The 'first to sell out' specialty on the feast tray in Thanh Hoa, guests asked for the recipe after finishing the meal

Gotu kola has been associated with the lives of Thanh Hoa people for generations. At first, people only saw them as wild plants, harvested them to make drinks or prepare dishes.

However, for many years now, in addition to natural exploitation, Thanh people have also increased commercial cultivation of pennywort, meeting the widespread demand of diners inside and outside the province.

Even pennywort has become the main ingredient to make a refreshing salad, often appearing on the menu of local families on occasions such as death anniversaries, weddings or Tet holidays.

pennywort salad huong vy.jpg — Not only present in daily meals, pennywort salad is also considered an indispensable specialty on the feast tray in Thanh Hoa, demonstrating the unique culinary culture of the local people. Photo: Huong Vy

Mr. Nguyen Cuong - chef and owner of a wedding service business in Sam Son (Thanh Hoa) said that pennywort salad is a familiar dish on the trays of many Thanh Hoa families, especially during the hot summer.

In addition to the advantage of being cheap, this rustic ingredient is also easy to prepare, can be transformed into a number of different delicious salads and is especially effective in cooling and relieving indigestion.

“The pennywort salad can be combined with shrimp, boiled pork belly, chicken... or it can also be delicious as a vegetarian dish. The recipe is simple and does not require elaborate preparation,” said Mr. Cuong.

According to this man, to make a delicious salad, you need to choose fresh, young pennywort, without bruises, worms or wilting. Pick out the roots and old stems of the purchased vegetables, then wash them, soak them in diluted salt water for about 15-20 minutes, then take them out and drain.

To make the dish more colorful and flavorful, people also add shredded carrots, thinly sliced banana flowers, cucumbers, purple cabbage, and sliced onions.

Once the ingredients are prepared, mix them with sweet and sour fish sauce. You can add boiled meats such as shrimp, pork, chicken, beef (depending on each family's preference) and herbs (perilla, Vietnamese balm).

After mixing the salad, wait a moment for the spices to absorb, then arrange on a plate, sprinkle with crushed roasted peanuts or fried onions.

“To make a delicious dressing, you can boil water and sugar, stir to dissolve and let cool, then add kumquat juice and fish sauce with garlic and chili, creating a sweet and sour mixture with a thick consistency.

"When mixing the salad, be careful to do it gently so that the ingredients absorb the spices evenly and the pennywort doesn't get crushed," Mr. Cuong added.

Pennywort salad is easy to eat, helps cool down the body and relieves indigestion, so it is often the first dish on the table. Photo: Thuy Nguyen, Ha Bong

This man also revealed that pennywort salad has a refreshing and easy-to-eat flavor, so it is often the first dish on the table to sell out. When a customer orders, he brings the ingredients to the place and prepares them on the spot to ensure the quality of the dish.

Many diners from far away when coming to Thanh Hoa are delighted with the rustic but fresh and delicious pennywort salad, no less attractive than other sophisticated specialties on the tray.

Some people even enthusiastically asked for the recipe for delicious pennywort salad to show off their skills and change the meal for the whole family to enjoy.

Mr. Cuong said that in addition to pennywort salad, there is another familiar specialty dish on the feast tray in some localities in Thanh Hoa. That is banh rang bua (also known as banh te or banh la).

The reason the dish is so named is because the cake is shaped like a harrow tooth - a familiar labor tool of Thanh people since ancient times.

The cake is made from rice flour, filled with pork belly, chopped wood ear mushrooms mixed with pepper, salt, and dried onions.

The cake is wrapped in banana or dong leaves, then steamed or boiled. The banana leaves must be fresh, washed, drained, and heated over a fire until pliable. This step prevents the leaves from tearing when wrapped.

The small gears are about the size of two fingertips and are usually bundled in bundles of 10 to display on the altar. Photo: Trinh Thuong

“To make the right-flavored banh rang bua, you must choose good quality rice, soak it in water for a few hours, then grind it into flour. Hand-milled flour will be softer and smoother, helping the cake to be clear and chewy.

Next, people put the pot of flour on the stove, stirring constantly so that the flour does not clump or burn. When the flour is cooked and reaches the desired consistency, they take it out to start wrapping the cakes,” said Mr. Cuong.

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Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/dac-san-het-dau-tien-trong-mam-co-o-thanh-hoa-khach-an-xong-xin-cong-thuc-lam-2433099.html