The land of Ky Son is difficult in many ways, so building a unique product is extremely difficult. Saying that, we can see that the Giang Que Hau beef brand did not appear by chance.
Que Hau beef is a famous brand of Ky Son land, this product has been certified OCOP. Image: Viet Khanh.
Persistent in keeping the fire going for 27 years
Ky Son is changing day by day but is still the most miserable area of Nghe An province. Despite benefiting from many practical policies of the State (3 National Target Programs, Forest Environmental Services...), the lives of the people still have many worries, and in the end they are still "falling behind" compared to the average level. shared. In that context, it is difficult to build unique OCOP brands, fortunately there is still "Que Hau cow" to sow trust.
Bo Giang, also known as kitchen beef, is a native product of Ky Son land. Surprisingly, the owner of this famous item, Ms. Bui Thi Que, is a person from the lowlands who came up to start a business. Nearly 30 years ago, she was assigned and arranged by her unit to work here. At that time, the population was still sparse, all four directions were windy and cloudy.
Even in her dreams, Mrs. Que did not think that she would be tied to this land for so long, but in life, no one could have predicted that Ky Son would be the place that kept and forged the relationship for her. warm and happy family, and at the same time a great motivation to build a famous highland specialty brand.
Passionate and above all responsible for her profession, Ms. Bui Thi Que has created excellent products. Image: Viet Khanh.
Mrs. Que said that the couple was both border guards and set foot in a new land with a lot of anxiety. Ky Son back then was very different from now, traffic was not convenient so traveling was extremely inconvenient, trade and commerce were therefore much more difficult. Dozens of invisible resistance forces caused Ky Son to fall behind.
Trade is difficult, food from the bottom up is very scarce, in order to maintain daily activities, people are forced to store food all year round, especially during the time of harvest, or during the cold months. hate. There are no refrigerators or freezers, so we have to follow the traditional method. After buying the beef and pork, we will hang it horizontally on the kitchen floor and let it dry for days and months to use gradually.
“Giang beef originates from indigenous people. In the past, people mainly made it according to traditional customs, leaving it almost raw and not marinated with too many spices. I was personally impressed so I took the time to research, on the one hand trying to preserve the quintessence, on the other hand constantly improving to create the most suitable products. At that time, the concept of "thanh giang meat" was not very popular. At first, diners wondered what kind of meat was like that of a stick? To be honest, sometimes I feel confused, not knowing whether I can survive in this job or not?
Yet 27 years have passed, time waits for no one, the Que Hau beef brand is also continuously cultivated. From a humble beginning, customers were only around the area, now buyers have increased exponentially, the brand has become widely known throughout the North and South, even with many orders exported to Germany, Korea, Japan. The difference of Ca Giang is that it sells well all year round, both winter and summer are popular, especially during the Lunar New Year it is always sold out.
The fire has never gone out for the past 27 years. Image: Viet Khanh.
Business developments are increasingly favorable, helping Ms. Que and her husband expand their production scale, upgrade their house, and build a large restaurant right in Muong Xen town, Ky Son district. Sticking with a profession for half a lifetime is not something everyone can do. In addition to one's own efforts, luck is necessarily mixed and matched. Therefore, even though she had a tall house with wide doors and was quite full, Mrs. Que still insisted on keeping the old kitchen, keeping the fire burning day and night to make the most perfect batches of meat.
It's hard to believe but it's an obvious truth, whether it's sunny or rainy, whether it's weekdays or holidays, the fire has been flickering and burning for... the past 27 years.
Take your brand far away
“The historic flood more than 10 years ago left Ky Son people in shock. The force of water rushing down from upstream pushed many families into a helpless situation. My family's old house was no exception, many locations were swept away and were no longer in their original state. We will never forget that horrifying scene. Strangely enough, the kitchen area was almost unharmed, perhaps due to fate. Over the past 27 years, everything is still the same as in the beginning, the fire has never gone out. When I turn off the fire, I lose my relationship with the profession, I always think like that," Ms. Que confided.
Mrs. Que believes that when the fire goes out, the relationship with the profession has ended. Image: Viet Khanh.
Insiders assert that from choosing ingredients, marinating to lighting firewood, guarding the stove, watching the fire... all stages must be done carefully and meticulously in order to produce the best batches of giang meat. As for meat, it must be selected from native grass cows that are muscular, have big shoulders, and have muscular meat. Once finished, cut into pieces approximately 15 - 20 cm long, 5 - 7 cm wide, then washed, marinated with spices, and incubated for hours to penetrate deep into each muscle fiber.
Next, use skewers to string each piece of meat and hang it on the wood stove. Let the fire simmer below for about 2 days. During this time, someone must be on duty regularly to turn the meat in time to avoid being "full of fire" and it will burn and dry out. When the meat is smoky and has enough heat, it will curl up and look dark brown.
Ms. Vi Thi Tham, a leading expert in the field of tourism and a long-time "regular" guest, firmly affirmed: "Throughout the Western region of Nghe An, there is no place I have not been to, delicious food, special cuisine. The characteristics of each region have basically been tasted, and it is seen that no establishment can surpass Que Hau galangal cattle. Not only me but many customers share the same opinion."
To make the most satisfactory batches of Giang Giang beef, you must strictly follow the steps, especially the quality of inputs. Image: Viet Khanh.
For her part, Ms. Bui Thi Que humbly shared: "My family does not dare to claim to be number 1 because each production facility has its own characteristics, as well as each diner has different tastes and feelings. . For me, receiving positive feedback from diners is the greatest joy and spiritual motivation to continue sticking with the profession.
Before, the family did not pay too much attention to propaganda and promotion, the product became widely known mainly thanks to regular customers introducing themselves to each other. Maybe you don't believe it, but there are close contacts who have maintained contact for nearly 20 years but have never met in real life, yet the New Year comes, or one day they pick up the phone to place a large order. After 27 years in the profession, I think it is fate."
Que Hau beef with its unique characteristics has conquered diners in the South and the North, and even exported to foreign countries. Image: Viet Khanh.
The story is sometimes interrupted because customers keep calling. Busy as she is, her words are said to be done with the same hands as if she were painting a picture, everything without even a slight deviation. That habit is maintained by Mrs. Que throughout. how many years has it been?
“Bò giang is a famous product that needs to be widely present at e-commerce stalls, fairs, supermarkets... inside and outside the province to enhance its brand. Que Hau beef has been certified as an OCOP product, which is a great honor and motivation to continue the journey. If you want to be sustainable, you must do it in essence, taking the health of the community as the priority. Starting from that concept, we set very "strict" criteria during the implementation process, which is a prerequisite to making delicious, quality products," Ms. Que emphasized.
