Simple countryside

(Baonghean) - "Fragrant fish and meat, traditional pickled vegetables" is the motto of my homeland, a land where "dogs eat rocks and chickens eat pebbles." The sun is scorching; the cold is biting. Sometimes I wonder: has the harsh climate and the hardships of life for generations shaped the character of the people of Nghe An - most clearly reflected in their daily lives, their eating habits, and their routines?

Making soy sauce. Illustration photo: TTO

Soy sauce jars are usually placed in front of the house for convenient sun drying. Ingredients include soybeans, salt, and mold. Glutinous rice is spread out to cool; then spread on a tray and covered with longan leaves, and kept indoors in a sheltered area. After three days, green and red mold will appear. Roasted soybeans are added along with the mold and crushed glutinous rice. Salt water is poured in to completely cover the mixture. To test the saltiness, a chicken egg is added. If the egg floats, the soy sauce is too salty and needs adjusting; if the egg sinks, the soy sauce is too bland and needs increasing. When the egg floats about two-thirds of the jar, it's ready. Then, roasted corn, ground into a powder, is sprinkled on top for added aroma. Finally, the jar is sealed with dried banana leaves, covered with a conical hat to protect from rain and sun, and left to dry. After about 10 days, the soy sauce will be ready... When the banana leaves are opened, a fragrant aroma rises. The soy sauce is golden yellow, glistening in the sunlight. River fish stewed in soy sauce, with chopped young turmeric leaves added, creates an irresistible aroma. Soy sauce can be used as a dipping sauce for boiled sweet potato leaves or water spinach. Or, boiled eggplant (the large, round variety) can be sliced ​​into three or four pieces and dipped in soy sauce, resulting in a fragrant and crunchy dish. This unforgettable soy sauce evokes memories for those far from home, allowing them to express their longing in a foreign land, lacking the familiar flavors of their homeland: "As I go, I remember my homeland / I remember the water spinach soup, I remember the eggplant pickled in soy sauce."

Nhút is a rustic dish from the rural midland region of Nghe An province. Ingredients include jackfruit fibers, finely chopped wild banana blossoms, pickled eggplant, and bamboo shoots mixed with roasted corn flour. Saltwater is poured in until everything is submerged, and a stone is used to weigh it down on a bamboo sieve to keep everything submerged. The jar of nhút is sealed with dried banana leaves, covered with a tattered conical hat, and placed in the backyard. Some rural areas make nhút that is famous far and wide. The ingredients may consist only of finely chopped young jackfruit fibers or wild banana blossoms, with crushed galangal added to the bottom of the jar. Nhút has a sour, slightly crunchy taste from the jackfruit fibers and banana blossoms, blended with the aroma of galangal and roasted corn flour. Nhút and tương are considered "authentic" clean foods, without the use of any chemicals in the production process. Nhút from Anh Son, Thanh Chuong, and tương Nam Dan from the Nghe An countryside now have established brands and are available in many parts of the country.

For those who live far from home, even in foreign lands with countless delicious and exotic foods, the rich, lingering flavors of fermented bean paste and pickled bamboo shoots from their hometown are hard to forget! Every time I return home, I often go to the market to buy pickled bamboo shoots to make dishes that satisfy my homesickness. Pickled bamboo shoots can be eaten raw, stir-fried with pork, or used to create many other delicious dishes. The jars of pickled bamboo shoots and jars of fermented bean paste from our humble hometown have nourished countless people from our homeland; nurtured countless generals and colonels; nurtured countless mandarins and scholars...

These days, jars of fermented soybean paste and pickled bamboo shoots are gradually disappearing from every family. Where are the days when mothers would open jars of fermented soybean paste, scooping out bowls to use in braising fish or eels? Where are the days when, at mealtime, people would go to the backyard, take off their hats, and squeeze pickled bamboo shoots into their lunches and dinners? How could a distinctive aspect of daily life be complete without jars of pickled bamboo shoots and jars of fermented soybean paste in the corner of the yard, in the backyard, filled with so many memories?

Le Lam Hong