(Baonghean.vn) - During Tet, while being "fed up" with lavish feasts, people in the highlands also seek out foods of plant origin, including moss.
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| Rock moss usually grows in clear, unpolluted streams and is a favorite ingredient for Thai people in many areas to make rock moss dishes. In the photo, people from Xop Nam village (Tam Hop - Tuong Duong) are picking moss in the cold water on the last day of the year. |
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| This “stream vegetable” looks simple but in the hands of Thai housewives it becomes a delicious dish. In Thai, this dish is pronounced similar to chicken. Many people think that moss is just as delicious as stewed chicken. |
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| It is believed that in any stream with a lot of moss, there will be cool fish, the best product of the forest area. Rock moss is also the main food of cool fish. |
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| Far from Tam Hop, there are two streams, Cha Lap and Khe Cat, both of which have a lot of moss on the rocks. In the photo, Ms. Luong Thi Thuy and her niece are picking moss under Khe Cat stream. |
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| Although it is a delicious dish, processing moss is quite a big job. Moss must be picked to remove all stones and other trash. |
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| Then pound it in a rice mortar to soften the moss. |
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| The next step is to bring it down to the stream to wash it again. |
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| Before cooking, the moss is chopped and mixed with spices such as onions, lemongrass, and broken rice. Of course, mac khen seeds (wild pepper) are indispensable. |
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| Making moss dish sometimes takes up to half a day. However, in return, moss dish is delicious, suitable for the taste of many lowland diners. In the photo, a tourist is participating in the experience of making moss dish in Xop Nam village. |
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| The product of this elaborate work looks quite simple, like a delicious, unique dish during Tet. It helps make Tet meals more diverse and easier to absorb. Especially, diners will immediately forget the feeling of being "bored" with fatty meat during Tet. |
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| Rock moss also appears in Thai family meals and from autumn to spring of the following year is the time when streams grow a lot of rock moss. |
Huu Vi - Dao Tho
