Special sticky rice dish only available in autumn of Tay people in Thai Nguyen

Sticky, fragrant, rich with a bit of chicken fat... black canarium sticky rice - the autumn sticky rice dish of the Tay people in Thai Nguyen makes visitors exclaim when they try it for the first time.

Special meal of Tay people in Thai Hai village - Photo: NGUYEN HIEN

By the fire on the porch of the ancient stilt house in Thai Hai village ( Thai Nguyen ), Linh's family gathered together to prepare a traditional Tay meal. Braised carp with vinegar, stir-fried pork with pickled bamboo shoots... many delicious dishes were prepared by the family to entertain guests, especially sticky rice with black canarium - a dish only available in autumn.

Black sticky rice with canarium fruit is a rustic dish made from sticky rice and the flesh of canarium fruit. Every autumn, when canarium fruit is harvested, the villagers of Thai Hai village get together to make canarium sticky rice to invite visitors from near and far to the village.

Sticky rice is steamed in a steamer to keep each grain soft and fragrant without breaking it - Photo: NGUYEN HIEN

Ms. Le Thi Nga - Deputy of Thai Hai village - shared that Tay dishes and cuisine are very diverse, mainly Tay people use available ingredients in the village to prepare delicious dishes. Typical dishes of Tay people include Khau Nhuc, Rau Don salad, local pork, rock snails...

Thai Hai also has many types of sticky rice, villagers often cook sticky rice according to the season. In the fall, there is sticky rice with canarium fruit, to celebrate the new rice, there is five-color sticky rice, in the spring there is purple sticky rice. Tourists coming to Thai Hai in the fall often like black canarium sticky rice the most.

The fragrant sticky rice is taken out to mix with canarium meat - Photo: NGUYEN HIEN

Cooking sticky rice with Chinese plums is also very elaborate. After being picked, the Chinese plums need to be simmered to separate the flesh from the seeds. This is also the most difficult step. If not done properly, the flesh will harden and you won't be able to make sticky rice.

The canarium meat is seasoned, sautéed with chicken fat, and set aside in a clean bowl. Chicken fat is the key to making the sticky rice more fragrant and attractive.

Next, the sticky rice, after being soaked to a certain degree, will be steamed in a steamer until it has a fragrant aroma and the sticky rice grains are cooked and not broken. Then the sticky rice is poured onto a banana leaf tray and quickly mixed with the pre-processed canarium meat.

White sticky rice is mixed with black plum while still hot - Photo: NGUYEN HIEN

The hot, steaming tray of sticky rice with Chinese plums makes anyone present in the kitchen's stomach growl, unable to resist grabbing a piece of sticky rice.

Black sticky rice seems to encapsulate the taste of the mountains and forests, a little bitter but leaving an aftertaste that is both sweet and rich, with the aroma of chicken fat.

In addition to black sticky rice, Thai Hai people also have many delicious dishes such as braised carp with vinegar - Photo: NGUYEN HIEN

The first time coming to Thai Hai village, Ms. Linh Trang ( Hanoi ) was impressed with the dishes of Thai Hai village, from the clean ingredients in the village to the way of processing, the way the villagers tell cultural stories through each dish.

"I have eaten sticky rice with canarium fruit in many places, but the flavor of this dish in the village is stronger, and the preparation is also a bit different. Some places put canarium fruit meat directly into the sticky rice, but in Thai Hai village, canarium fruit is mixed in when the sticky rice is cooked," Trang shared.

In 2022, Thai Hai village (Thai Nguyen) was the first village in Vietnam to be honored as the World's Best Tourist Village. To date, Thai Hai is where villagers preserve and maintain traditional culture, turning their ethnic culture into an attraction for domestic and foreign tourists.

There are currently 30 stilt houses in the village, all of which were purchased from Dinh Hoa (Thai Nguyen), transported up and restored to become the current home to 30 families of 4 generations.

Black plum is a specialty fruit of the northern midland provinces such as Thai Nguyen, Phu Tho, Cao Bang, Bac Ninh (old Bac Giang)... Plum has a diamond shape, tapered at both ends. Since ancient times, this fruit has been processed into many delicious dishes such as braised pork with plum, sticky rice with plum, braised fish...

NGUYEN HIEN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/mon-xoi-dac-san-chi-co-vao-mua-thu-cua-nguoi-tay-o-thai-nguyen-2025110115332962.htm