A rustic dish: banana stem cooked with snails.

Banana stems can be combined to prepare many dishes, including the fragrant and rich banana stem stew with snails, reminiscent of the flavors of home...

Banana corms are easy to find, often dug up by mothers and grandmothers right in their backyards.

"Countryside" dishes

No one knows exactly when the dish of banana stem cooked with snails originated, but it is known to have become a signature dish in many regions of the Northern Delta. It was once a common dish in the daily meals of people when economic conditions were still difficult and scarce.

The banana stem is skillfully peeled and sliced ​​into strips by the chef.

Snail stew made with banana stem has become a familiar dish to Mrs. Duong Thi Uyen in Thien Dap village, Kim Xuyen commune (Kim Thanh district). Since childhood, she was taught how to prepare it by her mother. And so, this simple dish grew up with her and her siblings. When meat and fish weren't readily available, a basket of snails caught from the rice fields after the rain, along with some banana stem dug up from the backyard, was enough to make a fragrant, flavorful, and nutritious soup. For her, this is not just a simple dish but also a part of her childhood memories.

The essential ingredients for this dish are readily available: banana stems and snails. After the first rain of the season, you can simply grab a basket and head to the edge of the rice field to catch a bunch of snails.

Unlike apple snails, field snails caught in rice paddies often have a thick layer of mud, impurities, and parasites clinging to them. However, their meat is firm, crunchy, and sweeter, making them particularly suitable for cooking with banana blossoms. The snails are soaked overnight in rice water with a few slices of chili peppers to help them expel mucus and dirt. The shells of field snails are often covered in algae and mud, so they need to be scrubbed clean under running water.

The plump, crispy snail meat is marinated with various spices.

Next, boil the snails in a pot of boiling water with a little salt and a few slices of ginger and crushed lemongrass to remove the fishy smell. When the shells start to come off, remove the snails from the pot, let them cool, and then use a toothpick or small stick to extract the meat. Keep only the snail meat, discard the intestines, and rub with salt a few times to remove the slime, then rinse with water. The fatty, crispy snail meat will be marinated with spices such as onion, lemongrass, pepper, fish sauce, and a little turmeric to cook with banana blossoms.

Banana stems are soaked in fermented rice water or diluted lemon juice to remove the sap and reduce bitterness.

People in the countryside often choose the rhizome of small banana trees (either the wild banana or the plantain) to cook snails. The rhizome is dug up, the old outer layer is peeled off, then it is sliced ​​into thin strips and soaked in fermented rice water or lemon water with a few grains of salt to remove the sap and reduce the bitterness.

The dish of banana stem cooked with snails is quite elaborate. After absorbing the seasonings, the snails are stir-fried until firm. The banana stem, after being briefly stir-fried, is also added to the pot, seasoned with a rich blend of fermented rice water, and cooked until tender.

Once all the ingredients are well combined, the entire pot of snails is fragrant, with a mild sourness and a spicy kick.

When all the ingredients are combined, the whole pot emits a rich, tangy, and spicy aroma. The sweetness of the snails, the earthy bitterness of the banana stem, blended with the mild sourness of the fermented rice, and the spiciness of the fresh chili peppers… all create a culinary symphony with a distinctly rural flavor. Perilla leaves, betel leaves, and shallots are indispensable ingredients for this dish. Missing even one of these components would make the dish less appealing.

"Previously, in my childhood, I only knew that this dish was easy to find and easy to cook. Growing up, I learned that combining these two ingredients not only creates a rustic dish but is also rich in nutrients. Golden apple snails are rich in protein and minerals. As for banana stems, according to traditional Chinese medicine, they have a sweet taste and a cooling nature, with the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying," Ms. Uyen added.

Taste of home

This traditional dish was passed down from Mrs. Uyen to her daughter and has become a specialty dish only cooked on special occasions.

Nowadays, amidst the fast-paced modern life, banana stem stew with snails is no longer a frequent sight on everyday dinner tables. But for those who grew up in the countryside and once tasted it, this dish will always remain a part of their memories.

Whenever she thinks of banana stem stew with snails, Ms. Tran Thi Thuy Oanh is reminded of her hometown. She says that she has left her hometown for more than 10 years to build a career in Nha Trang City, and although she has enjoyed many delicious dishes, she occasionally craves her mother's banana stem stew with snails intensely.

Banana stem stew with snails has become a dish that evokes the taste of home for many people living far from their hometowns.

Ms. Oanh recounted that in the days when the economy was difficult, every time the village fields were harvested, her mother would take her and her sisters to the fields to catch snails. Just a few garden snails and banana stems from the backyard were enough for a warm and satisfying meal for the whole family. Every time she returns home, Ms. Oanh often asks her mother to cook this dish. "The slightly bitter, nutty taste of the young banana stems, the crunchy texture of the snails, the fragrant, slightly sour taste of the fermented rice... I still can't forget it," Ms. Oanh shared.

With readily available ingredients and a simple, traditional cooking method, this dish has been passed down through many generations.

TRAN HIEN

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/dan-da-mon-cu-chuoi-nau-oc-buou-413096.html