Bac Ninh specialties are delicious and unique, some are "exported" and some are too difficult for many people to try.

Bac Ninh specialties impress with their diversity. Some dishes are delicious without being processed, while others are exported abroad, meeting the diverse enjoyment needs of diners.

Grass carp salad

Grass carp salad is a famous specialty of the people living along the Cau River in Bac Ninh province (formerly Bac Giang province).

This salad was voted into the list of 10 specialty dishes in the Vietnam Culinary Record (2012) and the top 100 Vietnamese specialty dishes 2020-2021 announced by the Vietnam Record Organization (Vietkings) and Top Vietnam Organization (VietTop).

Although the specialty of grass carp salad does not need to be cooked or heated, it requires a meticulous preparation process to ensure quality and hygiene. Photo: Hai Go

To have a delicious fish salad, the cook must choose very fresh silver carp, about 7-8 ounces each. Fish that are too small will be mushy and difficult to remove the meat; fish that are too big will have too much fat, making the salad lose its flavor.

Fish used for salad should be caught by hook or by net. Absolutely do not use fish caught from ponds because they often have a muddy smell and fishy taste. It is best to choose fish raised naturally in clean ponds, without growth stimulants to ensure firm, chewy, sweet and fragrant meat.

When enjoying, the silver carp salad is displayed on a tray, served with more than a dozen types of "homegrown" herbs and spices such as perilla leaves, chrysanthemum, serrated leaves, fig leaves, figs, polyscias fruticosa leaves, green bananas, sour star fruit, chili, betel leaves, perilla... All create a harmonious flavor, making silver carp salad a favorite.

However, because the dish is made from raw fish, some people are hesitant and do not dare to try it.

Tho Ha rice paper

Tho Ha rice paper is a rustic specialty of the people of Van Ha ward, Bac Ninh province (Van Ha commune, Viet Yen town, old Bac Giang province).

The main ingredient to make the cake is good rice, usually Khang Dan rice. The rice is washed, soaked in salt water in a certain ratio and then ground into flour.

After being carefully filtered, the flour will be spread into a thin layer on a mold, steamed and dried on a bamboo rack in the sun to achieve the ideal elasticity and toughness. This is an important step, requiring experience and skill to ensure the cake is not too crispy or too moist.

Not only a typical culinary product, Tho Ha rice paper is also a symbol of the creativity, diligence and sophistication of local craftsmen. Photo: Bao Khanh

Tho Ha rice paper is highly appreciated for its quality: thin, soft, easy to roll, crispy and fragrant when fried without breaking.

The product is currently widely consumed throughout the country and exported to Japan, Korea, and some European countries.

Pickled melon

Pickled melon is a popular dish and is considered a specialty in Que Vo (Bac Ninh). This is the place with the largest melon growing area in the land of Quan Ho, concentrated in wards such as Phu Luong, Viet Hung, Que Tan, Bang An.

From March to July of the solar calendar every year is the time to harvest melons. At that time, local people will choose young fruits to pickle, and the remaining few will be brought to the market to sell.

Pickled melons usually come in two types: regular pickles and flat pickles (pressed). Both methods leave the fruit whole, and the finished fruit is pure white.

The finished product of pickled melon meets the requirements when the fruit is intact, not crushed, the skin surface is smooth, juicy and white, salty and slightly sour, and has a fragrant smell. Photo: An Sap Tu Son

Depending on each family's preference, people have different ways of pickling melons. They can leave the melon whole or cut it in half and remove the seeds, but both ensure a crunchy, delicious dish.

Pickled melon can be eaten immediately or processed into many attractive dishes such as salad, braised meat, braised fish... Among them, stir-fried pickled melon with pork belly is the most popular dish among Bac Ninh people, easy to make, delicious, and goes well with rice.

Western tourists try the sweet and fragrant specialties in Thanh Hoa, visit the countryside market to see the "strange" but delicious dishes . Not only were they excited to be introduced to some strange dishes in the countryside market in Thanh Hoa, Western tourists also enjoyed the sweet and fragrant specialty of Co Lung duck, eaten with betel leaves and dipped in salt, pepper and lemon.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/dac-san-bac-ninh-ngon-la-co-mon-xuat-ngoai-co-mon-nhieu-nguoi-ngai-thu-2466236.html