Smoked seafood specialties from Western Nghe An are in high demand as Tet approaches.

For every 3.5 kg of fresh beef, 1 kg of dried beef is produced. Therefore, dried beef is quite expensive, ranging from 1 to 1.1 million VND/kg, but it remains popular with consumers. Photo: Thanh Phuc

From the tenth lunar month to the Lunar New Year is the busiest time for them.dried beef processing facilitySmoked pork, sausages… in the districts of Con Cuong, Tuong Duong, Ky Son, Quy Chau, and Que Phong.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thao, owner of Thao Duong smoked food production facility in Hoa Bac Hamlet, Thach Giam Town (Tuong Duong District), said: “Previously, sun-drying and hanging food in the kitchen attic was the method of food preservation used by people in mountainous areas before refrigerators and freezers existed. This method allowed highland dishes such as smoked beef, smoked pork, smoked fish… to become specialties with their own unique flavors. For about 10 years now, these smoked products have become specialties and commodities favored by people in the lowlands.”

On average, during each Tet holiday, Thao Duong's dried beef production facility sells about 1 ton of various dried beef products to the market. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Ms. Thao said that, on average, her production facility sells about 1 ton of dried beef, smoked pork, and sausages to the market each Tet holiday.

“The prices of smoked meats remain the same as every year: smoked beef 900,000-1,100,000 VND/kg, smoked pork 600,000 VND/kg, smoked pork belly 400,000 VND/kg. With the products being recognized as 3-star OCOP products, participating in trade promotion programs, and having supermarket contracts signed to purchase the products, the highland specialties of Tuong Duong have had the opportunity to spread and reach a large number of customers, so this Lunar New Year, the number of orders has increased sharply,” Ms. Thao said excitedly.

Highland specialties are becoming increasingly well-known to consumers thanks to trade promotion activities. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Sausage is a delicacy of the highland ethnic minorities, highly sought after in the market, especially during Tet (Lunar New Year). Having made sausages for decades, Ms. Truong Thi Bao from Minh Tien village (Chau Hanh commune, Quy Chau district) said: “Currently, there are many types of sausages on the market, especially from the southern provinces. However, our sausages are the best.”Thai people of Quy Chau"It also has unique characteristics that set it apart from any other product on the market. The ingredients for making sausage are fresh, high-quality pork offal and meat. Besides the main ingredients like pork and pork fat, sugar, salt, pepper, and garlic are essential. Importantly, the casing is made from young pig intestines, not the commercially available colagel casing; the sausage is smoked over a fire for three days, then sun-dried, not in an electric oven, giving it its distinctive flavor."

The entirely handcrafted processes, combined with traditional secrets, create the unique and distinctive flavor of the smoked dishes of the mountainous people of Nghe An. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Sausages are made and sold year-round, but the peak season is during the cold months, from October until the end of the Lunar New Year. On average, during each Tet holiday, Ms. Bao's family sells 2-3 quintals of sausages to the market, bringing in a stable income and providing additional funds for Tet preparations.

Currently, theseDishes of the people of Tay NgheThese specialties have become popular commodities, favored by many. They are served at banquets, family reunion meals, and as gifts during Tet (Lunar New Year). To ensure food safety and hygiene, in addition to traditional manual processing methods to preserve the unique flavor, packaging and preservation are now done using machines.

The kitchen-dried products are now packaged, vacuum-sealed, and fully labeled. Photo: Thanh Phuc

The products are vacuum-sealed, labeled with expiration dates and QR codes for traceability, thus building customer trust. As a result, in addition to individual orders within the province, these specialties are now being sold in organic food stores and supermarkets, and are being ordered by customers in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and other locations.

Thanh Phuc