When you come to Phu Tho, remember to eat vermicelli with co.

Phu Tho is a land of palm forests and tea hills. The lives of the people have been closely linked to palm trees for generations. Palm leaves were often used to roof houses, make fans, brooms, hats, and blinds. Palm trunks were used to make floorboards, house pillars, etc. Palm fruit is an indispensable ingredient in many dishes. If you come to Phu Tho , you will have the opportunity to enjoy palm vermicelli.

On the way to visit the districts and towns of Phu Tho, I was overwhelmed by the wonderful scenery here: endless green palm hills, romantic palm-thatched houses leaning against the mountainside, children diligently sweeping palm brooms, mothers and grandmothers wearing palm-leaf hats. Phu Tho is truly the homeland of palms, my friends!

Palm trees have many thorns, so people here often use a tool called a cu leo - a sickle tied to a pole - to pick the fruit. Picking palms also requires skill, to avoid the fruit being chipped, reducing its deliciousness.

My tour guide was originally from Phu Tho. He skillfully split the palm fruit in half, the size of a thumb, the dark blue skin revealing the flesh inside, which had turned a rich yellow color like chicken fat. When he put it on his tongue, he tasted the flesh, which had a rich, fatty taste, then it was considered a good palm fruit.

Illustration: Vietnamnet.

Besides palm om or palm leaf rice balls, palm sticky rice, palm vermicelli is a special dish made from the famous palm fruit of Phu Tho. My tour guide took me to a restaurant specializing in palm vermicelli on the bank of Van Lang Lake, Viet Tri City. The decor space is imbued with the land of the Hung Kings and a deep pride in the palm tree.

The bowl of vermicelli with bugs was served piping hot, blowing on it while eating, dispelling the chill of the Northeast monsoon. The vermicelli was purple-brown in color, refined from rice and palm fruit, with a rich, creamy, and chewy taste, completely different from the pure rice vermicelli I usually eat. The palm fruit meatballs also had a distinct, rich flavor. The grilled caul fat sausage was not dry at all, but fragrant with the aroma of local spices and meat.

In addition, the bowl of noodles is topped with ribs, pig's feet, and mixed vegetables. In particular, there is also the expensive, crunchy, chewy royal vegetable used in the bowl of noodles. And of course, there are indispensable pieces of thick, velvety palm meat that melt in your mouth, mixed with a slightly sour, fatty, rich, and sweet taste that is irresistible.

Illustration: Facebook.

Pick up a piece of vermicelli with a unique flavor, add a piece of rich topping, taste a spoonful of clear broth, the sweet taste of simmered bone marrow is truly a unique culinary experience on my journey to discover my homeland!

My friend proudly said: Whoever accidentally eats and likes palm will be addicted to its flavor! I am not a Phu Tho resident but after trying palm vermicelli once, I am addicted and will never forget it.

Palm fruit is a popular wild fruit in the mountainous countryside of Phu Tho. Memories of palm trees and palm fruit are deeply ingrained in the memories of the people here about a poor childhood. But like the palm trees always reaching up to welcome the sun, dishes made from palm have proven their strong vitality in the culinary life of the local people.

At the Northwest Fair and the Ancestral Land Culinary Culture Festival held at the Hung Temple Historical Site this year, many dishes made from palm were introduced to visitors from all over and received enthusiastic responses, including the famous palm vermicelli dish that I just told you about!

A day of travel opens up so many things. And the more I travel, the more I love our beautiful, culturally diverse country!

Luu Huong/hanoionline.vn

Source: https://baophutho.vn/toi-phu-tho-nho-an-bun-co-220278.htm