Taste of stream duck

No need for a big party, no need for many people, in a small village in the mountains of Tuyen Quang, just one stream duck is enough to make a cozy meal.

Duck and bamboo shoot soup.

Highlanders do not feed ducks with bran but let them roam freely in the headwaters of rocky streams. Therefore, the duck meat is firm, the skin is thin, the bones are small, and the taste is very sweet, firm and fragrant.

In a small family, just one duck can be processed into an attractive meal. The thighs and wings are kept to be grilled with mac khen, doi seeds, and grilled with bamboo sticks. The aroma of smoke and wild pepper mixed with crispy duck skin, each bite is memorable.

The offal is made into a salad with wild vegetables, mixed with lemon leaves, pennywort, a little salt, and chili pepper. The sour, crunchy, slightly spicy taste, served with sticky rice - enough to make people far from their village feel their hearts ache.

Bones, neck, and wings are used to make sour bamboo soup. When the soup boils, sprinkle in a few slices of wild ginger, and the aroma spreads from the kitchen. The water is clear, the bamboo shoots are soft, the duck is cooked just right - the spiciness of the ginger, the slight sourness of the bamboo shoots, all blend together in a broth that is not only delicious but also warms the heart with each spoonful.

But the most unforgettable dish is the braised duck with star fruit. The sour taste of star fruit mixed with duck fat creates a light, not greasy, not harsh sauce. It goes well with sticky rice or rice noodles. Pick up a piece of tender duck meat, put it in your mouth, and you will feel the gentle aroma spreading from the tip of your tongue, into your nose, like the smell of forest trees in the season of fallen leaves, of mountain soil after rain.

Then the duck vermicelli, simple yet sophisticated. The broth is made from bones, with a few slices of radish and wild onions. Thinly sliced pork belly, soft and chewy rice noodles, sprinkled with wild pepper. Just a spoonful of the broth is incredibly sweet.
Finally, there is duck porridge with sticky rice, cooked from the remaining bones, the rice is simmered until soft, fragrant with perilla leaves and ground pepper. Scoop it into a bowl, eat it when night falls, the forest wind is cold, the heart feels as calm as the clear porridge water.

A stream duck weighs about 2-3 kg, but under the skillful hands of the highlanders, it becomes a delicious dish that anyone who enjoys it will remember forever.

Hoang Anh

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/van-hoa/202508/huong-vi-vit-suoi-3d81a85/