'Poor family' dishes become specialties in Nghe An

(Baonghean.vn) - Originally, they were rustic dishes of the poor. Over time, life changed, and pickles, eggplants, and pickled vegetables... have created a unique flavor in the Vietnamese culinary picture. People eat pickled vegetables, pickled eggplants, and pickled spinach as a way to find balance in meals with excess protein and fat.

And in the poor land of Nghe An, salty and spicy ginger dishes always contain their own unique values.

Nghe An's pickled eggplant dish is characterized by being marinated with many spices, the most prominent of which are hot chili and garlic.

In the markets in Nghe An, we can easily find stalls selling pickled foods such as eggplant, pickled cabbage, pickled bamboo shoots, pickled mustard greens... There are people who have created a "brand" because of their delicious, rich flavors.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan (34 years old), a long-time seller of eggplants and pickles at Nghi Thai market (Nghi Loc district) said that pickled eggplant is a rustic dish found in every region, but Nghe An has its own unique way of pickling, including pressed salting and quick salting with two types of eggplant and eggplant.

As for the pressed salt, when the eggplants have been picked, the small white ones will be selected and dried. When the eggplants have lost some of their water, they will be washed and drained, sprinkled with salt and shaken evenly. Then put everything in a crock, pour in warm boiling water until the eggplants are covered, then pound fresh galangal and garlic and sprinkle in. People use a bamboo tray to press down and use pebbles to compact it. After about 5 days, the eggplants can be placed on a tray to eat gradually.

In Nghe An, Nghi Loc pickled eggplant is considered a specialty of the rustic life. The round eggplants are pickled quite salty, crunchy, fragrant with galangal and garlic, and when eaten with mixed vegetables, there is nothing better.

Nghe An pickled eggplant is famous both in the North and the South.

Along with pickled eggplant, pickled cabbage is also very popular with Nghe people.

Pickles are also pickled and salted with many different types of cabbage. After being picked from the garden, the cabbage will be washed and dried, then cut into pieces and mixed with salt and some other spices to ferment to create acidity.

Ms. Le Thi Hang's stall selling pickled vegetables at Vinh market.

Pickled cucumbers usually use mustard greens grown in the field, which do not need to be dried in the sun. When mixed with salt, they are kneaded thoroughly by hand. Pickled cucumbers are eaten in the morning and in the afternoon, and can be dipped in fish sauce or braised pork sauce. Because they are pickled quickly, the cucumbers still retain the spicy taste of mustard greens and the salty taste of salt, making them a very "rice-consuming" food in the cold season.

At Ms. Le Thi Hang’s pickled vegetable stall in Vinh market, customers come and go constantly. She sells 10 different pickles, giving customers many choices.

Pickled vegetables made from mustard greens and beach mustard

Ms. Hang shared: “In addition to pickled eggplant and pickled cucumbers that are loved by many customers, I also pickle other dishes such as pickled bamboo shoots, pickled cucumbers, pickled bamboo shoots, etc. Each dish has its own characteristics, so it takes a lot of effort to prepare.”

The characteristic of salted elephant ear is that there is no need to peel off the outer skin, just wash it, cut it into 2-3 cm long pieces and then dry it. Then wash it, squeeze it with salt and put it in a jar for a few days. When the stem turns yellow and has a mild sour taste, you can take it out and mix it with a little fresh chili, thinly sliced ​​lemon leaves and some bean sprouts. When eating, you can dip it in shrimp paste. In addition, salted elephant ear can also be cooked in vinegar soup.

Salted mosquito net is eaten with boiled meat dipped in shrimp paste or cooked in vinegar soup.

Pickled bamboo shoots with garlic and chili is a wonderful side dish that brings a unique flavor with the combination of spicy chili, fresh taste of bamboo shoots, and aromatic taste of garlic.

To make pickled bamboo shoots with garlic and chili, you need to carefully select the bamboo shoots, peel off the old skin, wash them, slice them thinly or cut them into short strips, then blanch them in boiling water and take them out. Wait until they cool completely, then put them in a glass jar with sliced ​​garlic and chili, vinegar, sugar, salt, stir well and cover tightly. It can be used in about a week.

Pickled bamboo shoots with garlic and chili

In Nghe An, there are many places that make pickled salt, but the most famous is Thanh Chuong salt.

Nghe An is the only locality in the country that has nhut. Nhut is made from young jackfruit sliced ​​thinly, washed and marinated with salt. To have a pot of delicious nhut is the art of the maker. It includes supporting spices such as: rice bran (or corn), galangal, lemongrass, garlic... Nhut can be mixed with lemon leaves and herbs to eat directly or stir-fried with fat, cooked in sour soup, vinegar... This rustic dish has become the "brand" of the poor but resilient Nghe An.

Wang Yun