Society

Enjoy strange specialties at Van Temple Festival - Cua Rao

Dinh Tuan • February 17, 2025 17:09

Taking place from February 17-19 (ie January 20-22, At Ty year), the Van Temple - Cua Rao Festival in 2025 has many food stalls with specialties of Nghe An highlands, notably: tadpole soup, fish salad, moss, bamboo rice...

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Van - Cua Rao Temple is located in Cua Rao 2 village, Xa Luong commune (Tuong Duong). This temple is located on a strip of land at the confluence of the Nam Non and Nam Mo rivers. This is the place to mark the achievements of General Doan Nhu Hai - a famous general under the Tran dynasty who heroically sacrificed his life while fighting against the Ai Lao invaders to keep the border peaceful and protect the country. Van - Cua Rao Temple also worships the spirit of Tam Toa Thanh Mau (one of the Four Immortals according to folk beliefs), a unique belief of Vietnamese culture. Photo: Dinh Tuan
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Coming to the Van Temple - Cua Rao Festival, in addition to admiring the beautiful scenery of the thousand-year-old temple, visitors can also enjoy the culinary flavors imbued with the cultural identity of the highlands prepared by the local people. According to statistics, this year there are nearly 60 food stalls serving visitors. Ms. Vi Thi Giang - the owner of a stall said that this year the weather is favorable so there are many visitors coming to the festival. The food stalls are almost all packed, the dishes that are most popular with visitors are the dishes imbued with the flavors of the highlands. In the photo: Ms. Giang is preparing food to serve guests. Photo: Dinh Tuan
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Walking around the food stalls, we cannot help but be attracted by the flavors of the dishes, the fragrant sticky rice of bamboo rice combined with the aroma of banana leaves, lemongrass, sticky rice... blending together. Photo: Dinh Tuan
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And indispensable is moss - one of the dishes that is very elaborately prepared by the highlanders. Photo: Dinh Tuan
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Many dishes are elaborately prepared and take a lot of time, including "khoi pa" (fish salad) and tadpole soup. Both of these are strange dishes that are loved by many tourists. In the photo is fish salad. Photo: Dinh Tuan
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The main ingredients to make tadpole soup include: tadpoles, pickled bamboo shoots and spices such as mac khen, dill leaves, fresh chili peppers... so when eaten it has a very fragrant taste. Photo: Dinh Tuan
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To ensure food safety and hygiene, Tuong Duong district has established an interdisciplinary team to regularly inspect food safety at food stalls. Photo: Dinh Tuan
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Along with the special culinary dishes, coming to the Van Temple - Cua Rao Festival this year, visitors can also learn about the traditional local products for sale such as: brocade, fishing tools, agricultural products... This year, the Van Temple - Cua Rao Festival is organized at the commune level, but still ensures enough activities for people and tourists from all over to experience and live in the festival atmosphere in the highlands, with typical cultural features. Photo: Dinh Tuan

Dinh Tuan