(Baonghean.vn) - The Thai people in western Nghe An province have many delicious dishes. Besides mooc, laap, noc, sticky rice cooked in bamboo tubes, banana porridge, etc., there is also the very unique hua san (ngon lui) soup.
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| Lụi is a small, thin-stemmed tree, reaching 3-4 meters in height, branching out from the base to form clumps. Lụi trees typically grow in forests and are also cultivated as ornamental plants by locals. Photo: Đình Tuân |
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| Following Mr. Lo Van Duc, a resident of Canh Trap village, Tam Thai commune, Tuong Duong district, into the forest to find the "lụi" plant. Mr. Duc said, "Hua San soup (lụi shoot soup) is a favorite dish among highlanders, so many people go to collect it. Some collect it for eating, others to sell, so now you have to go deep into the forest to find the 'lụi' plant." People only choose to cut the top part to bring home for cooking. Photo: Dinh Tuan |
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| After harvesting the shoots from the tree, the outer bark must be peeled off, leaving only the tender inner core. Photo: Dinh Tuan |
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| The burnt shoots after being cleaned. Photo: Dinh Tuan |
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| The "hanh hua san" dish consists of bamboo shoots as the main ingredient, cooked with wild banana pith and pork bone broth. It is also seasoned with betel leaves and amaranth. Photo: Dinh Tuan |
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| Ms. Vi Thi Lien, residing in Canh Trap village, Tam Thai commune, said: "The soup made with the shoots of the 'hua san' plant is very refreshing and nutritious. Especially, this dish is also a remedy that helps breastfeeding mothers produce more milk. However, according to the experience of the Thai people, when cooking for breastfeeding mothers, one should not omit the betel leaves and banana stem core because it can easily cause milk dryness; instead, the betel leaves and banana stem core should be replaced with 'bu ngot' leaves." (Photo: Dinh Tuan) |
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| This soup, when enjoyed, has the sweetness of pork bones, the bitterness of sea worms, the coolness of wild banana heart, and the aroma of betel leaves… Photo: Dinh Tuan. |
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| Currently, the shoots of the lụi plant are widely sold in highland markets and are very popular. Photo: Dinh Tuan |
Dinh Tuan
