Roasted field mouse is a famous specialty in Dong Thap , once ranked in the top 100 Vietnamese specialty dishes 2021-2022 by the Vietnam Record Organization (Vietkings) and Top Vietnam Organization (VietTop).
As the name suggests, this dish is made from the main ingredient of field mice. This type of mouse lives in the fields and mainly eats rice, so it is often caught by the locals and processed into food because the meat is fragrant, not smelly, and has a fatty, firm texture.
Mr. Vo Phat (living in My Tra ward, Dong Thap province) said that roasted field mouse is a favorite drinking dish of local people, most popular in the old Cao Lanh district.
In addition to field mice, local people also prefer to use porcupine rat meat. These are two types of rats that are abundant in Dong Thap. They often live in cool places, mainly eating rice, corn, cassava and natural foods such as crabs, snails, etc., so their meat is fatty, firm, and delicious.
According to Mr. Phat, rats here are hunted year-round or seasonally. However, the best quality rats are harvested during the harvest season, around September and October each year.
At that time, the mice ate their fill of ripe rice and became plump, which when cooked would be even more delicious.
“Field mice are plump after harvest because they eat ripe rice, weighing about 5-6 mice/kg. At that time, after harvesting the rice, people take the opportunity to set up nets, chase mice in the fields, then catch them alive, bring them home to sell or prepare food.
"An experienced person can catch dozens of kilos of mice a day," said Mr. Phat.
This man also said that the field mice are caught and blanched in boiling water to pluck the feathers, then the belly is cut open, the intestines are cleaned, and the claws, head, and tail are cut off.
After preliminary processing, people marinate the rat meat with a few spices such as oyster sauce or five-spice powder, fish sauce or salt..., wait for it to absorb well, then pick each rat and put it in a jar.
The jar used to roast rats is usually drilled with a hole in the bottom by the locals, allowing charcoal to be put in to grill. The rats are roasted in the jar, opening the lid every five or ten minutes, turning them evenly until cooked.
“Each batch will roast from 8 to 30 rats. During the roasting process, the chef must pay attention to opening the lid, turning evenly, adding fat and seasoning to make the rat meat more flavorful.
The rat takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour to roast. When the meat is cooked, people will spread a little honey on the skin. This method helps the dish to have a fragrant aroma and beautiful color," he added.
The quality of the roasted rat dish is when the skin is puffed up, reddish brown or cockroach wing color, and the meat is cooked evenly and soft and juicy.
In Dong Thap, roasted field mouse is enjoyed with herbs and dipped in an attractive lemon pepper salt.
This dish is best eaten hot, suitable as a snack during gatherings with friends and relatives.
Ms. Mai Chi (HCMC) who had the opportunity to enjoy roasted field mice in the old Cao Lanh district said that at first she felt cautious and a bit afraid when the tour guide introduced the dish.
However, after boldly trying it, she found the taste of roasted rat meat was far different from what she had imagined, even as delicious as the roasted suckling pig she had eaten.
“If you just look at the appearance of the dish, it's hard to tell it's made from rat meat, but knowing the ingredients, not every diner dares to try it,” Ms. Chi humorously shared.
The female tourist commented that the roasted field mouse dish has a crispy skin, while the meat inside is soft, juicy, fatty, and has a very unique sweet and aromatic flavor.
When eating roasted rat meat with salt, pepper, lemon, Vietnamese coriander, green banana, tomato, cucumber, etc., she does not feel greasy because of the oil.
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/dac-san-dong-thap-khong-phai-ai-cung-dam-thu-khach-sanh-an-khen-gion-rum-ngon-2470142.html
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