Discovering the budding season on the roof of the Western region in An Giang province

Not only can visitors admire, they can also pick the young chayote and boil them to make boiled chayote with fermented bean curd sauce - a simple dish with the natural flavor of Cam Mountain that attracts even the most fastidious guests.

In the chilly space, the green, lush su su (young chayote) trellises gently sway in the early morning sun, attracting tourists to stop and take photos.

Not only can visitors admire, they can also pick the young chayote and boil them to make boiled chayote with fermented bean curd sauce - a simple dish with the natural flavor of Cam Mountain that attracts even the most fastidious visitors from afar.

The sweet taste of young chayote from Nui Cam

Cam Mountain tourist area (in Cam Mountain commune, An Giang province) in the early winter days, the sky is clear blue with the north wind carrying a gentle cold. Through the winding trails under the forest canopy up to Cam Mountain such as Vo Dau, Thien Tue, Vo Ba..., everywhere you can see green chayote gardens, full of fruit.

From early morning, people on the mountain were busy using flashlights to pick su buds to deliver in time for the morning market. From September to February of the following year, Cam Mountain enters the su bud season (young chayote, only bigger than 2 adult fingers), the season of endless green, where nature and people bustle together in the breath of young buds.

While the mist still lingers on the mountainside, each succulent, young su fruit is picked, gathered into large baskets of about 100-150kg, then transported by motorbike along the trails down the mountain to deliver to waiting customers.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Tai (residing in Vo Ba hamlet, Nui Cam commune, An Giang province) has more than 4 hectares (4000m2) of land growing chayote to harvest young fruit; each harvest is from 70-100kg (harvest once every 3 days).

Traders come to weigh the crop at the garden at prices ranging from 30,000-70,000 VND/kg depending on the time. After a crop, after deducting all expenses, he earns about 30 million VND.

According to Mr. Tai, chayote is a popular crop of Nui Cam gardens, quite suitable for the soil and cool climate here. Around the sixth lunar month, gardeners on Nui Cam begin to plant chayote.

About 3 months later, the chayote begins to bear fruit and lasts until the end of February of the following year; thanks to that, people have a stable source of income.

Having just picked more than 30kg of chayote buds and delivered them to a customer for nearly 1 million VND, he brought the rest home to prepare dishes for tourists staying at his family's homestay. Mr. Le Thanh Cong (living in Thien Tue hamlet, Nui Cam commune, An Giang province) said: "The family's land is reserved for tourism, so we have to rent 3 hectares of land to grow chayote to harvest young fruits to make a living, both to serve tourists when they come to the homestay and to sell to customers, earning extra income during the rainy season months, when there are few tourists."

Mr. Cong said that at the beginning of the season, there were not many chayote fruits, each day the gardeners could only pick 30-40kg but in return they could sell them at a high price, about 60-70,000 VND/kg.

By the 10th lunar month, chayote is in peak harvest season, each garden can harvest several hundred kilograms per day. As time goes on, the yield of chayote buds increases, and the price decreases.

Currently, people pick su buds and sell them wholesale to customers at a price of 30,000 VND/kg; on average, gardeners harvest 60-70kg/day, bringing in a significant income.

In particular, Nui Cam su buds are considered a specialty, quite popular in the market, purchasing power is still stable so there is rarely a phenomenon of "market flooding" (supply is greater than demand, no buyers).

However, the characteristic of chayote is that planting many crops consecutively on the same plot of land will cause degradation, susceptibility to pests and diseases, reduced productivity, or even total loss, so gardeners can only grow it for about 2-3 years, forced to "let the land rest" or switch to other crops.

Not only beautiful because of the majestic and wild natural scenery, the lotus bud season in Cam Mountain is also attractive because of the cool green lotus gardens lying across the winding trails leading to popular tourist attractions in Cam Mountain such as Suoi Tien waterfall, Vo Dau, Phat Nho pagoda...

Through the gardens of jade green su trees hanging in the air, creating a magical scene like in a fairy tale.

Coming here, visitors can leisurely stroll under the cool green chayote garden, pick young chayote by hand, boil them and dip them in salt, chili or fermented bean curd, then take a bite to feel the sweet, crunchy taste of this specialty vegetable and fruit of the seven mountains region of An Giang.

Fresh air, cold wind gently blowing through hair, the sound of dry leaves rustling underfoot, all create a very different, peaceful and simple Cam Mountain.

Experience farm tourism on the roof of the West

Located at an altitude of more than 700m above sea level, Cam Mountain is considered as “Da Lat of the West” with a mild and cool climate all year round, favorable for trees to grow well, especially specialty crops such as avocado, strawberry, durian, round dwarf potatoes, bamboo shoots, chayote…, all of which have a distinctive flavor, loved by diners from near and far and sought after when having the opportunity to visit the seven mountains of An Giang.

The first time she went to Cam Mountain with her friends, Ms. Huynh Minh Vy (living in Ho Chi Minh City) chose Suoi Tien waterfall homestay (in Thien Tue hamlet, Cam Mountain commune, An Giang province) to stay and experience.

Tourists enjoy the majestic panorama of the Seven Mountains region of An Giang at the Suoi Tien Waterfall homestay (Group 5, Thien Tue Hamlet, Nui Cam Commune, An Giang Province). (Photo: Cong Mao/VNA)

According to Ms. Vy, right after getting off the cable car, the feeling of sitting behind the motorbikes of the locals to go back to the homestay to rest is a very interesting journey, worth experiencing. From the winding, steep slopes to the cool green chayote gardens halfway up the sky, the beauty is breathtaking.

“When passing through the fruit-laden chayote gardens that lay across the trails, everyone exclaimed how beautiful they were and stopped to take pictures. The feeling of standing under the cool green chayote garden, in the middle of the Southwest of the country, filled me with positive energy,” Vy confided.

Ms. Le Kim Thoa, owner of Suoi Tien waterfall homestay, said that visitors to Suoi Tien waterfall homestay come from many places and all ages, but they all have one thing in common: they want to return to nature and directly experience the work of a mountain resident.

Many tourists who stay in the city all year round, when coming to Cam Mountain, insist on holding flashlights and going with the owner to pick su buds in the garden early in the morning, then bring them home to process into their favorite dishes.

After that, they will buy more to bring back as gifts for relatives. According to Mr. Dinh Van Chac, Director of the Management Board of Nui Cam Tourist Area (belonging to the Sam Mountain National Tourist Area, An Giang province), young chayote of Nui Cam has a delicious, sweet taste that will make anyone who eats it remember it forever.

In recent times, the tourism industry of An Giang province has gradually introduced culinary specialties of Cam Mountain such as boiled su buds, banh xeo, durian, avocado, red army... into the menu serving tourists when coming to Cam Mountain, in addition to typical animals of Thien Cam Son such as mountain crabs and mountain snails.

In addition, at the chayote gardens combined with homestays and coffee shops such as Suoi Tien waterfall, May's house..., visitors can also hunt clouds, watch the sunset on the mountain top, sip a cup of hot coffee, and admire the majestic and wild scenery of the seven mountains of An Giang.

“With the advantage of a variety of healthy dishes and drinks, Nui Cam cuisine has many favorable conditions to become a pioneering factor in attracting domestic and foreign tourists in the coming time,” Director of Nui Cam Tourist Area Management Board Dinh Van Chac emphasized./.

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/kham-pha-mua-su-nu-tren-noc-nha-mien-tay-o-tinh-an-giang-post1080682.vnp