Inviting you to a land of wine!

(Baonghean) - For the past ten years, people from Nghe An who live far from home have had another delicious dish to remember: the "ruoi" (a type of worm). And if people from all over the country who visit Nghe An are lucky enough to once enjoy dishes made from fresh "ruoi" during the bustling fishing season in the lower reaches of the Lam Giang River, they can't help but be impressed. Even after leaving, they still "dream" of returning to the countryside, eagerly anticipating another taste of this exquisite delicacy!

In the vast waterways of Hung Nguyen district, the tide rises towards the sea, leaving behind a salty, lingering embrace of the Lam Giang river's rich, silt-laden freshwater, creating brackish waters that nurture the lugworm species. This mysterious aquatic life transforms into a fairytale, a new reality for the hardworking farmers of Hung Nhan, Hung Chau, Hung Phu, Hung Khanh, and Hung Loi villages in Hung Nguyen district. When the lugworm season begins in September and October, the villages bustle with activity as they gather this "gift from heaven," with some households earning hundreds of millions or even billions of dong each month during the peak season...

Collecting lugworms in Hung Nhan commune (Hung Nguyen district). Photo: CS

But when the Hung Nguyen mudworm appears on the culinary table in the city or in the very place where it dedicates its breeding cycle in the countryside, it truly reigns supreme in the hearts of anyone who visits Nghe An, who comes to Hung Nguyen during the bustling mudworm season, anticipating a day when it will become a festival of harvesting mudworms in the fields, enriching the cultural "material" of the village life.

On a cool autumn day, with a gentle breeze mingling with the winter wind, the scenery evokes a sense of rural charm. From Vinh City, a smooth drive along the asphalt road for only about ten kilometers leads to Hung Chau, where there are several restaurants specializing in fresh wild birds and river fish, but the signature dish of the "ruoi" worm (a type of freshwater shrimp) remains the main attraction for customers.

As soon as you step through the restaurant door, the lingering aroma of the sea worm dish wafts into your nostrils. Whether it's "pure" sea worm stew, or stewed with eggs and meat, sea worm patties, or sea worm spring rolls... they all inevitably have a blend of finely chopped dried tangerine peel mixed in, which eliminates any fishy smell. Then, these pan-fried and stir-fried dishes are brought out, their golden brown hues evident. The pan-fried sea worms, sliced ​​into firm, tender pieces, are infused with the fresh, sweet, and rich flavor of a protein-rich dish seasoned with shallots, basil, fresh turmeric, and more. Even more elaborate is if they have a freshly laid chicken egg, the restaurant owner grinds it finely, and then coats the edges of the patty with a smooth, perfectly cooked egg yolk, giving the dish a sweet and fragrant flavor that even discerning diners can recognize, eliciting a delightful exclamation of delight!... The patties, just scooped from the frying pan, are arranged on a pristine white porcelain plate, alongside fresh green herbs, thinly sliced ​​unripe bananas, and a few slices of sour starfruit... And most importantly, you must insist on getting the owner to give you the patty made with fresh lime juice as a dipping sauce.

Shrimp paste made from mudskippers has long been considered a delicacy fit for royalty in the imperial court. In Hung Chau, although considered a rustic dish, it's a rare find because it's difficult to make well and requires meticulous preparation, making it expensive. Only the most perfect batches of mudskipper paste are served at restaurants... Then, take a sprig of fragrant herbs, gently flick it to release the tender shoots, dip it into the reddish-brown mudskipper paste with its tangerine peel aroma, and "activate" all your senses with a little of that exquisite dipping sauce. Then, leisurely enjoy the mudskipper patties, spring rolls, and other dishes. For men, a glass of the famous Phu Loi village rice wine from Hung Khanh is indispensable, as a perfect accompaniment to the delicious food. If you're feeling more adventurous, savor the mudskippers stir-fried with salt in an earthenware pot, perhaps alongside some bee larvae or silkworm pupae found on land or in trees?

To fully appreciate the flavor of the rươi (a type of worm) dish, diners should have rươi soup with bamboo shoots with their meal. While stir-fried rươi with fresh bamboo shoots is a unique culinary experience, as rươi is perhaps the only brackish water aquatic creature that pairs well with fresh bamboo shoots, rươi soup with bamboo shoots surpasses even the crab and shrimp soups that have already captivated diners of all tastes, from the wealthy to the pickiest eaters! The rươi soup must be infused with plenty of shallots, ginger, and fresh turmeric to bring out the full, sweet aroma of the rươi from the Hung Nguyen rice paddies. A bowl of high-quality white rice from the new harvest, topped with the steaming rươi soup, is a truly satisfying meal. Yet, after the meal, one must still crave another bowl of rươi soup to fully indulge...

In Hung Chau, even in a bamboo-thatched hut with wooden tables and woven mats, we, your friends and I, have become wandering travelers, unattached to beautiful women, yet we are captivated by culinary delights rarely found anywhere else in Central Vietnam, thanks to the Hung Nguyen mudworm – a "gift from heaven" bestowed upon the farmers here as a life-changing opportunity.

Dinh Sam