Young sau sau leaves are a familiar wild vegetable that appears in many northern provinces such as Lang Son, Cao Bang, Bac Kan ..., and are used by local people as an ingredient in food processing.

In Lang Son, young sau sau leaves are also considered a spring specialty, attracting customers to buy and enjoy.

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Young sau sau leaves are considered a popular specialty of Lang Son. Photo: Bao Dom

Ms. Do Thuy (Cao Loc district) said that in Lang Son, Sau Sau trees are found in most districts but are concentrated in some localities such as Van Quan, Cao Loc, Binh Gia...

This is a woody plant that grows naturally, also known as white sau sau, phong huong or bach giao huong... Because the tree is tall, the locals have a hard time harvesting young sau sau shoots to sell or make food.

Ms. Thuy said that young sau sau leaves are often abundant around January, when the weather gradually turns from cold to warm and there is a little drizzle in early spring.

At this time, local people start to go into the forest to harvest young sau sau leaves. After harvesting, they tie them into bundles and sell them along the road or in local markets at prices ranging from 7,000 to 10,000 VND/bundle.

“In Lang Son, there are two types of sau sau: green leaves and purple leaves. However, the purple leaf type is more popular, with a characteristic slightly bitter taste,” she shared.

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Young sau sau leaves dipped in fermented rice is a popular and favorite dish in Lang Son. Photo: Luong Viet Cuong

This woman added that young sau sau leaves are used as a raw vegetable and are rarely stir-fried or cooked. Because they are wild vegetables picked from tall trees, sau sau leaves are quite clean, just need to be washed with water and can be eaten immediately, no need for elaborate processing.

For Lang Son people, young sau sau leaves are best eaten raw, dipped in fermented rice - a special sauce that is unlike anywhere else.

Ms. Thuy said that the dipping sauce with young sau sau leaves is made from many ingredients and spices.

Accordingly, people fry chopped shallots until fragrant, then add tomatoes and stir, mash well until the tomatoes are soft and smooth, creating a very smooth mixture.

Next, add the filtered sour water and season to taste. Finally, add the canned meat and boil together, wait for the sauce to simmer for 3-5 minutes.

When eating, people pour the sauce into a large, thick bowl to keep it warm, and can add a little chili and pepper. Because this dish uses a lot of sauce, people often make a bowl of sauce as big as a bowl of soup.

Young sau sau leaves are used as a raw vegetable, with a slightly bitter and astringent taste. Photo: Phuong Lien

Ms. Thanh Nga (in Hanoi ) who enjoyed sau sau shoots with fermented rice sauce in Lang Son commented that the dish has a strange, refreshing taste, suitable to relieve the feeling of fullness after meals and parties at the beginning of the year.

“The astringent, slightly bitter taste of young sau sau leaves blends with the sour taste of me and the fatty taste of canned meat, creating an extremely interesting dish, appealing to both adults and children,” Ms. Nga said.

This woman also revealed that, in addition to being eaten raw with fermented rice, young sau sau leaves can also be made into hot pot dishes, and can replace other familiar hot pot vegetables.

Besides, around February and March of the lunar calendar, when the young leaf season is over, Lang Son people also use old leaves to make black sticky rice, which is equally attractive.

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The season of young sau sau leaves only lasts about 2-3 weeks, after which the leaves become old. Lang Son people often use old sau sau leaves to make black sticky rice. Photo: Vuong Ban
Sau sau leaves are also popular with Hanoi diners, who buy them to eat to cool down and relieve the feeling of fullness at the beginning of the year. Photo: Thu Lam

Not only considered a strange specialty from its name to its flavor, sau sau leaves also bring some wonderful health benefits.

According to traditional medicine, sau sau leaves have a bitter taste, neutral properties, help clear heat and detoxify, treat enteritis, epigastric pain, hemoptysis, nosebleeds... or treat coughs and skin rashes.

Western tourists try pho for 175,000 VND as soon as they arrive in Hanoi, nod and praise it. Visiting a pho restaurant on Vo Chi Cong Street (Tay Ho District, Hanoi), a Western tourist ordered a special portion for 175,000 VND, praising the broth for its light, clear taste and many attractive types of beef.