Not boiled water spinach, fried pupae are best eaten with this soup

The Story of Fried Silkworms and Memories of Mother

Coming home from work at noon, I saw my two daughters cooking rice in the kitchen, chatting with each other: Since grandma passed away, our family has not had a meal of fried pupae as delicious as grandma's. Grandma's fried pupae are both fragrant and crispy, crackling in the mouth, eating forever but still craving...

The story of my two children made my eyes water because I missed my mother. When I was a child, my family lived on Hang Be Street - and Hang Be Market always had street vendors full of local products. If you wanted to eat delicious food, you had to go to the market early in the morning. In the summer, my mother often stopped by the familiar silkworm stall. As soon as she saw my mother, the familiar vendor would enthusiastically point to the silkworm pupae - silkworms that eat mulberry leaves, small and bright yellow. These pupae were fragrant and delicious when fried. The vendor knew my mother would never buy the big, rough, thick-shelled hybrid silkworm pupae, which were dry to eat.

When my mother bought the pupae, she was meticulous: she washed them, marinated them with salt, boiled them until the water was gone, then fried them with onion and lard, stirring them evenly. The aroma from the hot pan of pupae spread throughout the house. Especially, when my mother sprinkled thinly sliced lemon leaves, the whole family's mouths watered because of the rich, fatty aroma mixed with the delicious, rich lemon leaves, very characteristic. Just a plate of fried pupae and a bowl of boiled spinach soup was enough for the whole family to enjoy a delicious meal, forgetting all about the hot summer sun.

Not boiled water spinach, fried pupae are best eaten with this soup - Photo 2.

Our pupae are the type of silkworm that eats mulberry leaves, small and bright yellow. This type of pupae is fragrant and delicious when roasted. Hybrid pupae are big and rough, with thick shells, and dry when eaten. Photo from the internet

What soup goes best with fried pupae?

According to the advice of culinary expert Vu Thi Tuyet Nhung (Admin of Hanoi Huong Xua Vi Cu), fried pupae have a rich, fatty flavor. However, eating fried pupae alone can be boring - especially on hot summer days. Therefore, the ancients combined them with refreshing soups to balance the taste, reducing the protein content of the pupae.

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But fried pupae are best eaten with clam soup. Clams are quite similar to crabs, but are small crustaceans that live naturally in brackish water, and are only available seasonally. Clam meat is sweet and fragrant, the broth has a sweet aftertaste, and a very unique rustic aroma.

After pounding and filtering the clams, cooked with Malabar spinach, water spinach, mustard greens, or squash… is an indispensable dish in the old Northern summer meals. The cool taste of green vegetables mixed with the sweetness of the clams, combined with the golden fried pupae – creating a wonderful culinary symphony: fatty – light, rich – mild, fragrant – cool. After eating, the heart feels light, the stomach feels light, as if all the heat outside has disappeared.

According to Ms. Vu Thi Tuyet Nhung, in addition to fresh clam soup, the old Hanoians also often cooked dried clam egg soup with vegetables - considered a "treasure" in the summer. In the past, her mother often sent her a package of dried clam eggs wrapped in lotus leaves. When eating, she pounded and filtered them carefully and then cooked them with vegetables. The sweetness of the clam eggs permeated every fresh vegetable, making the simple pot of soup an unforgettable dish.

Fried pupae – crab soup is an unforgettable childhood flavor. Nowadays, in the modern city, such a meal has become a specialty in some restaurants.

Not boiled water spinach, fried pupae are best eaten with this soup - Photo 4.

Clams are quite similar to crabs, living naturally in brackish water, and are only available seasonally. Clam meat is sweet and fragrant, the broth has a sweet aftertaste, and a very unique rustic strong smell. Photo from the internet

Nutrition from fried pupae

Fried silkworm pupae contain many valuable health benefits. According to advice on the Vimec hospital website, silkworm pupae are a food rich in nutritional value and are highly appreciated by Eastern and Western medicine. In 100g of silkworm pupae, there are up to 13g of protein, 6.5g of lipid, and many essential vitamins such as A, B1, B2, PP, C. In particular, this dish provides important amino acids such as valine, tryptophan, tyrosine, along with calcium (40mg) and phosphorus (109mg) - very good for bones and joints and the development of young children.

In Traditional Medicine, silkworm pupae are called "mulberry dung", sweet, fatty, neutral, non-toxic, have the effect of nourishing the kidneys, laxative, and increasing vitality.

Elderly people with weak kidneys, urinary incontinence, constipation or joint disease can all improve their health when used regularly.

In particular, pupae also help prevent rickets in children and increase vitality in men thanks to containing the amino acid arginine - a precursor that helps synthesize nitric oxide, which is beneficial for physiological function.

Not boiled water spinach, fried pupae are best eaten with this soup - Photo 5.

A delicious meal combined with clam soup to eat with fried pupae. Photo: Loan Tran

How to make delicious fried pupae

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To have a delicious fried pupa, you need to choose local silkworm pupae – small, firm, and fresh. The large, pale pupae – called industrial pupae – are usually dead, and when fried, they are dry, crumbly, less tasty, and unhygienic.

Wash pupae gently, drain, do not squeeze hard or the pupae will be crushed.

Marinate the pupae with a little salt and let it marinate for about 10 minutes. In the past, my mother used to marinate them quite salty due to limited storage conditions.

Pour pupae into the pot, add a little water to cover, cook over medium heat until the water has evaporated. This stage helps the pupae to cook deeply from the inside out and develop a rich flavor.

When the water is dry, remove and prepare a pan of oil to fry the shallots until fragrant and golden.

Pour the cooked pupae into the pan, stir quickly until the pupae turn dark yellow and crackle, then drizzle with a little good fish sauce.

Stir well, then sprinkle with shredded kaffir lime leaves, remove from heat. Kaffir lime leaves help to mask the smell and make the dish more fragrant, and have mild antibacterial properties.

If you want to change the taste, you can try roasting pupae with Vietnamese coriander like Nghe An people. The spicy taste of Vietnamese coriander helps digestion, covers the fishy taste and goes well with protein-rich dishes like pupae.

However, for Northerners, lemon leaves are still an indispensable flavor in fried pupae.

Note

Pupae are hot, high in protein, not suitable for young children and new mothers. The old proverb says: "Eat worms for nine months, and pupae for ten months" - reminding us to wait enough time before using it for sensitive bodies.

Source: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/khong-phai-nuoc-rau-muong-luoc-nhong-rang-an-voi-mon-canh-nay-ngon-nhat-172250709155554757.htm