Water spinach salad - a signature summer dish of Hanoi people - Photo: VINH QUYEN
Journalist Vinh Quyen - one of the administrators of the "Hanoi's Old Flavors and Flavors" group - told Tuoi Tre Online that traditional salads and appetizers are linked to the memories of many Hanoians.
Seeing their mother busily picking herbs, grinding roasted peanuts, garlic, etc., the children would immediately ask, "Mom, are we having salad today?" Those ingredients have become a kind of identifier for a familiar dish that comes around every summer.
Now, the list of Hanoi's salads and mixed dishes has been extended thanks to the creativity and ingenious variations of housewives, as well as the " culinary exchange" process between the North, Central, and South regions; it would be impossible to list all the different types of Vietnamese salads and mixed dishes.
Traditional salads and mixed vegetable dishes of Hanoi
According to Ms. Quyen, in the past, Hanoi didn't have as many types of salads as it does now, only about 10 or so. The main ones were dishes like chicken salad with banana blossoms, kohlrabi salad, and papaya salad with dried beef...
Depending on the season, there may be additional dishes such as jellyfish salad, water spinach salad, etc.
A simple salad of water spinach and water morning glory, though humble, can be transformed into a dish perfect for entertaining guests when topped with freshwater shrimp, star fruit, and other ingredients.
"When Hanoians return home after being away for a long time, all they crave is a plate of water spinach and water morning glory salad."
"Other salads can be found anywhere, but this one is usually only available in Hanoi," Ms. Quyen said.
According to her, salads weren't very popular in Hanoi in the past, with a few types such as carp/catfish salad…
Later, as Hanoi opened up and regional culinary exchanges began, many different types of salads and mixed vegetable dishes were introduced.
During the sweltering summer days, salads and mixed vegetable dishes become an unexpectedly suitable choice because they are refreshing, cooling, delicious, visually appealing, and nutritious.
Journalist Vinh Quyen
Salads and mixed vegetable dishes are refreshing and suitable for summer - Photo: VINH QUYEN
Obsessed with salads and appetizers from all three regions of Vietnam.
Basically, salads and mixed vegetable dishes are similar, both featuring a sour, spicy, and sweet flavor profile and not using much oil or fat. They are easy to make, convenient, not overly complicated, yet still delicious.
The difference is that, for salads, the vegetables and fruits hardly need any preparation; they are mixed very quickly. Not all salads contain garlic and herbs.
Beef and cantaloupe salad - Photo: VINH QUYEN
Meanwhile, most salads require some preliminary preparation/processing. For example, to make shredded chicken salad, the chicken must be boiled first; to make banana blossom salad or kohlrabi salad, the banana blossoms and kohlrabi must be squeezed to remove excess water…
Salads typically contain garlic and, indispensably, aromatic herbs such as coriander, mint, and perilla, sometimes even Vietnamese coriander... Importantly, sesame seeds and peanuts are essential to calling it a salad.
The main fruits and vegetables used in salads are usually slightly sour, astringent, or crunchy, such as green mangoes, figs, or mulberries…
Lotus root salad on a table full of lotus dishes - Photo: VINH QUYEN
Having had the opportunity to travel to many countries, journalist Vinh Quyen observes that salads and mixed vegetable dishes are one of the distinctive features of Vietnamese cuisine.
In other countries, they prefer salads. Vegetables and fruits aren't mixed with spices or prepared in the same way as we do; instead, they're mixed with dressings. Even Laos and Thailand – two countries in the region – have salads and appetizers using sesame seeds and peanuts, with a sour and spicy flavor similar to Vietnam, but they are very different. For example, they don't use herbs…
From top to bottom, left to right: Fern salad, fig salad with shrimp and pork, beef salad with pickled eggplant, bird salad - Photo: VINH QUYEN
According to her, Vietnamese people are very good at using food to regulate the weather. With salads and appetizers, we also have seasonal dishes. For example, the water spinach and water morning glory salad mentioned above is only available from May to August.
There are dishes that are expertly adapted to the seasons, even becoming trends. "Last year it was the mangosteen chicken salad trend, this year let's wait and see what trend housewives will come up with," she said with a hearty laugh.
Journalist Vinh Quyen suggests three delicious salads and appetizers for summer.
1. Water spinach and water morning glory salad
- The best water spinach comes from the first harvest of summer. When boiling, add a few grains of salt, stir the spinach to prevent it from turning brown, and remove it as soon as it's cooked through. In the past, mothers used to put it in bamboo baskets for ventilation. Now, you can put it in a bowl of ice water for about 5 minutes to keep the spinach green and crisp, then remove it and let it drain.
Next, add the water spinach to the boiling water. Boil quickly because water spinach cooks faster than morning glory.
- Slice the green starfruit and squeeze out the excess sourness. Quickly stir-fry the small shrimp with a little oil and salt. Grind the sesame seeds and peanuts, and chop the herbs into pieces.
- Prepare the salad dressing by mixing lemon juice (vinegar is a better choice), sugar, fish sauce, minced garlic, etc. Then mix the salad, season to taste, and add sesame seeds and peanuts.
2. Jicama and Beef Salad
- Slice the jicama into thin strips (not as finely as the kohlrabi). Slice the beef thinly, sauté it with garlic until cooked through.
- Prepare the salad dressing mixture from lemon juice (vinegar is a better choice), sugar, fish sauce, minced garlic, etc. Since jicama is already sweet, reduce the amount of sugar. Then mix it with the jicama, and add the beef along with the beef dressing.
- You can substitute beef with chicken (but you'll need to add some Vietnamese coriander) or pig's ears, pig's skin, etc.
3. Melon salad
- Prepare the pickled melon by washing it, slicing it thinly, and squeezing out the excess salt. Sauté the garlic until fragrant, then stir-fry thinly sliced beef/pork tenderloin until cooked through, or boil pork belly.
Since pickled melons are already salty, you don't need to add salt for this dish. Just add sugar, garlic, chili, and lemon, then mix with the meat and herbs, and you're done.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nom-rau-muong-va-rau-rut-goi-cu-dau-thit-bo-nom-du-du-bo-kho-vua-thanh-vua-mat-don-he-20240522131914092.htm
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