Strange specialty in Vinh Phuc, covered with ants, the more you bite, the more delicious it is

Before processing, Tam Dao people ( Vinh Phuc ) will impact the ant nest so that the ants cover the beef and burn it. This method helps the dish have a delicious flavor, becoming a specialty loved by many diners.

Rare beef with ants is a famous specialty of Tam Dao, Vinh Phuc. According to Ms. Quynh Anh - the owner of a restaurant in Tam Dao, the reason this specialty has such a strange name is because the beef is made rare by letting ants bite it.

To make the dish authentic and delicious, local people need to carefully select ingredients and prepare them properly. Accordingly, the meat is taken from newly slaughtered cows, still hot and supple.

Then, people cut the beef into large pieces, about 1-2cm thick, and hang them on tree branches near the forest ant nest. “People will use a stick to poke the ants in the nest to burst out and cover the meat. The more fragrant and hot the meat is, the more it stimulates the ants to bite.

Depending on each person's conditions and preferences, instead of hanging it on a tree, people can put the meat in a large basin or pot, then take the ant nest down to burn it," said Ms. Quynh Anh.

In 2022, the Vietnam Record Organization - Vietnam Record Association recognized Vinh Phuc's ant-bitten beef in the Top 100 Vietnamese specialties. Photo: Vinh Phuc specialties

According to the female owner, to make the ant-infused beef with the desired flavor, Tam Dao people often choose forest ants and only use ant nests on trees, both ensuring hygiene and safety, and helping the dish have a unique, attractive flavor.

Each type of ant, when burned, will give the dish its own delicious flavor. For example, black ants create a slightly pungent aroma, red ants create a sour taste, ants bring a spicy taste, and ants have a fragrant smell like water bugs.

“To make the dish more flavorful, Tam Dao people also hang beef from different ant nests. The more aggressive the ants are and the stronger their stings are, the more delicious the meat will be,” the female restaurant owner added.

Gourmets will feel the difference in the flavor of the rare beef dish created by each type of ant. Photo: @bep_nho_mymy

After the ants have finished biting, people will wash the beef with diluted salt water, drain it, and then grill it over hot coals.

When grilling, quickly flip both sides so that the heat penetrates each fiber of the meat. The beef will become firm, sizzling, and fragrant, stimulating the senses of sight, taste, and smell.

Ms. Quynh Anh said that a piece of meat is considered to be cooked to medium rare, the outside layer of meat is slightly charred, the inside is pink, juicy and soft.

When enjoying, people cut the meat into small pieces and arrange them on a plate, combined with some accompanying ingredients such as Vietnamese coriander, sour star fruit, green banana... and especially indispensable soy sauce.

The typical dipping sauce for the ant-bitten beef dish in Tam Dao is made from corn and soybeans, mixed with a little sugar and shredded ginger.

In addition to being enjoyed fresh, the specialty of raw beef with ants in Tam Dao is also processed into dried form for convenient packaging and transportation to other provinces and cities. Photo: Thien Cam Restaurant

When eating, diners place the beef on raw vegetables, add ingredients of their choice, roll it up, and dip it in soy sauce. The dish is said to have a strange delicious taste, with the aroma of meat and ants, mixed with a bit of astringent, sour, and sweet flavors of the accompanying spices.

If you have the opportunity to visit Tam Dao, you can find and enjoy the ant-burning beef dish at some local restaurants for about 150,000 - 200,000 VND/plate, enough for 2 people to enjoy.

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