I’m a photography enthusiast, and the landscapes in Northwest Vietnam seem incredible for capturing scenic views. Are there any specific spots that are particularly photogenic...
Besides the majesty of the Da River, the poetic beauty of Ngoi Hoa Bay, and the peace of the Muong villages, Da Bac - an interesting Hoa Binh tourist destination like the land of Mai Chau, also has a very Muong-style unique cuisine. Da Bac's cuisine is very attractive because it has a harmonious combination of aquatic dishes and mountainous specialties.
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1. Sour Salted Pork
The sour meat of the Dao Tien people is made from clean pork raised naturally in the village. The pigs here only eat rice, bran, grains, and vegetables, so they are guaranteed to be clean, fragrant, and delicious.
A special feature of the Dao people's way of making sour meat in Da Bac cuisine is using rice instead of yeast leaves to ferment it. The meat will be marinated with spices and sealed for 1 to 3 years. The fermented rice will create a batch, giving the meat a strong sour taste but still sweet and fragrant. A properly cooked piece of meat is greasy, fragrant, and perfectly salty. The fatty part is crispy, and the lean part is chewy and more flavorful. The Dao people often eat sour meat with fresh lolot leaves or wild vegetables.
2. Chicken With Sour Bamboo Shoots
Chicken cooked with sour bamboo shoots and doi seeds is a dish found only in the Muong Hoa Binh region and has become a favorite specialty of tourists. Preparing this dish is quite simple. First, we clean the chicken, chop it into bite-sized pieces, then put it in the pot and mix it with the sour bamboo shoots thoroughly so that the meat blends evenly with the bamboo shoots, then add enough water and boil for about half an hour until it's done. Before scooping into a bowl, toast a few doi seeds, crush them, and stir well. When served, the sour bamboo shoots are soft, very rich, and not greasy.
3. Pork in Grapefruit Leaves
Another dish of Da Bac Cuisine that often appears in the meals of people in the lake area is grapefruit leaf chả made from pork. Accordingly, the pork belly is sliced into pieces, and marinated with fish sauce and onions. Wrap the pomelo leaves in half, wrap each piece of meat in half, put it in bamboo tongs, and grill over hot coals. When eaten, grapefruit leaves have a crisp, aromatic taste, broken into pieces and mixed with the yellow meat, eliminating the taste and giving a slightly bitter taste to the tongue.
4. Roasted Pork
The pig is roasted whole, sometimes coated with spices and honey for better taste. Because the pork is roasted whole, although the skin is crispy, the roasted pork inside is still moist, succulent, and extremely tender.
5. Sticky Rice
To have the best sticky rice dish, families prepare the rice thoroughly and keep the food in the trunk to maintain the sweet taste. While eating, guests hold the rice until the rice rumbles and the grains stick together, making the food more flexible and delicious.
6. Wild Vegetables and Bamboo Shoots
Wild bamboo shoots have a mildly bitter taste and are crispy. Local vegetables are also very fresh, nutritious, and clean. They are often boiled, stir-fried, or cooked and added to meals.
7. Hoang Wine
Besides enjoying delicious Da Bac dishes, visitors can also enjoy Hoang wine. Hearing the name Hoang wine, many people will mistakenly think that this wine is related to or extracted from wild deer. However, this famous drink is actually made from upland sticky rice.
After cooking, it has a fragrant aroma and a light yellow color, becoming darker towards the end. Hoang wine is often used during holidays, festivals, and when families have distinguished guests. This is also one of the unique culinary cultural features that helps strengthen relationships.
At community tourism destinations of the Muong people living along the lake such as Ngoi village in Suoi Hoa commune (Tan Lac), Giang Mo village - Binh Thanh commune (Cao Phong), Ke hamlet - Hien Luong commune, Mo Hem, Duc Phong - Tien Phong commune (Da Bac), homestays often include food - sleeping - accommodation services in the stay package.
Visitors to the hamlet and village are also an opportunity for households to introduce and treat traditional Da Bac dishes with ethnic culinary flavors to guests coming from far away. For the people of Muong village, food contains the heart and shows hospitality.
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