Rustic dishes - unique features of tea country cuisine

A meal with rustic dishes in Ba Be, Thai Nguyen . *Photo: Hoang Vu*

Enjoy mountain snails at "The best tourist village in the world " Thai Hai

Thai Hai Ethnic Ecological Stilt House Village Conservation Area was awarded the “World’s Best Tourist Village” award in 2022 by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). This place is home to the Tay ethnic community with many unique cultural features, of which cuisine is also a highlight that attracts tourists. One of the specialties at Thai Hai community tourism village is mountain snails.

Mountain snails often appear after the rain, clinging to rocky shores, tree holes, and cave mouths. Snails that live in clean, airy places with many medicinal plants will have fragrant meat and thick intestines. Local people soak them in water with chili or lemon leaves to release the slime. A bowl of boiled mountain snails is still hot, with the fragrant smell of lemon leaves and lemongrass. The snail meat is fatty and crispy, dipped in ginger, garlic, and chili fish sauce, leaving an unforgettable impression on visitors.

Sticky rice with canarium fruit

If you have the opportunity to visit Thai Nguyen in the fall, do not miss the opportunity to enjoy sticky rice with canarium fruit - a rustic yet sophisticated specialty. The plump black canarium fruits are carefully selected, steamed, then the soft, fatty flesh is separated, mixed with fragrant sticky rice and steamed again. When cooked, the clear sticky rice grains blend with the purple color of canarium fruit, creating a sticky rice dish that is both beautiful and attractive.

Sticky rice with canarium fruit has the sweet, fatty taste of canarium fruit combined with the fragrant sticky rice flavor that makes anyone who has enjoyed it once will find it hard to forget. Not only is it a rustic dish, sticky rice with canarium fruit also carries the soul of the countryside, becoming a typical gift in Thai Nguyen culinary culture.

Crispy fried stream fish in Ba Be

Coming to Ba Be National Park, a rustic dish often served on the dinner table to entertain guests is stream fish. The small fish are caught directly from the stream, the meat is firm, naturally sweet and fragrant, and is often prepared by the locals in many ways such as grilled on charcoal, fried or braised with pickled bamboo shoots.

In particular, grilled stream fish until golden brown, with a fragrant aroma, served with lolot leaves and chili fish sauce or with bamboo rice will bring an unforgettable experience when coming to Ba Be. Enjoying stream fish is not only to feel the pure taste of Thai Nguyen mountains and forests, but also an opportunity for visitors to understand more about the rustic and sincere culinary culture here.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/mon-an-dan-da-net-rieng-cua-am-thuc-xu-tra-717636.html