Lunar New Year 2025 is approaching, at this time, people in the Ky Son highlands are busy preparing beef jerky, a mountain specialty, to serve diners in the lowlands.
Ky Son is more than 200 km from Vinh city, a place with diverse and rich culture and cuisine. Among them, beef jerky is considered a specialty of this highland region. Photo: Duc Anh"Giang" in Thai means meat hung in the kitchen. In the past, whenever there was an important event, many cows and pigs had to be slaughtered for offerings and to entertain the villagers, so they could not use up all the meat in a few days. People came up with the idea of "hanging" it in the kitchen to absorb the heat from the fire, the smoke would prevent the invasion of harmful bacteria, keeping the meat delicious. Photo: Duc AnhNowadays, with its uniqueness and appeal, bo giang has gone beyond the mountainous districts to the plains and cities, becoming a favorite dish of many people. Photo: Duc AnhDuring the Lunar New Year, Ky Son beef jerky is a product with quite high consumption, so it has attracted many people in the mountainous district of Ky Son to participate in production and supply to the market. Ms. Bui Thi Que - owner of a beef jerky production facility in Ky Son district said: "Every time Tet comes, the consumption of beef jerky is 10 times higher than normal days, so we have to work day and night, but still cannot supply enough for the market". Photo: Duc AnhMs. Que, who has more than 20 years of experience in producing bo giang, said that to have delicious bo giang, first of all, you need to have good raw materials. Currently, many mountainous districts also produce bo giang to supply the market, but Ky Son bo giang still has its own differences because Ky Son cows are raised naturally by the people, so the meat has a very unique sweet, rich, and fragrant taste. Photo: Duc Anh
To make a delicious beef jerky, the maker must take fresh thigh meat. The meat is cut into pieces 15-17cm long and 5-7cm wide, washed, then mixed with spices such as ginger, garlic, hot chili and white salt. Photo: Duc Anh
Wait about 10 minutes for the spices to soak in, then skewer the meat onto bamboo sticks. Photo: Duc AnhThe meat is then placed on the kitchen shelf, from this point on, the stove must always be on fire. Photo: Duc AnhFirewood must have rich charcoal, burn evenly and not much smoke. Photo: Duc AnhWait until the meat is firm and small, tear the meat fibers to see light red fibers, then the beef is cooked, can be used for each meal. Photo: Duc AnhIt can be said that Ky Son beef jerky has the delicious taste of meat, the spicy taste of chili and garlic, the salty taste of salt, the sour taste of lemon and the pungent taste of kitchen smoke. All of these create an attractive and inviting flavor of the mountains and forests of Western Nghe An. This specialty is a dish that many people choose every time Tet comes and Spring comes. And now, the people of Ky Son highlands also consider processing beef jerky as a stable profession, creating a high income for their families, especially every time Tet comes and Spring comes. Photo: Duc AnhVideo: Ky Son beef jerky production process. Clip: Duc Anh
