Attractive dish of 'to tau' made from wasp pupae of Thai people in Nghe An

(Baonghean.vn) - 'Tó Tàu' is a dish made from wasp pupae of the Thai people. In Con Cuong district, Nghe An, this dish is popular with the people and this area has a large number of wasp nests.

There are 3 types of bee pupae commonly used to make "to tau": wasps, ground bees and honey bees. However, the Thai people of Con Cuong still choose ground bees to make "to tau".

During the wasp nesting season, from mid-August to September, Thai people in Con Cuong go into the forest together to find wasp pupae. Photo: Tuong Vi

Ground bees usually make their nests most from June to September of the solar calendar year. They make their nests in two places: digging the ground to make nests and making nests on trees in areas with a lot of acacia trees. In Con Cuong district, communes such as Binh Chuan, Don Phuc, Cam Lam, Mau Duc, Thach Ngan, Bong Khe, Chau Khe... have many ground bees.

Mr. Vi Van Quang in Thanh Binh village, Thach Ngan commune said: "I often go with the young people in the village to collect bee pupae. During the day, when we discover a wasp nest, we cannot collect it right away, but wait until night to avoid being stung by the bees.

A beehive was taken by a local. Photo: Tuong Vi

A beehive usually has 2 doors (main door and side door). When taking the nest, you have to identify those two doors. Next, a big fire is lit and smoke is poured into the nest to drive the bees away. There are large beehives with 5 floors equivalent to 3 kg of bee pupae. Bee pupae are also sold at the markets of some villages for 60,000-100,000 VND/kg.

The beehive is heated before the pupae are taken. Photo: Tuong Vi

The process of making 'tò Tàu' is also very elaborate: After bringing the nest back, it must be heated over a fire to make the bee pupae firmer for easier removal. The pupae are then dipped in boiling water to make them tougher. If washed in cold water, they will become mushy.

The soft bee pupae are easy to dissolve, so use chopsticks to stir gently and adjust the heat to medium. After about ten minutes, the pan of bee pupae will be steaming and smelling fragrant, so quickly stir well.

The "to tau" dish after completion. Photo: Tuong Vi

To have the desired stir-fried pupae, you cannot miss the julienned lemongrass leaves, some herbs, a few slices of wild chili, or stir-fried with pickled bamboo shoots, or made into a salad. A truly delicious dish must not be crushed, the pupae must retain their original shape; retain their aroma and rich flavor. This dish can be eaten with rice or with grilled rice paper.

Tuong Vi