(Baonghean.vn) – The dish 'lam mouse' or mouse cooked in bamboo tubes has long been a 'secret' of the Khmu people in Western Nghe An.
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| Whenever they hunt wild rats, the Khmu people of Nghe An process them into a unique dish that only this ethnic community has, which is the lam rat dish. Photo: Dao Tho |
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| Wild mice, kept fresh or dried in the kitchen, are the main ingredients used to cook lam dish. Photo: Dao Tho |
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| The mice were chopped into pieces as small as two fingers. Photo: Dao Tho |
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| Wild rattan shoots are an indispensable ingredient to make this dish more attractive. The rattan shoots are peeled and soaked in cold water to reduce the bitterness and astringency before being cooked. Photo: Dao Tho |
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| Rat meat is marinated with rattan, mac khen, hot chili and spices. Photo: Dao Tho |
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| Once soaked, everything is put into a large bamboo tube and sealed with lemongrass leaves to enhance the flavor of the dish. Photo: Dao Tho |
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| Bamboo tubes just need to be placed close to the burning stove and checked regularly. Photo: Dao Tho |
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| The Khmu people make lam chuot by drilling a small hole in the bamboo tube to check and add water when needed. Photo: Dao Tho |
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| After more than 2 hours, the lam rat dish was cooked. The aroma of the rat meat mixed with the smell of wild rattan and wild pepper was very special. According to Mr. Lu Van Lam in Ba village (Huu Kiem commune - Ky Son), in the past, the Khmu people went into the forest to hunt rats without pots and pans, so they had to put the meat in bamboo tubes to cook. Over time, it became a habit and from then on, lam rat dish became a traditional dish of this ethnic community. Photo: Dao Tho |
Dao Tho
