Countryside soul in every dish

Trang Bang noodle soup is one of the 100 unique culinary dishes of Vietnam (Photo: Tay Ninh Online Newspaper)

Trang Bang noodle soup - a unique culinary feature of Vietnam

When it comes to Tay Ninh cuisine, we certainly cannot forget the famous Trang Bang noodle soup. It is not clear when this dish first appeared, but until now, it has become a very unique culinary feature of the people of Trang, Tay Ninh.

Someone told that Trang Bang noodle soup was invented and sold by a woman who was a street vendor. Seeing that people around her were still in poverty, she taught them the art of making noodle soup so that they could also make a living. And from then on, Trang Bang noodle soup became a typical dish, popular both in Trang and Tay Ninh, and then spread to many other regions.

Noodle soup is available in every region, such as Nha Trang fish cake noodle soup, Quang Tri snakehead fish noodle soup, Phu Quoc crab noodle soup, etc. Trang has no sea, and freshwater fish is not a specialty, so the noodle soup in this region is delicious thanks to the noodles.

Banh canh must be made from rice flour, a typical type of rice of Trang origin originating from the Khmer people, or the person making banh canh must know how to mix the flour to create noodles that are both chewy and sweet, "holding the feet" of diners.

Although it is a specialty, Trang Bang noodle soup is made from very common ingredients. The broth is sweetened from bones and must have chicken heads. This is considered a "secret" to having the standard Trang Bang noodle soup broth. The meat used to cook the noodle soup is not too "picky", lean meat, thighs, ham or hooves are all fine, depending on the taste of the eater, but it is necessary to choose fresh and delicious meat. When processing, after boiling, take it out and put it in cold water to make the meat crispy and white.

Besides the sweet broth, chewy noodles, and flavorful pieces of meat, Trang Bang noodle soup is truly delicious when eaten with wild vegetables, the rustic vegetables that anyone can pick around them.

The high mountains and forests associated with history have given the people of Tay Ninh an unmistakable specialty: Wild vegetables - an indispensable side dish in many famous dishes of this land.

On a weekend day missing home, being able to return, sit in a small market, and enjoy a bowl of noodle soup with the rich flavor of home will be the greatest gift for Tay Ninh people living far away from home.

A bowl of steaming noodle soup, the light aroma of coriander, onion, and pepper is "awakened" after the boiling broth is ladled into the noodle bowl filled with meat or pig's feet. A bowl of fish sauce with pepper, a few slices of lemon, and a basket of various fresh wild vegetables on the side promise to bring diners a well-rounded meal, imbued with the soul of the countryside.

Dong Thap Muoi fish sauce hotpot - the heart of the river people

Gathering around a steaming pot of fish sauce creates a warm atmosphere and the taste of home (Photo: HA LAN)

Tay Ninh not only has Ba Den mountain and old forests, Tay Ninh also has a river region with "ready-to-catch fish and shrimp, ready-to-eat rice" in Dong Thap Muoi, so Tay Ninh cuisine also has dishes typical of the river delta region, including the unforgettable hotpot with fish sauce.

Eaten with fish sauce hotpot are rustic, easy-to-find vegetables (Photo: HA LAN)

Coming to Dong Thap Muoi during the flood season, there is nothing better than eating a hot pot of fish sauce with sesban flowers, lotus flowers,... When it is pouring rain outside, staying indoors, the whole family gathers around a pot of fragrant, steaming fish sauce hot pot, what experience is more valuable!

During the flood season, fish follow the water to the fields. People spread nets and catch them to eat and sell. If they can’t finish eating them all, they dry them and make fish sauce. And this fish sauce is an indispensable ingredient in fish sauce hotpot, a dish that is easy to cook, easy to eat and hard to forget.

The ingredients for hotpot are almost everywhere. Fish, shrimp, eel or pork can be cooked together. Vegetables dipped in hotpot are also diverse and are all natural products such as water mimosa, sesbania flowers, banana flowers, spinach, lotus flowers, etc. They are delicious, nutritious and inexpensive because they are always available.

With vegetables available around the house, people in Dong Thap Muoi in particular and the whole Western region in general find ways to "bring" them into rustic meals that have now become specialties.

Dong Thap Muoi fish sauce hotpot has a strong fish sauce aroma, mixed with the aroma of fried garlic and chili, the sweetness of shrimp and fish from home and the refreshing taste of all kinds of available vegetables. When guests come to visit, the people of the plains will treat them with a steaming fish sauce hotpot and a bottle of rice wine.

The rich flavor mixed with a little bit of spiciness in a meal to entertain guests is what makes friends from far away fall in love with the land and people there.

Although time passes and life changes, dishes like Trang Bang noodle soup and Dong Thap Muoi fish sauce hotpot still quietly preserve the “countryside soul” of the rustic and affectionate Tay Ninh. It is not only the delicious taste of the food but also the memories and lifestyle associated with the fields, mountains, forests, rivers and people here.

Every time we return home, sitting next to a bowl of steaming noodle soup or a pot of steaming fish sauce hotpot, we not only eat to fill our stomachs but also feel our hearts warmed by the familiar scent of our homeland, a flavor that no matter how far away we go, we can never forget./.

Guilin

Source: https://baolongan.vn/hon-que-trong-tung-mon-an-a199877.html