When mentioning Tay Ninh , people immediately think of a land full of sunshine and wind, with vast sugarcane fields, dark green rubber trees stretching in the wind and Ba Den mountain standing tall as a witness to many life stories.
If anyone has ever been to Tay Ninh, surely they have heard of shrimp salt - a spice that just a little taste is enough to make them remember forever. It is not only a side dish, but also a part of childhood memories, a cultural feature of the people of this land.
Pure white salt grains, bright red dried shrimp, spicy chili and a little sweet sugar are mixed and roasted over low heat, creating a savory, fragrant mixture. Tay Ninh shrimp salt is not only a dipping sauce for fruit, but also carries the taste of sunshine, wind and the dedication of those who make it.
When I was a child, every time my mother came home from the market, I eagerly waited for her to open her shopping bag. Just seeing the tiny jar of shrimp salt made my heart flutter strangely. A few green star fruit, a few crunchy guavas or a piece of sour mango just picked from the garden, just dipped in a little shrimp salt, was already delicious. The spicy taste made my lips red, but I couldn't stop eating.
Tay Ninh shrimp salt is not just a spice, but also a bond between generations. I remember the summer afternoons when the whole family gathered together, my mother picked vegetables and told old stories. My mother said that in the past, every time the family ran out of shrimp salt, my grandmother would go to the market to buy dried shrimp, pound it, and roast it with coarse salt and dried chili. There weren’t many machines like today, everything was done by hand, yet every jar of shrimp salt was fragrant and delicious all year round.
In the countryside, there are dishes that are simple but contain a lot of emotions. I have seen Tay Ninh women meticulously working by the fire, carefully stirring each batch of shrimp salt on a hot cast iron pan. It is not only a job, but also a joy, a passion. They understand that shrimp salt not only needs to be delicious but also must have the soul of the person who makes it.
Growing up, leaving Tay Ninh to pursue my dream, I understood what it meant to miss my hometown. In the middle of the bustling city, there were times when my heart suddenly sank just because I came across a street vendor selling fruits dipped in shrimp salt. Although the shrimp salt in a foreign land also had a spicy and salty taste, it seemed to lack a bit of the sunshine and wind of my hometown.
Once, my mother sent me a small jar of shrimp salt. As soon as I opened the lid, the strong aroma spread, bringing me back to my childhood days of running around on the red dusty country roads. I remembered the summer afternoons sitting under the mango tree, dipping each piece of fruit into the bowl of shrimp salt, remembering my mother's voice saying "eat moderately, or it will be too spicy", and also remembering the rainy days when my mother cooked a bowl of white porridge and sprinkled a little shrimp salt to make it more flavorful.
Tay Ninh shrimp salt is not expensive, not sophisticated, but has a lasting vitality. Among many high-class spices, shrimp salt still holds its own position, remembered by many children far from home. It is like the people of Tay Ninh - honest, simple but full of warmth.
Tay Ninh not only has the majestic Ba Den mountain or the vast sugarcane fields, but also has small but memorable things. A bowl of shrimp salt - seemingly simple, but contains so many memories, so many feelings of the people here.
Every time I return to my hometown, I still love the moment of going to the market and buying a jar of shrimp salt to bring home. Although shrimp salt can be found in many places, only when I am in Tay Ninh can I fully feel the soul of the countryside in each grain of salt. Holding the jar of salt in my hand, I feel like I am holding a part of my childhood, a part of my hometown that no matter how far I go, I will always carry with me.
There are things that are small but have great value. A bowl of shrimp salt is not just a spice, but also a memory, a love of the homeland, a thread connecting the children of Tay Ninh with this beloved land.
In the midst of a busy life, sometimes we need moments to return to simple things. And for me, just a bowl of shrimp salt, a sour mango, is enough to see that my homeland is always here, in my heart.
Lan Anh
Source: https://baotayninh.vn/moc-mac-chen-muoi-tom-a185684.html
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