“Men men” - A rustic dish that captures the soul of the Mong people

(BLC) - Men men has a sweet and fatty taste, with a special, strange and interesting flavor - Those are the common feelings of tourists from all over the country and people in the province when enjoying this rustic dish with a strong Mong ethnic cultural identity during the 2nd Lai Chau City Culture, Sports and Tourism Week, 2024.

For the past 2 years, organizing the Culture, Sports and Tourism Week event, Lai Chau city has chosen many unique and attractive contents to introduce and promote the potential strengths, beautiful images of people, nature and unique culture of typical ethnic groups living in the area such as: Thai, Mong, Dao, Giay, Pu Na.

One of the most attractive competitions that tourists, locals and contestants are eager for is the “Men Men Making Competition”. Men Men is considered a traditional dish associated with the lives of the Mong people when they were still hungry and poor. Today, this dish has become a “specialty” of the ethnic group to introduce to tourists on festivals and New Year’s.

Men men is made from corn flour grown by the people themselves on the hills and fields. Perhaps, the sun, rain, and wind of the land and sky have helped the golden corn kernels to have a sweet and rich taste. Therefore, it has brought visitors interesting and strange feelings when enjoying this dish.

Mrs. Giang Thi So in Sung Cho village, Sung Phai commune, excitedly said: In the past, when we were hungry, we ate men men instead of rice all the time. Now this dish has become a national specialty. I am very happy to participate in the festival, showing off my talent in making delicious men men, inviting tourists and locals to enjoy.

To have a delicious bowl of men men, you need to go through many elaborate steps, taking a lot of time, from 2-3 hours. First, you need to shell the corn, then grind the corn. Then the corn flour is sifted and winnowed many times to remove the sand; then put it in a bowl, mix it with a little water and knead it. As you knead the dough, use your hands to knead the corn flour until it is loose. When the dough is completely loose, put it in a sticky rice steamer or a double boiler.

Ms. Sung Thi Cua in Gia Khau village, Sung Phai commune shared: to make delicious men men, you have to steam it twice. Steam it the first time so that the water can penetrate the corn flour, making it softer and not clumpy. The fire must be big and even, when the steam comes out, reduce the fire a bit. After about 30 minutes of steaming, depending on the amount, calculate the appropriate time to put the corn flour on the tray, stir it loosely and filter it again, then continue to steam it a second time until the flour is fully cooked, the aroma is released and you can put it in a bowl to enjoy.

It is known that when ripe, men men will have a beautiful yellow color, attractive ivory color, sweet and rich taste. For this dish, according to the experience of the people, the slower you eat and chew thoroughly, the more delicious the flavor of corn flour will be.

In the past, the Mong people's life was still poor, so men men was used instead of rice. Therefore, to make the dish less boring, women and mothers made men men cakes from fresh, young corn cobs. With this type of cake, the process is easier, the fresh corn kernels after being separated, sifted and then put into a grinder; then put in corn leaves, wrapped and steamed for about 45 minutes until cooked. The cake is easy to eat, with the sweet taste of young corn.

Nowadays, the life of the Mong people is more prosperous, so they enjoy this traditional dish in a more "premium" way. That is, eating men men with many other dishes such as: stir-fried buffalo meat, thang co, pumpkin soup, pumpkin soup with taro... to create a different flavor, making the dish more attractive and delicious.

Mr. Nguyen Duy Long - a tourist from Hanoi smiled and said: I have heard a lot about this dish on TV and in the newspaper, but this is the first time I have eaten men men in Lai Chau. The smell of corn is very fragrant, the taste is strange but delicious, especially when combined with other simple dishes. This is an interesting and attractive experience for me during my days of traveling here.

Today, when mentioning men men, we will immediately think of the Mong people. For generations, this rustic dish has become a beauty in their culture, carrying the national soul. So that the younger generation always reminds themselves, has awareness and responsibility in preserving cultural values; especially knowing how to rise up in life, looking towards the future, happiness. Taking advantage of the unique cultural characteristics of the ethnic group, creating an impression to attract many domestic and international tourists to Lai Chau to visit, learn about the culture and enjoy the "specialties" of the Mong people.

Ms. Giang Thi Sai - Thanh Lap village, Doan Ket ward said: I have known how to make men men since I was a 13-14 year old girl, taught by my mother and grandmother. Nowadays, on festivals, New Year, or when everyone in the family likes to eat, I make men men. It both preserves the unique beauty of the Mong people; reminds children and grandchildren to remember their roots and pass on the way of making so that the national culture will always exist and shine through time.

Coming to the festivals of the Mong ethnic group in the border land of Lai Chau, visitors should not forget to enjoy the traditional dish "men men" to feel the delicious taste and love of ethnic culture of this Mong people!

Source: https://baolaichau.vn/v%C4%83n-h%C3%B3a/m%C3%A8n-m%C3%A9n-m%C3%B3n-d%C3%A2n-d%C3%A3-g%C3%B3i-tr%E1%BB%8Dn-h%E1%BB%93n-c%E1%BB%91t-ng%C6%B0%E1%BB%9Di-m%C3%B4ng