Bep leaves are a familiar wild vegetable from the Central Highlands mountains, used by villagers in their daily meals.

This type of leaf usually grows naturally under the forest canopy or along the edges of cultivated fields, thriving during the rainy season. For the local people, bép leaves are not only a readily available source of green vegetables from nature, but also a food item deeply intertwined with their daily lives for generations.

The bép leaves are cooked simply but have a special flavor, while still retaining the natural vibrant green color of the leaves.

During our visit to Dơng Guôl village, Liên Sơn Lắk commune ( Đắk Lắk province), we had the opportunity to enjoy stir-fried mackerel with bép leaves in a local meal. The dish is quite simple to prepare but offers a very unique flavor.

The vibrant green bép leaves are stir-fried with cleaned mackerel, seasoned just right. When eaten, the richness of the fish blends with the nutty, subtly sweet flavor of the bép leaves, creating a harmonious, savory taste that is not at all greasy. The leaves are soft, easy to eat, absorb the seasoning well, but still retain the distinctive flavor of wild vegetables.

The leaves of the bép plant are harvested by locals and sold, attracting many customers.

According to the villagers, bép leaves can be prepared into many different dishes such as boiled and served with salt and chili, stir-fried with garlic, or cooked with dried shrimp or freshwater crab.

Each method of preparation brings a unique flavor while still preserving its inherent characteristics. In the meals of the villagers, bép leaves often appear as a simple but indispensable dish.

After that trip, the flavor of bép leaves stayed with me. Every time I had the chance to return to the village, I longed to enjoy dishes made with these forest leaves again. The simple yet rich taste of bép leaves made the meal more complete. Then, my "addiction" to bép leaves followed me to the city without me even realizing it. Every time I visited regional food stalls and saw a bunch of fresh green bép leaves, I couldn't resist buying them. Bringing them home, simply washing them and preparing them in a simple way was enough to fill my small kitchen with the fragrant scent of the mountains and forests.

Some busy days, I only have time to boil bép leaves and quickly grind up a bowl of salt and chili. Yet, the meal still becomes unusually appealing. Taking a bite of bép leaves, I suddenly remember the cozy meals in my village, where I first experienced the simple yet rich flavor of this gift from the mountains.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of modern life, sometimes just a dish made with bép leaves is enough to evoke memories of the village, a place that preserves the simple yet precious culinary values ​​of the Central Highlands.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/la-bep-thuc-qua-cua-dai-ngan-1026971