Huong Canh's Pork Leg Salad: The Quintessence of the Countryside

Amidst the hustle and bustle of modern cuisine with its myriad of elaborate dishes, there are simple, rustic dishes that are capable of winning over even the most discerning diners. In the Bình Nguyên region (Phú Thọ province), from the familiar water spinach of the muddy fields, the local people have skillfully elevated it into Hương Canh water spinach salad – not only a refreshing dish in traditional feasts, but also a source of cultural pride, having been honored in the list of Outstanding Vietnamese Cuisines in 2024.

In 2024, Huong Canh's pork belly salad was selected as one of Vietnam's representative dishes.

From humble vegetables to celebrated dishes

Vietnamese water celery (also known as water celery, lake celery, fragrant celery) has long been associated with Vietnamese culinary life. This herbaceous plant, which thrives in flooded rice paddies and fertile mud, is not only rich in vitamins but, according to traditional medicine, also has the effect of clearing heat, reducing fever, and fighting inflammation.

However, if it's limited to familiar dishes like stir-fries or soups, celery can hardly make a special impression. Only in Binh Nguyen, through the refined preparation of the people of Huong Canh, does celery truly "rise to prominence" in the dish called "celery salad." The harmonious combination of the refreshing taste of the vegetable, the richness of the meat, and the characteristic crispness of the rice crackers creates a unique and unforgettable flavor.

The celery used as the main ingredient for the celery salad dish must be the kind grown in clean pond water, with white, tender stems, thin, small stalks, and few leaves.

2024 marked a significant milestone when Huong Canh's "nộm vó cần" (a type of salad made with pig's trotters) was officially selected as one of Vietnam's representative culinary delights. This is not only a recognition of its culinary value but also a tribute to a long-standing cultural heritage of the locality. Locals still pass down the saying: "The spring feast is prepared in a hundred ways / But Huong Canh never lacks 'nộm vó cần'" - a testament to the indispensable place this dish holds in the community's spiritual life.

To make the necessary vegetable salad, the cook must use a slanted knife to slice the vegetables into long pieces about two finger lengths long, so that the vegetables are both visually appealing and evenly seasoned while still retaining their crispness.

Ms. Duong Thi Lien, a resident of Trong Ngoai neighborhood with decades of experience in the craft, shared: "Making pickled vegetables looks easy, but you only realize the meticulousness when you actually start. After cleaning the roots and leaves, the vegetables must be gently washed to avoid bruising the stems. The thicker stems must be split in half, and the cook must use a knife to slice them diagonally into pieces about two finger lengths long. We call this technique 'slicing the tubular strips' so that the vegetables are visually appealing, absorb the seasoning evenly, and retain their crispness."

In the past, the accompanying ingredient was buffalo or beef tendons, stir-fried until golden brown in pork fat – the precursor to the name "vó cần" (buffalo or beef hoof tendons). Nowadays, to better suit modern tastes, people have replaced them with crispy boiled pig ears or golden fried pork belly. But no matter how it changes, the soul of the dish still lies in the balance between the supporting ingredients such as roasted peanuts, garlic, chili, vinegar, sugar, and fish sauce.

Honey-glazed rice crackers - A unique "piece" of Huong Canh cuisine.

One of the biggest differences that sets Huong Canh's water spinach salad apart from any other salad is the presence of honey rice crackers. This is a distinctive type of cracker that only about a dozen households in the town still make, mainly producing it during the water spinach season.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga, from Trong Ngoai residential area, Binh Nguyen commune, said: "Honey-coated rice paper is made from cooked sugarcane molasses mixed with finely ground rice flour. The thin rice paper, dried in the dry sun, will have a beautiful light reddish-brown color."

When making celery salad, the meat (or pig's ears) is placed on a clean tray, seasoned, and gently mixed.

When preparing the salad, rice crackers are soaked in water to soften them, then cut into small, leaf-shaped pieces before being deep-fried until crispy. The frying process requires intense concentration, constantly stirring to ensure the crackers are cooked through and have a reddish-brown color. Overcooking will burn the molasses, resulting in a bitter taste; undercooking will leave the crackers hard and lose their characteristic aroma. The harmonious blend of the crispy rice crackers with molasses and the refreshing coolness of the celery creates a truly delightful culinary experience.

The final step – mixing the salad – is likened to a performance art. Celery and meat (or pig's ears) are placed on a clean tray, seasoned, and gently mixed. The key is to prevent the vegetables from becoming mushy, and to ensure the sour, spicy, salty, and sweet flavors permeate perfectly into each vegetable within 5-10 minutes.

A complete plate of celery salad should have the white and green color of celery, the golden brown of rice crackers, the red of chili peppers, and the glossy brown of the meat.

When serving, the chef sprinkles a layer of crushed roasted peanuts on top and then tops it with a handful of crispy fried rice crackers. The finished salad is a colorful picture: the white and green of the celery, the golden brown of the rice crackers, the red of the chili peppers, and the glossy brown of the meat.

Ms. Phung Thi Tho, a customer from Vinh Phuc ward, said that the celery salad has a unique flavor; the celery no longer has a pungent smell but is crispy and fragrant, with a harmonious sweet and sour taste. When eaten with crispy rice crackers, fatty pork belly, and crunchy peanuts, the dish creates a delicious sensation and effectively prevents satiety at protein-rich parties.

Preserving a culinary heritage

Ms. Duong Thi Lien confided that she is always willing to share the recipe for this dish, hoping that this hometown salad will spread further. For her and the people of Binh Nguyen, the fish salad is not just a delicious dish, but also a story of the village, the craft, and the hospitality.

Eating a piece of salad with crispy rice crackers, the richness of the pork belly blends with the nutty flavor of peanuts, creating a feeling that you can't get enough of.

The recognition of Huong Canh's water spinach salad as a representative Vietnamese dish not only opens up opportunities for local tourism development but also motivates the younger generation to continue and preserve the traditional craft of growing water spinach and making honey rice crackers.

Leaving Binh Nguyen in the chilly days leading up to Tet, the lingering sweet and sour, crispy and fragrant aftertaste of the celery salad still remains. It's not just the flavor of a dish, but the flavor of the land, of human connection, and of a simple yet profound aspect of Vietnamese culture.

Ngoc Thang

Source: https://baophutho.vn/nom-vo-can-huong-canh-tinh-tuy-hon-que-246077.htm