic sweetness, the eater can feel the fatty, nutty taste of lotus root on the tip of the tongue...
In addition, according to the comments of diners who have enjoyed the nieng root, this root has a crunchy texture and a natural sweet taste when eaten raw, quite similar to the bon bon plant in the West. When cooked, nieng has a soft, fatty texture, with a rich taste of the Southern land.
Because of its crunchy and cool taste, many shops and restaurants in and outside Nam Dinh have long sought after and purchased it to prepare dishes. The tubers can be eaten raw even when hungry without fear of poisoning. Local tubers still have the habit of eating raw tubers to fight hunger or thirst when working hard in the fields.
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| Nieng trees are ready to harvest tubers in Nghia An commune, Nam Truc district. (Photo: Kim Chien) |
Currently, nieng is in the main harvest season, so traders are flocking to collect and sell it locally. Some people sell it along the roads, serving passersby to buy it as gifts and to enjoy.
At local markets, nieng is sold in bundles or by weight at prices ranging from 20,000 to 25,000 VND/kg, depending on size. In Hanoi, the price is higher, around 40,000 to 60,000 VND/bundle of 10 tubers (depending on location and time).
To choose delicious lotus roots, according to local people, you need to pay attention to the size, prioritize large and plump ones, choose young ones, with few brown leaves or still green, the layers of leaves are firmly stacked on top of each other. In addition, you should buy lotus roots before the sun rises, because at this time the roots will be less likely to wilt due to dehydration. If the shop sells white lotus roots or purple lotus roots, prioritize the white ones. Because white lotus roots have less fiber, they will taste better...
Not only is it an ingredient for many delicious dishes, lotus root can also bring some health benefits. According to Oriental medicine, lotus root is sweet, cool, has the effect of preventing atherosclerosis and high blood pressure, helps to clear heat, detoxify, diuretic, contributes to the treatment of diabetes, ... so it is good for health.
At present, if you have the opportunity to visit Nam Dinh, visitors should buy for themselves a few bunches of fresh nieng to fully enjoy the sweet taste of this delicious specialty./.
Source: https://dangcongsan.vn/kinh-te/cu-nieng-am-thuc-dat-thanh-nam-683002.html
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