Rustic banana stem and apple snail dish

Banana roots can be combined to make many dishes, including banana roots cooked with apple snails, which is fragrant and reminiscent of the taste of home...

Banana roots are easy to find and are often dug up by mothers and grandmothers right in their backyards.

"Countryside" food

No one knows when the dish of banana stem cooked with snails appeared, but it is known that it has become a typical dish of many regions in the Northern Delta. This used to be a popular dish in people's daily meals when economic conditions were still difficult and lacking.

The banana stem is skillfully peeled and sliced ​​by the chef.

Banana stem and apple snail soup has become a familiar dish for Mrs. Duong Thi Uyen in Thien Dap village, Kim Xuyen commune (Kim Thanh). Since she was a child, her mother taught her how to prepare it. That simple dish followed her and her sisters as they grew up. When there was no meat or fish available at home, all she needed was a basket of snails caught from the fields after the rain, and some banana stem dug up from the garden to make a delicious, rich and nutritious pot of soup. For her, this is not only a rustic dish but also a part of her childhood memories.

The main ingredients that are indispensable for this dish are banana roots and apple snails, which are easy to find. After the first rain of the season, just take a basket to the edge of the field and you can catch a bunch of snails.

Unlike snails, snails caught in the fields often have a layer of mud stuck to them, many impurities and parasites. In return, the snail's intestines are firm, crunchy, the meat is sweeter and richer, especially suitable for cooking with banana roots. The snails are soaked overnight with rice water, adding a few slices of chili to help the snails release mucus and dirt. The shells of field snails are often covered with moss and mud, so they need to be scrubbed clean under running water.

The fatty, crispy snail meat is marinated with spices.

Next, boil the snails in a pot of boiling water with a little salt and a few slices of ginger and crushed lemongrass to remove the fishy smell. When the snail shells come off, take them out and put them in a basket, let them cool, then use a toothpick or small stick to pick them out. Keep only the snail meat, remove the intestines, rub salt a few times to remove the slime, then rinse with water. The fatty, crunchy snail meat that is kept will be marinated with spices such as onions, lemongrass, pepper, fish sauce and a little turmeric to cook with banana stem.

Banana roots are soaked in vinegar water or diluted lemon juice to remove all the sap and reduce the astringency.

Country people often choose the roots of young banana trees or bananas to cook snails. The banana roots are dug up, the old skin is peeled off, then cut into thin strips, soaked in vinegar water or lemon juice with a few grains of salt to remove all the sap and reduce the astringency.

Banana stem and snails are quite elaborate. After the snails have absorbed the spices, they are stir-fried until they are firm. After the banana stem has been stir-fried, it is also put into the pot, seasoned with more vinegar and cooked until soft.

When the ingredients are mixed together, the whole pot of snails has a strong aroma, a mild sour taste and a spicy aroma.

When all the ingredients are mixed together, the whole pot gives off a strong, sweet, spicy aroma. The sweetness of the snails, the bitterness of the banana stem, combined with the sourness of the rice vinegar, the spiciness of the fresh chili... all create a culinary symphony imbued with the countryside. Perilla, betel leaves and chives are indispensable spices to make this dish. If just one of these ingredients is missing, the dish will be less attractive.

"Before, when I was a child, I only knew that this dish was easy to find and easy to cook. When I grew up, I realized that these two foods combined not only create a rustic dish but are also rich in nutrients. Golden apple snails are rich in protein and minerals. As for banana roots, according to Oriental medicine, they are sweet, cold, and have the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying," Ms. Uyen added.

Taste of home

This rustic dish was passed down by Mrs. Uyen to her daughter and became a specialty dish only cooked on special occasions.

Nowadays, in the modern life, the dish of banana stem cooked with snails is no longer present regularly on the daily meal tray. But for those who grew up in the fields and once tasted it, that dish will always be a part of their memories.

Every time she thinks of banana stem and snails, Ms. Tran Thi Thuy Oanh thinks of her hometown. She said that it has been more than 10 years since she left her hometown to start a business in Nha Trang City. Although she has enjoyed many delicious dishes, sometimes she still craves her mother's banana stem and snails.

Banana stem and snail dish has become a dish that reminds many people far from home of the taste of home.

Ms. Oanh said that when the economy was still difficult, every time the village finished harvesting, her mother took her sisters and her to the field to catch snails. Just a few apple snails and banana roots in the backyard were enough to warm the whole family's stomachs. Every time she returned to her hometown, Ms. Oanh often asked her mother to cook this dish. "The rich, slightly astringent taste of young banana roots, the crunchiness of apple snails, the strong aroma and slight sourness of fermented rice... I still cannot forget it," Ms. Oanh shared.

With easy-to-find ingredients and rustic cooking methods, this dish has been passed down through many generations.

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Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/dan-da-mon-cu-chuoi-nau-oc-buou-413096.html