Using knives and hammers to pry open forest seeds to make delicious dishes in the highlands of Nghe An
(Baonghean.vn) - Small forest seeds, only the size of chopsticks or fingers but very hard and requiring knives and hammers to pry open, have become a delicious dish for people in the highlands of Nghe An.
 Plants that grow naturally along streams and forests in the West such as dracontomelon, cha uom... have long been a delicious dish for people in the highlands on chilly autumn days. Photo: Dao Tho |
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| In late autumn, when the star fruit falls all around the tree, people collect the seeds to prepare food. Photo: Dao Tho |
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| When brought home, the flesh of the star fruit is peeled off and the seeds are dried on the kitchen shelf until they are crispy and dry. The shell of the star fruit seed is very hard, however, according to Mr. Vi Van Huong in Con Muong village (Luu Kien commune - Tuong Duong), the star fruit seed has two eyes, and you have to use a knife to cut it to get the seed inside. Removing the star fruit seed also requires meticulousness, because each seed only contains a small seed, if not careful, the seed will break. Photo: Dao Tho |
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| After being winnowed, each small kernel falls out of the hard shell. This is a familiar food of the people in the highlands of Nghe An. Photo: Dao Tho |
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| Not only apricot seeds, late autumn is also the time when people in Tuong Duong and Ky Son districts collect cha uom seeds (seeds of a woody plant that grows in dense forests) to dry and make food. Photo: Dao Tho |
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| The outer shell of the seed is very hard, so to get the kernel inside, you have to use a lot of force. Photo: Dao Tho |
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| Pestle and hammer are familiar tools for breaking the seeds. Photo: Dao Tho |
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| The kernels of these seeds are often pounded with a little salt and eaten with sticky rice or as chup (a Thai salad). When eaten, they have a fragrant and fatty taste. Photo: Dao Tho |