Unique smoked grapefruit of the highlanders

(Baonghean.vn) - Not only meat products are hung on the kitchen loft by the highlanders, but grapefruit is also prepared this way to make it more delicious when eaten.

When the grapefruit season comes, all over the highland villages, grapefruit trees are laden with fruit. Grapefruit is grown by the people of the Western Nghe An region mainly for eating, which is why they “invent” many delicious dishes made from this fruit such as marinating, pickling and “hanging” in the kitchen.

Grapefruit season in the highlands. Illustrative photo

With the “giang” grapefruit dish, many people find it strange at first because they only see it in the kitchen lofts of people’s houses drying foods such as meat and fish caught after hunting. But to be honest, “giang” grapefruit has existed for a long time among the Thai, Mong, and Khmu ethnic groups...

According to Mr. Lau Nhia Xong in Nam Khien 1 village (Nam Can commune - Ky Son), every time the grapefruit season comes, the fruit is so heavy that people cannot eat it all, so they pick it, peel off the outer skin and dry it on the kitchen loft. Moreover, grapefruit trees with a lot of water and sourness are also treated this way to make it taste better.

The fire was lit about 1.5 meters below the stove. The fire rose up with smoke clinging to the pure white grapefruit. About a week later, the outside of the grapefruit was covered with a black film of smoke. Although it did not look pretty, when peeled and eaten, the deliciousness increased a lot. The juicy and sour grapefruits were drained of water and became a bit chewy, with a very pleasant aroma of charcoal.

When dried in the kitchen, grapefruit will be more delicious. Photo: Dao Tho

Along with other foods, it can be said that grapefruit has added a rare unique feature to the culinary culture of ethnic communities in the highlands.

Dao Tho