Tangerine peel buried in the ground for 6 years, 6 million/kg: Fish storage for Tet

Holding a bunch of dried tangerine peels shaped like a three-petal flower, Ms. Phan Ngoc Dieu in lane 165 Xuan Thuy (Cau Giay, Hanoi) brought it up to her nose and smelled it, then commented: "Although it is black, the tangerine peel is very fragrant, the bumps on the peel are still intact even though this type has been buried underground for 6 years."

She said that dried tangerine peel has many health benefits. Her family often uses it as a spice to prepare dishes such as crispy roast pork, braised fish, stewed soup, etc., making the dish fragrant. Especially, with dishes related to fish, adding crushed dried tangerine peel when cooking will effectively block the fishy smell, making the fish much more fragrant. In addition, she also uses tangerine peel to make tea to drink in the winter because it is very useful for treating respiratory diseases.

However, according to Ms. Dieu, the type of tangerine peel she uses is not the type of tangerine peel bought at stores or markets every day. They are clean tangerine peels, skillfully processed by the Tibetans (China) when buried underground for 6 years before being dug up and sold. Therefore, to buy them, she had to order them a month in advance at a price of up to 6 million VND/kg.

Similarly, having been attracted by the aroma of the dish during a business trip to China, Ms. Duong Thanh Hoai from the European Overseas Vietnamese Village (Ha Dong, Hanoi) asked the chef about the secret of using dried tangerine peels to make spices when marinating and seasoning dishes. However, when she asked to buy some to take home, the restaurant chef resolutely refused, only giving her a bunch of dozens of peels. Because, according to this chef, he only bought enough tangerine peels (tran bi) for his own use, and did not have any left over to sell outside.

After that business trip, when she returned to Vietnam, she had to work hard to find a place that sold dried Tibetan tangerine peel at a rather expensive price. But in return, this type of tangerine peel is considered high-quality, making tea to drink in the winter feels like it keeps the body warm, and reduces the risk of respiratory diseases such as coughs and sore throats. Particularly when cooking, any dish with tangerine peel adds a fragrant aroma, making even the neighbors curious, she shared.

Mr. Tran Van Phuong, owner of a high-end food store in District 1 (HCMC), said that dried tangerine peel - also known as dried tangerine peel - is often used as a spice for cooking or making tea for daily drinking.

This is a fairly new product in the Vietnamese market, he has only imported it for sale for 2 years. However, this Lunar New Year, the number of customers ordering increased 5-6 times compared to the same period last year. Accordingly, some customers order whole kilos to make tea and spices, but others only order 2-3 taels at a time. Because, the price of dried tangerine peel currently fluctuates from 3-6 million VND/kg depending on how many years they have been buried underground.

According to Mr. Phuong, the technique of burying tangerine peels underground to prevent mold is a secret of the Tibetan people. However, the tangerine peels still retain the bumps on the outside, ensuring that almost all the nutrients are preserved, completely different from the type of tangerine peels dried by drying in the sun.

“I recently imported 60kg of dried Tibetan tangerine peels, expecting to have enough to sell during this Tet holiday. However, within half a month, all of the tangerine peels were sold out,” he said, adding that in recent days, customers have had to wait 10-15 days for the goods to arrive.

Reporter's notes.VietNamNetshows that, in the current market, dried tangerine peel is a popular item sold at prices ranging from 150,000-350,000 VND/kg depending on the type. Particularly, dried Tibetan tangerine peel costs up to 3-6 million VND/kg depending on the age when buried underground.

According to physician Bui Hong Minh (Ba Dinh Oriental Medicine Association), green tangerine peel is called thanh bi, ripe tangerine peel is called tran bi, both have medicinal properties. Therefore, crushed tangerine peel can be used to treat diseases related to digestion, bronchitis, flu, cough, regulate blood pressure, stabilize heart rate, or used to dispel fatigue, improve sleep and prevent nail fungus thanks to its strong antiseptic properties.

Meanwhile, physician Vu Quoc Trung, although good for health, Oriental medicine experts also recommend that people with weak qi should use it with caution, people with stagnant qi and excessive sweating should not use it. When using, it must be in the right dosage, should not use too much. In addition, it is necessary to choose clean tangerines, without preservatives, without pesticides to avoid harming health.