Black plum flavor

From August to October, when the weather in Tuyen Quang starts to get cold, the ripe black plums on the mountain slopes are also the time when the highland markets become more colorful. Black plums - a rustic fruit that is not only fragrant, fatty, but also an ingredient for many unique dishes.

Black plum sticky rice.

Black Canarium ( scientific name: Canarium tramdenum) is a tree endemic to the Northern Midlands and Mountains, but in Tuyen Quang, black Canarium fruit is more famous for its small seeds, thick flesh, rich flavor and characteristic aroma. Ripe Canarium fruit has a dark purple color, smooth shiny skin; when boiled or stewed, the flesh turns light pink, giving off a very unique gentle aroma. This Canarium fruit combined with some other ingredients becomes a famous delicacy of Tuyen Quang.

Black plum stewed with pork belly is an unforgettable, flavorful dish. The plums are cut off the stems, washed, and put into a pot to stew with pork belly cut into bite-sized pieces, seasoned with fish sauce, shrimp paste, shallots, and a little chili. When the meat is tender, the plums are also flavored, and there is nothing better than eating them with white rice on a cold day.

Black plum stewed with carp or grass carp is also popular among the highlanders. The plums are cut in half, seeds removed, and stewed with fish, fish sauce, galangal, and fresh turmeric. This dish has both the sweet taste of the fish and the rich aroma of the plum, making the rice pot quickly empty.

Black plum stewed with meat.

Salted black plum is a simple way to prepare it but still retains its flavor. The plum is boiled until soft, then tossed with roasted salt or chili salt. The nutty flavor of the plum blends with the salty and slightly spicy taste, becoming a favorite snack, especially when sitting around the fire.

Black plum sticky rice is a famous specialty of Tuyen Quang . After boiling, black plums are separated from the seeds, crushed, and mixed with sticky rice before being steamed. When cooked, the sticky rice has a beautiful light purple color, with the aroma of plums mixed with the smell of new sticky rice. This dish often appears during holidays and village festivals in Tuyen Quang.

For those far from home, the taste of black plum is not only a dish, but also a memory. Tuyen Quang market is always bustling with buyers and sellers every plum season. Baskets of purple plums are carried from the village to the city, bringing with them the color and scent of the mountains and forests. Visitors who come here once, enjoy black plum stewed with meat, plum sticky rice or plum stewed with fish, often have to buy a few kilos as gifts.

Tuyen Quang black plum - that simple pearl - still silently contributes to the culinary identity of the Northern mountainous region, so that every autumn, that fragrant flavor reminds people of the land and people here.

Hoang Anh

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/van-hoa/202508/huong-vi-tram-den-25569af/