When the Kbang ginseng hotpot was introduced to diners, it made a strong impression on many people. This dish is not only nutritious but can also develop to become a typical dish of Gia Lai , because the Kbang ginseng is a natural product of this land and contains up to 38 types of saponin.
When it comes to stewed dishes, people immediately think of stewed dishes originating from China with a strong taste of traditional Chinese medicine.
But the Kbang ginseng hotpot has absolutely no medicinal smell, but only a faint smell of ginseng and the unique aroma of a completely new dish. The "father" of this new dish is Mr. Thai Muoi - chef of Ngoi Nau restaurant (Hoi Thuong ward, Pleiku city).
Kbang ginseng hotpot dish. Photo: Ha Duy
Ginseng hotpot - Unique combination of ingredients
It is known that Thai Muoi (born in 1988) inherited the tradition of being a chef from his family, his siblings are also famous chefs of restaurants in Pleiku.
He has 10 years of experience as a chef at Ngoi Nau restaurant. Talking about the birth of the Kbang ginseng hotpot, Mr. Thai Muoi said: Once, a relative gave him 1 kilo of ginseng. For a long time, people only used this medicinal plant to soak in wine, but when he looked at the ginseng skin, as a chef, he wondered if he could create a dish from this plant?
That thought kept lingering, so he began to research how to incorporate ginseng into dishes. After more than 3 months of research with hundreds of preparations and changes in ingredients, finally, the ginseng hotpot dish was born.
Mr. Thai Muoi's eyes lit up when he introduced the healthy ginseng hotpot that he had to try hundreds of times to succeed. Photo: Ha Duy
“I combined the traditional Vietnamese medicine cooking method of my grandparents, which is to fry the ginseng until golden brown, then simmer it with bone broth, plus some spices to create this dish. The ingredients for the hot pot were also carefully researched, basically including: Kbang ginseng, goat testicles, abalone, pigeon (can be replaced with chicken), goat feet, goat brain...
“For vegetables, spinach and mushrooms are the most suitable. I even researched the dipping sauce many times, trying all kinds of dipping sauces and salts. And, in the end, I realized that the most suitable one is the simplest, which is green chili salt,” said Mr. Muoi.
Healthy ginseng is cut short and roasted over high heat. Photo: Ha Duy
As a frequent traveler and passionate about food , he has enjoyed many local specialties, but the ginseng hotpot also left a strong impression on Mr. Le Hoai Nam (group 8, Yen Do ward, Pleiku city).
Mr. Nam shared: “The flavor of this dish is very rich, although it is made from medicinal herbs, it is very easy to eat. The way to eat this dish is also a bit different from other hot pot dishes.
First, add goat brain, bird, and mushroom to fully enjoy the pure flavor of the ginseng broth. Then add the remaining ingredients to continue enjoying another unique flavor.
The dish makes me feel the taste of... freedom, the unique combination of birds flying in the sky, goats on the ground and abalone under the sea, very delicious, and very... Central Highlands".
Kbang healthy ginseng hotpot is a delicious dish that can be used as a main dish. Photo: Ha Duy
Not only delicious, Kbang ginseng hot pot is also very nutritious. According to Mr. Thai Muoi, this dish is 100% made from Kbang district's ginseng. The special climate and soil of this land have made Kbang ginseng valuable with up to 38 types of saponin.
Saponin is a "characteristic" nutrient of ginseng; the more saponin there is and the higher the content, the more precious and high-quality the ginseng is.
Scientific studies show that saponin in ginseng brings many wonderful benefits to human health, such as reducing blood cholesterol, fighting cancer, strengthening bones and enhancing the body's natural resistance.
The special climate and soil of Kbang land have created the preciousness of ginseng with up to 38 types of saponin. Photo: Ha Duy
Currently, Ngoc Linh ginseng is the medicinal herb with the highest saponin content in the world with 52 types of saponins; Korean ginseng has only 26 types of saponins; Chinese ginseng has 23 types of saponins.
Specialty food - why not?
To create a delicious dish, the chef's constant research and creativity are necessary factors, but the sufficient and indispensable factor is the support of the restaurant owner. Mr. Le Xuan Hoa - owner of Ngoi Nau restaurant - a person who is always concerned with the culinary aspect in the "picture" of Gia Lai tourism - has constantly encouraged his chefs to create new dishes with the characteristics of the Central Highlands in general and Gia Lai in particular.
The hot pot broth is made from bone broth and Kbang ginseng for a rich, nutritious sweetness. Photo: Ha Duy
“In tourism, in addition to attractive destinations, food is also a factor to retain tourists. At this time, each dish is no longer simply a dish, but the dish will carry the mission of promoting tourism, retaining tourists as well as inviting tourists to return.
Each dish contributes to the local culinary character. That is why I always create opportunities for chefs to research and create new dishes.
With the Kbang ginseng hotpot, we are very proud to have created a dish that is not only delicious and nutritious but also contributes to promoting Gia Lai's precious medicinal plants, creating a unique dish of Gia Lai" - Mr. Hoa expressed.
When talking about delicious dishes in Gia Lai, people often mention Pho 2 To, Bun Cua “thui” or Com Lam Ga Nuong... However, Pho 2 To or Bun Cua “thui” is only a breakfast or snack, not a main dish, and Com Lam Ga Nuong is not a specialty of Gia Lai, because many other provinces also have this dish. To create a local culinary personality, Gia Lai needs to have dishes with deep local characteristics, based on local products.
Rich ingredients to make a strong and flavorful Kbang ginseng hotpot. Photo: Ha Duy
“Kbang ginseng hotpot is a dish that can be developed into a specialty dish, because ginseng is a natural product of this land, not found anywhere else. If this dish is widely promoted, and at the same time, other restaurants also focus on developing this dish, it will not only create another typical dish for Gia Lai but also help the people of Kbang have an outlet when growing ginseng, helping to improve their lives. Not to mention, this is also an opportunity to attract investors to develop medicinal plants in general, and ginseng in particular in Kbang,” Mr. Hoa added.
It is known that Kbang currently has nearly 124,000 hectares of natural forest area, with extremely favorable climate and soil conditions for developing hundreds of rare medicinal herbs, such as: ginseng, lingzhi mushroom, co co mushroom, orchid, cardamom...
The author was introduced to the newly created dish by chef Thai Muoi. Photo: HD
Resolution No. 09-NQ/TU of the Executive Committee of the Gia Lai Provincial Party Committee (term XV) on the conservation and development of medicinal plants in Gia Lai province until 2025, with a vision to 2030, also sets the goal of managing, exploiting and sustainably using medicinal plant resources in nature; forming medicinal plant areas associated with local processing facilities. This is the condition for the healthy ginseng plant - a special product of Kbang to continue to develop, in which, a part will "contribute" to creating unique dishes with Gia Lai flavor.
Source: https://danviet.vn/loai-lau-dai-bo-co-chim-tren-troi-sam-dat-nui-bao-ngu-duoi-bien-ngon-mieng-no-mat-o-gia-lai-20250204111504136.htm
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