For generations, the Muong people in the mountainous regions of Thanh Son and Tan Son have been deeply connected to nature. Their lifestyles on mountain slopes, near small rivers and streams, cultivating rice in low-lying areas at the foot of the mountains, hunting and gathering in the forests, and fishing for shrimp and fish in streams and rivers... have provided them with abundant and readily available raw materials for food preparation in the mountains and forests.
The brown tuber is very effective at removing fishy odors and is often used by the Muong people in preparing meat and fish salads.
In the rich culinary repertoire of the Muong people, besides their preference for dishes with sour and bitter flavors such as pickled shallots; pickled cassava leaves; bitter bamboo shoots; papaya leaves, flowers, and fruits; spotted vegetables... the people here also favor a very special type of tuber with an astringent taste, which is the brown tuber.
The brown tuber is a climbing plant whose tuber grows above ground. Its flesh is red or yellow, and its outer skin is brown and rough. It is very effective at removing fishy odors and helps food retain its original sweetness. For this reason, the Muong people often choose this tuber in preparing meat and fish salads.
Mr. Ha Van Quang from Zone 7, Kiet Son Commune, Tan Son District, said: “To prepare the brown root salad, we prepare just enough ingredients depending on the number of people eating. We choose free-range wild boar for the pork, and white fish or goby for the stream fish; wash them thoroughly and cut them into pieces about 3-4cm. For the pork, we lightly char the skin over a fire to make it dry, crispy, and fragrant. The brown roots are peeled, washed, sliced, and pounded until smooth. After preparing the ingredients, they are put into a large bowl and mixed thoroughly. To ensure the dish is fragrant and flavorful, we Muong people carefully select the spices, including: salt, MSG, dổi seeds, garlic, lime leaves, mơ leaves, nhội leaves, and fermented rice paste...”
The Muong people often eat brown root salad with fermented rice paste. The fermented rice paste is finely ground and cooked over low heat until it's not too watery, and when it boils, it reaches the right consistency. Depending on preference, diners can eat brown root salad with various leaves (such as fig leaves, apricot leaves, or fig leaves...); the sweetness from the meat, the slightly astringent taste of the brown root, combined with the sourness of the fermented rice paste, creates a unique, rich, and creamy flavor.
The brown meat and fish salad is often served on a round platter lined with banana leaves, along with other pork dishes such as boiled intestines, heart, and liver; grilled pork, pork patties wrapped in pomelo leaves; boiled pork, etc., on special occasions like festivals, New Year celebrations, weddings, and housewarming parties. For the Muong people, each dish on the traditional feast table has its own unique characteristics, embodying the affection of the community in relation to the land, sky, forest, and mountains... and the brown meat salad is also a distinctive culinary feature, closely associated with the customs and lifestyle of the Muong people in Phu Tho.
Today, thanks to the development of community-based tourism , the unique culinary culture of the Muong people in Phu Tho is also widely known and enjoyed by tourists from all over the world; thereby contributing to preserving and spreading the beauty of the culinary culture of ethnic minorities, creating a highlight for community-based tourism in the Central Highlands region.
This season, with the cool weather, the Muong people in the highlands of Thanh Son and Tan Son still jokingly say that a meal with just a little meat, fish salad with brown root vegetables, a jar of corn wine, and a bowl of hot rice is so delicious you'll forget your way home!
Coeval
Source: https://baophutho.vn/la-mieng-nom-cu-nau-nguoi-muong-217709.htm
