Western tourists try unique specialties in Ninh Binh, praise them as delicious 'must try'

Not only impressed by the flavor, Western guests also find Ninh Binh specialties attractive thanks to the crunchy texture of the accompanying ingredients.

Dalton Rhone – an American tourist recently traveled to Vietnam, exploring many provinces and cities such as Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Hoa Binh (old) and Thanh Hoa.

He commented that Ninh Binh is one of the most famous tourist destinations in the North because of its impressive scenery and delicious food.

Among them, there is a dish that the American guest found very attractive, considered a specialty of this land. That is braised fish in a clay pot.

Dalton experiences the specialty dish of braised fish in a clay pot in Ninh Binh

At first hearing the name of this dish, many people mistakenly think that using a ladle (a tool to scoop water) to braise fish, similar to braising fish in a clay pot.

However, in fact, this is a fish dish cooked with the “gáo” fruit. This fruit is abundant in Ninh Binh and some provinces in the West.

You can choose ripe or green dippers for braised fish. Ripe dippers are deep yellow and have a slightly sour taste. Green dippers have a sour taste similar to figs.

Gáo is a typical fruit in Ninh Binh. The yellow part on the outside is the gáo flower, when the flower falls, the gáo fruit inside will appear.

Dalton said that in the homestay where he stayed in Ninh Binh, there was a cajuput tree. When he arrived, the staff took him to experience picking and enjoying this fruit.

“I feel very lucky to have come to Ninh Binh during the season when the calabash fruit ripens (around September-October) and get to taste this unique fruit,” Dalton said.

The Western guest said that the popular way to eat the fruit is to dip it in salt. It can be eaten when the fruit is young, green, and sour. But when it is ripe, it tastes like blueberries.

“The taste is hard to describe. Some people compare the calabash fruit to rambutan, but that’s probably just because of the appearance. In fact, the taste is not much like rambutan,” he commented.

Braised fish in a clay pot is best when braised in a clay pot, simmered over a wood stove for several hours.

Not only impressed with the taste of fresh gao fruit, Dalton also praised the attractive braised gao fish dish.

“The dish has a rich flavor from fish and pork belly, but mixed with the natural sweetness from the coconut fruit, creating a very strange fruity sweetness.

In addition to its sweetness, the gourd fruit also creates an interesting feeling when chewing because this fruit is soft and still has a crunchy texture. Thanks to that, the braised fish dish is not only delicious because of its flavor but also more attractive because of the texture of the gourd fruit", an American tourist shared his feelings.

Western guests enjoyed braised fish in a clay pot with hot rice, praising the delicious flavor.

At the end of the meal, Dalton could not hide his excitement when experiencing the "rice-consuming" braised fish dish.

He commented that this is an extremely unique dish in Ninh Binh, which tourists almost cannot find anywhere else.

“Fish braised in a clay pot is a dish you must try if you come to Ninh Binh,” he said.

Ms. Nguyen Hong Thu Trang (a tourism worker in Ninh Binh) once had the opportunity to prepare and enjoy braised fish in a clay pot dish. She said that to achieve the quality of the dish, locals often use snakehead fish or perch.

Fish must be fresh, cleaned, cut into pieces or left whole. The coconut can be split in half or sliced ​​as desired and immediately soaked in a basin of water to prevent it from turning black.

Braised fish with gao fruit has a rich, slightly sour and astringent taste of gao fruit, combined with firm, rich fish meat.

To make the braised fish more fatty and juicy, people also add pork belly, fish sauce, pepper, and caramel to make the dish richer, more colorful, and more fragrant.

In addition, before braising fish, they often place a layer of ginger, lemongrass, and galangal at the bottom of the pot to let the meat and fish absorb the aroma and prevent burning if the water runs out.

The coconut shell is placed on top because it ripens easily and ensures that the sour and slightly astringent taste of the coconut shell will permeate the meat and fish below.

"The best way to braise fish is to use a clay pot or clay pot, and cook it over a wood stove for several hours. When cooked, the fish will have a beautiful color, firm, soft meat, and a fragrant aroma.

This dish is best served with hot rice, especially in winter. Braised fish in a dipping sauce has a nutty, astringent taste similar to figs, and especially helps to remove the fishy smell of the fish," said Ms. Trang.

In addition to fish stock, the calabash fruit is also used as an ingredient for sour soup, replacing sour fruits such as tamarind and star fruit.

Photo: Dalton Rhone

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Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/khach-tay-thu-mon-dac-san-la-mieng-o-ninh-binh-khen-ngon-nhat-dinh-phai-thu-2462684.html