Palm season in the Western region of Nghe An

One winter day, the cold swept across the mountains and forests of the West, we set foot in a Mong village in Nam Can commune (Ky Son). On the other side of Nam Khien 1 village were vast palm forests in full fruit season.

Mr. Lau Nhia Xong - the village chief excitedly said: "Our grandparents and parents told us that the palm forest has existed since the Mong people had not yet settled down in this mountain forest. There are trees that are older than my parents. When the old trees die, new trees grow up, and so on from generation to generation."

Palm forest in Nam Khien 1 village (Nam Can commune - Ky Son). Photo: Dao Tho

On this 2-hectare palm forest, the palm trees spread out like large umbrellas. The scent of palm fruits in harvest season wafts in the wind. In the distance, faintly visible in the dim light, are Mong children tying buffaloes to the palm trees so they can pick bunches of fruit to eat.

Palm trees are laden with fruit. Photo: Ho Phuong

Mr. Lau Ba Sua, who lives in Nam Khien 1 village, said that many generations have passed through this palm forest, but it is still an indispensable part of the lives of the people of Nam Khien village. On rainy and sunny days, when the buffalo and cow pens have not been finished, people often bring their buffalo and cows here to rest. The palm trees intertwine to cover a large area, preventing rain and sunlight from penetrating. When the Mong people go to the fields or travel far, they have an indispensable item in their luggage: rice and food packed in palm leaves. According to the experience of the elders in the village, food wrapped in palm leaves will be kept longer and will have a more fragrant taste.

On the fruit-laden palm trees, Mr. Lau Ba Sua chose a few trees and picked some fruit to bring home to eat. He chose trees with round, wide leaves to pick fruit. We looked for a long time but could not figure out the difference between small-canopy trees and large-canopy trees. Seeing our puzzled looks, Mr. Sua smiled and said: "There are two types of palm trees. The small-canopy trees have thin fruit and taste more bitter. The large-canopy trees have thick fruit and taste sweeter and more fragrant."

Fragrant and fatty sticky rice palm fruits. Photo: Dao Tho

He brought the palm fruits home and put them into a pot of hot water that he had prepared. According to Mr. Sua, when stewing palm fruits, if the water is too cold, the palm fruits will not be cooked, and if it is too hot, the fruit will be soft and mushy. Therefore, the person who stews the fruit needs to know the water temperature and the stewing time so that the palm fruits will be delicious when taken out. After 10 minutes, he took the palm fruits out and we sat down to enjoy them deliciously.

Honestly, we have never enjoyed such a delicious palm meal. The fragrant aroma wafted into our noses, combined with the rich taste of the palm, making us ecstatic. “On rainy days, people often go to the forest to get the fruit and sit by the fire to enjoy it, sometimes without having to eat rice” - Mr. Sua’s wife, who was sitting next to us, also chimed in jokingly.

Highlanders also use palm leaves to roof cattle pens and build granaries. Photo: Dao Tho

In the early days of palm season, all the roads of Nam Khien village are as crowded as a festival. Thai people in neighboring villages such as Xoong Con, Luu Phong (Luu Kien, Tuong Duong) come here to buy palm to eat. There are so many palms here, they are said to be for sale but mainly they are given to each other as gifts. Each kg costs 5,000 VND but people rarely take the money. According to Mr. Sua, there are palm trees that yield over 20 kg of fruit each season. The unharvested fruits fall down, the young trees grow again, and so on from generation to generation.