Hung Lo carp salad specialty

Phu Tho is a land where many ethnic groups live together, each ethnic group has traditional dishes prepared in their own style; that creates a rich, diverse and attractive cuisine for the Ancestral Land.

Nowadays, in addition to sightseeing, experiencing or entertaining, tourists can also enjoy the special local dishes of the places they have visited. These are dishes with strong regional characteristics and are prepared according to their own traditional methods. Hung Lo ancient village - a land over 300 years old located on the banks of Lo River, nearly 5km from Hung Temple as the crow flies. Through many historical changes and ups and downs, this place still preserves almost intact the architecture of the ancient communal house, a national historical relic recognized since 1990. According to legend, this was where King Hung, the princess and his courtiers stopped to rest during an excursion. The King saw that this place was rich, with lush trees and sacred air rising from the ground, so he considered this a sacred place. On this land, the villagers built a temple to worship King Hung to forever show gratitude to the King's merits. During the reign of King Le Hy Tong, the temple was built, facing Nghia Linh mountain.

The people here have always had a tradition of hospitality. The hospitality is shown by the host through the traditional dishes of the region, the area along the Lo River, in which the most special is a rustic dish "Lo River Carp Salad". Anyone who has enjoyed this dish once in their life must have been impressed by the rich, crispy, sweet taste imbued with the countryside.

The ingredients to prepare this dish are very simple but the processing is extremely elaborate and complicated. The first thing is to choose the fish, the fish to make the salad must be Lo River carp, because this type of fish when living in a large natural environment always has fragrant and firm meat. The average weight of each fish is from 1.5 to under 3kg, because large fish will have hard bones and tough meat; small fish will have soft, mushy meat that is difficult to process.

First, the fish is cleaned, the gills are removed and all the fins are chopped off, the scales are removed, and the fish is not washed again with plain water. Then, the meat on both sides of the fish is filtered. Use a sharp knife to separate each piece of meat from the bones and then put it in a basin of water mixed with salt and vinegar to soak for about 10 minutes to remove the fishy smell. The white pieces of meat, with a slight pink tinge, are then wiped dry with a clean cloth and wrapped in thin sheets of paper to continue drying. When the fish meat is dry, take it out and cut it into bite-sized pieces, mix well with pure fresh ginger juice and chopped fresh galangal, add a little lemon leaves and white salt, and continue to mix well with crushed roasted rice bran.

The next step is to make the sauce, a side dish to go with the fish. The ingredient to make this dish must be banana fish. The fish meat is filtered into small pieces. The banana fish bones and the carp bones that have been filtered for meat are pounded in a mortar, all the residue is removed, then put into a clay pot and simmered with the banana fish meat until it thickens.

The water used in the pot is a mixture of water from a stone well, molasses, a little sour rice and a little white salt in the right proportions. Use a wood stove to simmer over low heat and be careful not to burn the pot. This is the core to bring out the unique essence of Hung Lo fish salad. The final step of the process is to prepare the herbs.

In the village, in every family's garden, there are always some fruit trees, especially herbs, vegetables to eat with fish. These herbs are both vegetables and traditional medicine that can cure some common intestinal diseases according to folk experience. There are many types of herbs, including: Vong cach leaves, three-color dream leaves, chrysanthemum, guava buds, ginseng, coriander, river bones, lolot leaves, fig leaves and fruits, banana balls, green bananas, onions, mint... with enough spicy, sour, astringent, sweet, and rich flavors, all picked from the home garden. When all the work is done. The fish is presented on a plate, the sauce is scooped into a bowl, and the herbs are placed next to it. On the tray, add a bowl of lemon and chili sauce or a bowl of soy sauce, a plate of white salt, thinly sliced ​​onions..., depending on the taste of the diner.

When eating, we can wrap the herbs with the fish salad or use rice paper to wrap. The way to wrap is like making Banh Ot (Banh To Te). Depending on the taste of the eater, roll the vegetables and the appropriate amount of fish, roll each piece to eat. After rolling, use a spoon to scoop the sauce on top, fold it up, and put it in the mouth to eat. All the flavors dissolve together, creating indescribable emotions, stimulating each taste bud.

First is the rich, fragrant, slightly astringent taste of the vegetables. Next is the crispiness and sweetness of the fish meat. Add a little bit of spicy chili mixed with the sour and fragrant taste of the fish sauce. Enjoying Goi Ca is not simply a delicious, nutritious dish, but this dish also contains many profound meanings, it is like the convergence of the most delicious flavors of the land and heaven bestowed upon the people here.

The fish salad dish is displayed on a wooden tray with a bottle of white wine (Hung Lo wine), giving off a strong, spicy aroma, and chatting with close friends is truly an enjoyable experience.

In contemporary life, besides worries and busy work, there is nothing better than enjoying relaxing moments, immersing yourself in a peaceful cultural space, enjoying the atmosphere of a warm countryside, beside the Lo River with clear blue water, listening to the charming Xoan folk songs that captivate people's hearts, enjoying traditional dishes from thousands of years ago such as: Chung cake, Giay cake, carp salad, rice noodles, rice wine... Hung Lo said "No matter where you go, always remember the Ancestral Land". Remembering the dishes, although simple and rustic, they have contributed to preserving and promoting the cultural heritage value of a traditional Vietnamese village.

Pham Ba Khiem