Rock moss (moss growing on rocks, also known as moss sprouts) has long been considered a familiar specialty in Ninh Binh. This type of moss often appears in the summer, forming on the water-filled crevices of the white limestone mountains after heavy rains.

They are shaped like wood ear mushrooms, moss green, and transparent like jelly.

According to locals, in the past, when life was poor and food was scarce, people in the area often climbed limestone mountains to find rocks to eat. However, today, this rustic dish is considered a specialty that attracts customers to buy in Ninh Binh.

Ninh Binh ice noodles are said to have a refreshing, juicy but still crunchy taste. Photo: Nguyen Hong

Ms. Yen Nhi (in Ninh Binh) said that because the stone dún often grows on steep mountains and appears after heavy rains, harvesting them is very dangerous. Not to mention, people have to harvest them right after the rain because when the weather clears, the dún will melt and cannot be used.

Not only is harvesting difficult, the stone processing also requires a lot of time and effort.

“Stone striations have a jelly-like texture. When they stick to the stone, they stick to a lot of dirt and leaves. Therefore, cleaning stone striations requires care and thoroughness.

Local people often soak the stone dún in rice water and then wash it thoroughly to remove all the dirt on the dún before processing it," Nhi shared. For Ninh Binh people, the most popular and familiar dish made from dún is boiled dún.

After cleaning, put the noodles on a colander or in a pot to boil, wait until the noodles change color from green to yellow, then they are cooked and can be eaten immediately.

Ms. Nhi added: "The traditional way of eating Ninh Binh people from the past is to boil the rice vermicelli and dip it in peanut salt, which is both delicious and retains the original flavor, and saves time."

Dún đá can be processed into many dishes, but the most popular are boiled dún đá and crab soup. Photo: Nguyen Hong

In addition to boiled dishes, stone noodles are also varied and created into a number of delicious and attractive dishes such as stir-fried noodles, shrimp and meat noodles salad, noodles salad, pickled noodles,... and noodles cooked with crab soup.

According to Ms. Nhi, many tourists when coming to Ninh Binh only look for crab soup with ice because of its unique and delicious flavor. This soup uses natural field crabs in Ninh Binh to ensure a natural sweetness and aroma.

After grinding the crab and filtering the juice, people boil the crab juice, keep the heat at medium so that the crab fat floats up in pieces, then scoop it out. The crab juice is seasoned with spices, tomatoes, meatballs, tofu, etc. and served with herbs.

The stone noodles are blanched in broth and served with steamed crab soup, which has both a rich, fatty taste and a refreshing, sour taste.

From a moss with a unique name, seemingly discarded, dún đá has become a specialty of the Ninh Binh limestone mountains because it grows according to the weather. In the off-season, even rich tourists find it difficult to buy this moss.

In season (from June to August), fresh dun is sold for 20,000 - 30,000 VND/kg. In off-season, dun is sold for 35,000 - 40,000 VND/kg.

To preserve the vermicelli for a long time and to be able to transport it far away, people have created dried vermicelli. About 3 - 4kg of fresh vermicelli will yield 1kg of finished dried vermicelli, so the price of dried vermicelli is higher, from 90,000 - 100,000 VND/kg (depending on the season and place of sale).

Because of its refreshing taste and its frequent appearance in the summer, iced noodles are considered an effective heat-relieving dish. The fresh, juicy and unique flavor of this dish easily attracts visitors from all over the world to the "land of rocky mountains" Ninh Binh.

Fresh and unique specialties in Ha Tinh , even the most demanding guests praise them as delicious . Although not cooked by heat, this specialty is considered easy to eat, has a mild sweetness, is refreshing, and attracts diners to enjoy in Ha Tinh.