The Diverse Cuisine of Muong Minority

They put sweet rice in a young bamboo tube, add enough water then grill it above a fire, in proper distance. When the rice gets cooked, the scent of local sweet rice mixing with natural bamboo’s scent creates an unforgettable dish of the Northwest highlands. Nowadays, sweet rice in bamboo tubes is so popular that it has become a rural specialty of the highlands all over Vietnam.

Indeed, gourmet still can tell the difference of Hoa Binh sweet rice in bamboo tubes from other areas. Local people here always choose spring water from watersheds and cover two ends of bamboo tubes by wild pandan leaves so their remarkable aroma of cooked rice could stimulate diners’ appetite. On party tables in Hoa Binh province, there are always some bamboo tubes of sweet rice for visitors as a welcome and featured dish. Moreover, visitors definitely would buy sweet rice bamboo tubes to bring home as gifts.

Exotic and delicious cooked buff with sour leaves

Buff meat is roasted then cleaned and cooked again in broth until tender. Cooked buff is sliced into bite-size then stewed in a pottery with a pinch of broken rice and smashed wild sour leaves – in this case, Nom leaves (or Giang leaves - Aganonerion polymorphum). When all cooked, broken rice thickens the broth and the dish is ready to served.

This is the unique dish of Muong minority. The bowl carries all essence of fresh buff, sour taste of Nom leaves, and nutty texture of broken rice; all has created an exotic and delicious dish. Especially, the bowl should be sprinkled with mashed Mac Khen seeds (cape yellowwood or wild pepper - Zanthoxylum rhetsa) for the flavors to thrive.

Sour pork

The main ingredient of the dish is obviously pork, which is raised in their natural habitat. If it’s from black small pig, the dish even gets much better. After being cleaned, pork is marinated with yeast from wild leaves and roasted rice powder in an hour. Next, they place wild banana leaves above fire to soften them then line them onto a big bamboo basket. On this banana leaf bottom, they sprinkle roasted rice and salt then place marinated pork on it, layers by layers. Finally, they tightly cover the bamboo container by more banana leaves. That bamboo bucket will seat in a warm place until ready to serve.

Qualified sour pork should have fresh color of good pork, a fat yet crunchy texture of pork skin, a sour taste of natural yeast, a salty hint, and an aroma of roasted rice. It is usually served with wild leaves.

Indeed, sour pork was originated in Thanh Son, Phu Tho province but the way Muong people have varied it just made it much better and more remarkable.

Charcoal-grilled pork in pomelo leaves

It is not a dish that you can find in common places or classy restaurant because it is definitely rural street food in Hoa Binh province.

Pork belly is sliced and seasoned with fine fish sauce and chopped spring onion. A big mature pomelo leaf is cut in half, washed, rolled with a piece of pork then grilled on charcoal. The liquid lard drops on burnt charcoal and makes the fire thriving in a beautiful way. The pork is well done when pomelo leaves turn dark purple.

When you take a bite, crunchy and aromatic pomelo leaves crush and mix with the greasy piece of pork belly to create an unique appealing texture. Pomelo essence also leaves an acrid taste on the tongue after the whole bite was swallowed. This is a must-have treat for visitors in Hoa Binh province.

Bitter bamboo shoot

Bitter bamboo shoot is a common vegetable in daily meals of most of minorities in Northwest highlands. Fine bamboo shoot is the very young tips of bamboo family, which emerges from the ground about 1 or 2 knuckles. People have to dig quite deep to collect the whole part of bamboo shoot hiding under the ground.

To prepare bitter bamboo shoot is not a piece of cake. They grill the whole bamboo shoot on fire until the outer stems get burned then they peel every single stem and dip in “cham cheo”, a special seasoning made from salt, chili, ginger leaves, Mac Khen seeds, garlic, and garlic leaves. A bite will be burst with all flavors from the nature.

Bitter bamboo shoot can be processed in different ways, such as stir-fry it with meat (duck or chicken), plucks, or stew it with bones.

Thrilled Bamboo straw wine – Ruou Can

Totally different from cooked-and-distilled wines, the bamboo-straw wine is made from natural yeast – a handful of wild leaves mixing with starch. Fermented starch is brewed in potteries and covered by husks of rice grains. To have wine, people just need to pour clean water into the pottery and refill if needed. In the party, everybody would gather around and enjoy the smooth and thrilled tastes of bamboo-straw wine with festival spirit.

Bamboo-straw wine of Muong minority in Hoa Binh carries a sweet and mild feeling but also can be so thrilled if you drink more than you can take. Let’s imagine a pottery of bamboo-straw wine served with fresh made dishes from local ingredients and you just sit there seeing great landscapes; that would be unforgettable moments about romantic Hoa Binh.

Writer: Viet Cuong/SGTT

Translator: Thu Pham