When palm sugar is added to salads.

Not only famous for its distinctive scenery, the Bay Nui region also captivates tourists with its rustic dishes that bear the strong imprint of local culture, including the seafood salad made with palm fruit. The sweet, crisp taste of the palm fruit pulp blends with fresh shrimp and squid and a rich sauce to create an irresistible dish.

The palm sugar and seafood salad is delicious. Photo: THUY TIEN

The people of the Bay Nui region have long considered the palm tree an integral part of their lives. This tree not only provides shade but also yields many products that generate income for the locals. According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Tuyen, owner of Mai Tung House in Nui Cam, many visitors to this area are familiar with dishes like palm sugar rice cakes, palm sugar sweet soup, or refreshing palm sugar drinks sold along the roadside. But the skilled hands of the mountain dwellers wanted to bring that crunchy texture to their meals and banquets to entertain guests from afar. Thus, the palm sugar and seafood salad was born, a unique variation and a profound appreciation for the local produce.

According to many chefs in restaurants and eateries in Bay Nui, the selection of ingredients is crucial for making a delicious palm fruit salad. The palm fruit pulp used must be just ripe enough – not too young, as it will be mushy and watery, and not too old, as it will be hard. The ripe palm fruit is skillfully cut open to extract the soft, white pulp inside. The palm fruit pulp has a mild sweetness and a very distinctive aroma, which is the soul of this dish. When combined with seafood, thinly sliced ​​boiled pork belly, and local herbs, the dish has a rich, sweet, sour, and spicy flavor that is very appealing.

The pulp of the palm fruit, after being extracted, is sliced ​​into bite-sized pieces and soaked in ice water to maintain its crispness and white color. When prepared, the palm fruit is mixed with shrimp, squid, and a little sliced ​​cucumber or lotus root to enhance the crispness. Chopped Vietnamese coriander, basil, and golden fried onions complete the dish. The signature ingredient of palm fruit salad is the dressing, made from pure palm sugar, which has a subtly sweet taste and an unmistakable aroma. Palm sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, and a little finely chopped garlic and chili are whisked together to create a thick mixture with a balance of sour, spicy, salty, and sweet flavors. When pouring the dressing over the salad, the chef must mix gently to ensure the palm fruit absorbs the seasoning evenly without becoming mushy. The salad, served on a plate, looked so appetizing: the pristine white of the palm fruit and fresh squid, the red of the shrimp, the green of the cilantro, the golden-brown of the fried onions and roasted peanuts, and the garnish of bright red chili slices – truly appealing.

Palm sugar salad is often served with crispy fried shrimp crackers or grilled rice crackers. The crunch of the crackers, followed by the cool, subtly sweet taste of palm sugar and firm shrimp, combined with the sourness of lime, the spiciness of chili, the aroma of cilantro, and the rich, nutty flavor of peanuts and fried onions, create an explosion of taste. The sweltering heat of the mountains seems to vanish with the first bite. "I've eaten many types of salads in the Mekong Delta, such as coconut heart salad and water spinach salad... but palm sugar salad offers a completely different experience. It's quite refreshing and you can eat it again and again without getting tired of it," shared Ms. Mai Oanh, a tourist from Ca Mau province.

Palm fruit salad is not only found in upscale restaurants or eateries catering to tourists, but has also become a part of daily life, present at family gatherings, weddings, and festivals of the Khmer people in An Giang . From the palm tree reaching out in the fields to the dinner table of the people of Bay Nui, it all creates a journey deeply rooted in local culture.

THUY TIEN

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/khi-thot-not-vao-mon-goi-a486237.html