Salad with all kinds of leaves from jungle, sturgeon fish rolled with “hoa kim châm” – a kind of flower with its science name in Latin is Hemerocallis citrine- served with strawberry sauce; pork legs stewed with artichoke, sautéed pork with strawberry sauce; chicken rolled with mushroom served with artichoke sauce and the cold strawberry cake … are new and creative dishes that made of wild ingredients such as leaves, flowers and fruits which made all the dishes have the taste of jungles in highland area in the Golden Spoon contest taken placed in July 22nd and 23rd in Dalat city.
The most out-standing dish among 60 good dishes that brought by 50 chefs in the foods festival in highland region is the salad made of 50 kinds of wild leaves from the jungle and other dishes that made of flowers.
The salad with 50 kinds of leaves from jungles
There are more than dozen kinds of wild leaves displayed surrounding a plate of bacon and steamed shrimp that presented on the party table prepared by An Thai restaurant team from Kon Tum. Chef Le Van Boi shared that according to Kon Tum people this salad was born through a meeting of old friends.
There is a friend from the North come to visit Mr Nhon Van Le in 1975. The party was interrupted because of running out of the foods while they were drinking and chatting together so both of them went to the jungle and pick some wild leaves to make some snack. After trying he found out that they tasted very delicious so when he has other friends coming he does these dishes again.
When there are more people knowing about the dish Mr Nhon opened a restaurant with the favorite dish is salad made of wild leaves then gradually it becomes one of specialties like now with many restaurants opened along many roads in Kon Tum province.
Chef Tuan Ngoc Nguyen was modifying the salad made of mixed vegetables
Chef Boi shared that there are more than 50 kinds of wild leaves in this authentic salad such as “lá ngành ngạnh đỏ”-its science name in Latin is Cratoxylum cochinchinense, brindle berry leaves, sesame leaves, “lá trâm” - its science name in Latin Syzygium cumini, guava leaves, mango leaves, “lá chua”- its science name in Latin is Oxalis corniculata, “lá sung” – its science name in Latin is Ficus racemosa…mixed with bacon or prawn or pork skin.
When you eat you just use the leave to roll the meat and dip in a sauce. The salad is a combination of all different tastes which are very typical a little bit spicy, sourness, acrid, fatty and good aroma…
It is also special when each leaf has its own value of medicine so when all of them mixed together it will create effect of treatment such as stomach pain, high blood pressure and even help for diabetes and kidney impairment…
Express your love to flower by tasting them
Chef Le Hoang Hung, La Sapinette hotel (Dalat) seemed very excited when he was asked by someone about basket full of flower and fruits put on the shelf near cooking area. He was telling his colleagues to make the first dish – raw spring rolls with highland style.
Through his talented hands and new recipes the rolls he made has another look and taste because of special vegetables and fruits only found in Dalat and one of them is artichoke as the leading ingredient.
Ana Mandara Villas also has dishes made of vegetable and flowers mainly. It is a salad made of 10 kinds of vegetables and three out-standing flowers: artichoke, rose and winter melon flowers. Not only become main ingredient to cook foods but vegetable, fruit and flower also become material for foods decoration.
Artichoke has its origin from Southern Europe and appeared in Vietnam beginning of 20th century in Sapa, Tam Dao and the most in Dalat. Tourist visit Dalat usually treated with artichoke cooked as soups, steamed with pork or steamed with tea…Artichoke also is one of meaningful gifts to friends and family when you come back from Dalat. Chef Hoang Hung shared that this flower can make ten dishes such as sweet soup with artichoke and soup with pork leg.
Another unique dish is sturgeon fish filet rolled with “hoa kim châm” – a kind of flower with its science name in Latin is Hemerocallis citrine- served with strawberry sauce. Sturgeon fish has 11% of fat (while salmon has 23% of fat) and it is a dish for rich people. However since 2006 this fish was raised a lot in Dalat and some provinces in the North so its price was reduced and it becomes more common to everyone.
Sturgeon fish will be sliced into thin and large pieces and cut off its skin. After seasoning, fish will be put into “hoa kim châm” and rolled then fried on the pan. Meanwhile Dalat strawberry used to make sauce.
Strawberry will be grounded with salt, grated cheese, sugar and fish sauce. Boil this mixture in the pan with a little bit olive oil until it gets thicker as a sauce. Also from these local ingredients, depend on ideas and various recipes chefs also can make other dishes such as daisy flower rolled with sturgeon and artichoke, pigeon stewed with artichoke, soup with ant eggs and “lá giang”- a kind of leaf with its science name in Latin is Aganonerion polymorphum, chicken soup cooked with wild pepper, Se San hemibagrus fish stewed with bitter tomato and cassava’s leaves…All of them have created special and unique dishes in highland area.
Many diners used to express their disappointment because Dalat city doesn’t have its own food. But now according to Foods artisan Chiem Thanh Long- he said that” Foods made of flowers that chefs have created become inspiration for other chefs to continue to discover and explore new dishes that suitable with the trend of the current cuisine which try to limit protein and forward to the nutrition of vegetable, fruits and even flowers which is the advantage of Dalat city where there are so many flowers and maybe there are some flowers only Dalat has.”
A
menu with four courses worth VND 30 million
The reason it worth VND 30 million because
thanks to this menu Ana Mandara Villas’s team has won the first prize of the
preliminary round with: salad with mixed fruit that made of 10 kinds of
vegetables, fruits and flowers of Dalat; Artichoke stewed with pork leg,
sturgeon fish grilled with spices; Dalat fruits.
 Salad made of ten kinds of vegetable, fruit and flower in Dalat.  Sturgeon grilled with spices  Artichoke stewed with pork legs  Dalat fruits |
Followed by Nguyen Trang
Nguoi Do Thi Newspaper