Bringing the flavors of the mountains and forests to the city.

The booth introducing typical agricultural products of Nghe An mountainous districts such as Ky Son and Tuong Duong, although located quite far from the main gate of the fair, is always crowded with visitors coming to visit, shop and find information.

A booth showcasing specialties from Ky Son district at the North Central Region Trade Fair in December 2023 in Vinh City. Photo: Hoai Thu

Ms. Le Thi Van, a member of the Muong Long Community Agriculture and Tourism Cooperative in Ky Son district, said that by participating in this fair, the cooperative has selected the most distinctive and high-quality agricultural products from the Muong Long area and other communes in Ky Son district to introduce to consumers.

These agricultural products are entirely naturally grown organically, in green and clean production areas in mountainous regions thousands of meters above sea level, such as: black chicken meat, beef made from local cattle, sausages made from young pork, vegetables, taro, ginger, pumpkin… and many products harvested by villagers from the mountains and forests in a completely natural way, such as mắc khén seeds, dổi seeds, bamboo shoots, bamboo worms,…

Agricultural products of Muong Long commune people (Ky Son) produced and harvested from the forest. Photo: Hoai Thu

These are all products grown by the people of Muong Long commune and other communes and villages in Ky Son district, ensuring food safety, greenness, cleanliness, and preserving the traditional flavor and deliciousness of the products.

Also showcasing local agricultural products from Tuong Duong, Ms. Tran Thi Thao - a member of the Thao Hao Dried Beef Production and Business Cooperative - participated in the fair with a booth mainly featuring processed and prepared items such as dried beef, dried pork, smoked pork belly, salted wild chili peppers, salted wild bamboo shoots, upland sticky rice, etc.

Salted or dried wild chili pepper products, ground into powder and wild mac khen seeds of people in Tuong Duong district. Photo: Hoai Thu

“We order the raw materials to process these products from local people, households that raise and grow native plants and animals, with a commitment to ensuring food hygiene and safety, and clear origin,” said Ms. Tran Thi Thao.

In addition, many products have achieved OCOP 3-star rating, such as sweet eggplant and dried bamboo shoots from Tam Hop (Tuong Duong). Con Cuong district has products such as Giang River catfish, herbal wine, rice wine, brocade, fermented meat, bamboo-tube pickles, and rattan and bamboo handicrafts. Anh Son district has products such as Kim Nhan mandarin oranges, Cao Son tea, Hung Son green tea, Linh Son herbal chicken meat and eggs, and Dong Que pomelo essential oil…

Ms. Tran Thi Thao introduces the product. Photo: Hoai Thu

Many products representing the mountainous region of Nghe An province at the fair have achieved OCOP 3-star certification, including Ky Son ginger, which has been granted geographical indication by the Intellectual Property Office. From an agricultural product grown in high mountains and mainly sold as raw material, Ky Son ginger has now achieved OCOP 3-star certification with many processed products such as ginger powder and ginger essential oil.

Products processed from black pork and native yellow cow, popular livestock of highland people such as sausage, beef, and pork are also 3-star OCOP products at the provincial level.

Products processed from Ky Son ginger. Photo: Hoai Thu

At the fair, individuals and businesses selling agricultural products not only strive to promote their products at their booths. “Taking advantage of breaks or shift changes, I go to restaurants, hotels, and eateries to contact them and introduce and market the specialty products of the people in the Mekong Delta. Each time we come to the city, it's an opportunity for the products our people make to reach more distant and potentially lucrative markets,” said Ms. Tran Thi Thao.

Mr. Nguyen Van Luan, Director of Huong Son Agricultural and Handicraft Service Cooperative, located in Ta Ca commune, Ky Son district, also expressed that to produce products for the market, highland farmers have endured hardship and toil, working under the sun and rain to cultivate crops and raise livestock. Therefore, the cooperative members, representing the agricultural "brand" of Ky Son district and the highlands of Nghe An province, always strive to introduce and promote their products at the fair.

Bamboo rice, a specialty of Muong Long commune (Ky Son), is made from sticky rice and giang tree tubes, mixed with gac fruit and purple leaf color, and is sold at the fair. Photo: Hoai Thu

The 2023 North Central Region Trade Fair - Nghe An Province, a national-level event, took place from December 5th to 11th. Nghe An Province had 150 booths out of a total of 250 exhibitors. The majority of these booths came from mountainous districts, showcasing many unique and high-quality products.

Source: https://baonghean.vn/mang-huong-vi-nui-rung-xuong-pho-post281323.html