Black plum flavor

From August to October, when the weather in Tuyen Quang begins to get cold, the ripe black plums on the mountain slopes are also the time when the highland markets become more colorful. Black plum - a rustic fruit is not only fragrant, fatty but also an ingredient to make 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 is more famous for its small seeds, thick flesh, rich taste and characteristic aroma. Ripe canarium 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 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 their 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, seeded, and braised 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, quickly draining the pot of rice.

Black plum braised with meat.

Salted black plum is a simple preparation method but retains the original 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, the black plum is separated from the seeds, crushed, and mixed with sticky rice before steaming. When cooked, the sticky rice has a beautiful light purple color, with the aroma of plum mixed with the smell of new sticky rice. This dish often appears during holidays and village festivals in Tuyen Quang.

For people 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 plum 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 rich, fragrant taste reminds people of the land and people here.

Hoang Anh

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