Delicious specialties like dried beef and sour meat from the highlands of Nghe An province.

Wild cattle "travel from South to North"

Every day, Bui Thi Que, from Muong Xen town, Ky Son district, wakes up early and busily lights the fire to prepare for drying beef in the attic after the cow has just been slaughtered.

Ms. Que shared: "We've been involved in the business of making dried beef for over a decade now. According to the tradition of the local people of Ky Son, 'dried beef' in the Thai language means beef hung over a wood-fired stove. In the old days, whenever a family had a major event, people would slaughter a cow for offerings and to feast the village. The amount of meat was so large that it couldn't all be used up during those days, and there were no refrigerators to preserve it, so people came up with the idea of ​​hanging it over a wood-fired stove to prevent bacteria from entering and keeping the meat from spoiling. Dried beef was born and has been present for hundreds of years in the highland districts."

From a simple custom, Ky Son dried beef has now become a distinctive culinary delicacy of the people in the border region of Nghe An province. Many tourists from all over the country, after visiting Ky Son district, hope to buy this specialty to enjoy back home.

The rich, aromatic flavor of fresh, firm beef cooked by smoky wood, with the smoky taste permeating every fiber of the meat, creates a distinctive flavor of the highlands. Around the warm, glowing fire, savoring a piece of smoked beef with a glass of wine, visitors are always full of delight.

According to those in the trade, to produce high-quality, flavorful dried beef, every step, from selecting ingredients and marinating to lighting the fire, drying the meat, and carefully monitoring the fire, must be meticulously executed. For the beef, only firm cuts, such as fresh thigh or tenderloin, and especially the local Ky Son beef, are considered the best.

The meat is cut into pieces 15-20 cm long and 5-7 cm wide, then washed, marinated with highland spices, and left to marinate for about an hour to absorb the flavors. Afterward, each piece of meat is skewered onto bamboo sticks and hung over a wood-fired stove. The fire is kept low until the meat is smoky and brown on the outside, but when torn apart, the inside is light red and firm – indicating the beef is cooked. Finally, the product is packaged and vacuum-sealed for market distribution.

Previously, dried beef was mainly for family consumption, especially during holidays and Tet (Lunar New Year). However, in recent years, due to customer demand, households have proactively produced it year-round to supply the market. Many tourist groups visiting Ky Son, after enjoying the dish, have contacted suppliers to place large orders as gifts. Ky Son dried beef is increasingly transported by passenger buses to the South and North, especially during the tourist season and holidays.

According to statistics, Ky Son district has dozens of households producing dried beef, and one household, Ms. Bui Thi Que's household in Block 5, Muong Xen town, has been granted OCOP product certification. Dried beef is also the only dish recognized as an OCOP product in Ky Son district.

Sharing her thoughts on this honor, Ms. Que said: “My wish is to make dried beef not just a ‘specialty’ of Ky Son, but a product known nationwide, available in stores and supermarkets, providing a stable income for those involved in the trade. Therefore, we are determined to achieve the OCOP certification from the province so that the image of Ky Son becomes more widely known. All stages, from selecting ingredients to processing, marinating, and drying over a wood fire, are carried out ensuring hygiene standards and following a traditional family recipe.”

Fermented pork is a specialty of Que Phong.

Cuong Hoai's fermented pork from Block 5, Kim Son town, is famous throughout the province and is a popular gift choice for visitors to Que Phong district. With 32 years of production experience, this fermented pork, along with smoked pork belly, pork sausage, dried beef, and dried pork, are best-selling specialties during Tet (Lunar New Year) here, becoming a familiar place to buy and enjoy, or to sell and give as gifts to loved ones who appreciate the unique cuisine of the Thai ethnic group. Currently, this specialty has achieved OCOP 3-star status in 2022, creating conditions for the production facility to become more stable and reputable in the market.

The preparation of fermented pork is a family secret, but Ms. Hoai, the shop owner, says that the special thing is that the pork must be processed immediately after slaughter to ensure the best taste. After being fermented with "exclusive" spices, various leaves, and roasted rice flour, the meat naturally ripens and after 4-5 days it can be enjoyed or served to guests.

"When enjoying fermented pork, take it out of the refrigerator. The meat is tightly compressed, so when you take it out onto a plate, gently mix it evenly with thinly sliced ​​onions and lime leaves. Enjoy the fermented pork with fig leaves, betel leaves, or Gynura procumbens leaves. Take a piece of fermented pork, wrap it in a leaf, and dip it into a bowl of prepared soy sauce (the dipping sauce is either ready-made soy sauce provided by the establishment or soy sauce sold on the market). The sweetness of the meat, the aroma of the roasted rice powder, the crunchy texture of the pork skin, combined with the nutty flavor of the betel leaves and fig leaves, dipped in chili sauce or fish sauce, create a very attractive and easy-to-eat flavor," Ms. Hoai said.

Enjoying this specialty once will easily make you crave it again when the weather turns chilly, especially when paired with a glass of local rice wine. This is a unique product of the Thai ethnic minority in the highlands of Que Phong and is currently only consumed within the province. People outside the province, although eager to try it, must use the correct methods for preservation due to its limited shelf life. In Que Phong, there are many other delicious and unique dishes, but currently only fermented pork, along with yellow flower tea and Japonica rice, have been certified as OCOP products of Nghe An province.

The fact that specialties like Ky Son and Tuong Duong's dried beef, Que Phong's fermented pork, and other foods from the highland districts such as Con Cuong's glutinous rice wine, Anh Son's mandarin oranges, and Mu Tun's wine have been certified under the OCOP program not only creates additional income and jobs for many families in these districts but also promotes the development of local livestock farming and tourism, spreading the image of the highland districts and becoming cultural ambassadors of the region. These specialties are increasingly purchased as gifts after being enjoyed. It is currently very encouraging that the producers have done a very good job of promoting their products to the market.