Cao Bang delicacies

Cao Bang captivates people not only by the green of the sky, mountains and forests, but also by the diversity and uniqueness of the cultures of the ethnic groups. Therefore, the cuisine in this land at the head of the Fatherland becomes richer and more attractive, becoming an unforgettable impression for visitors every time they visit.

Cao Bang rice rolls

Cao Bang rice rolls are a typical dish that anyone who comes to Cao Bang wants to try. Also rice rolls, this specialty of the Tay people here is served with bone broth, different from rice rolls served with dipping sauce like in the lowlands.

Cao Bang rice rolls are served with bone broth - Photo: NA

Following the recommendation of the locals, we went to the long-standing Hoa Hong rice cake restaurant in Cao Bang City. Welcoming us, the owner warmly introduced: “Cao Bang rice cake is also known as “rice cake soup”.

The dish looks simple but its taste is guaranteed to be unforgettable. The main ingredient to make banh cuon is rice grown in Cao Bang, which is soaked and ground into a liquid dough. The liquid dough after being ground must be smooth and supple, not too thick or too thin to ensure the cake is both chewy and soft.

The owner's tools for making the cake are a large cast iron pot, a round mold that fits the mouth of the pot made of old bamboo, wrapped in a tight white cloth, and a thinly sliced ​​bamboo stick to take the cake out of the mold. Next to the red hot stove, the pot of water begins to boil, the maker opens the lid, quickly scoops a ladle of batter to spread evenly over the mold, then covers it again. About 2 minutes later, he skillfully uses a thin bamboo stick to take the cake out of the mold and put it on a tray.

The cake on the tray is spread with a layer of meat inside and rolled up on a plate. Minced pork is the main filling of this cake. To make it more attractive, the owner also makes egg rolls. While the cake is on the mold, the person making the rolls cracks a chicken egg in the middle of the cake mold and then covers it. The cooked cake rolls around the egg yolk, squares on the mold, and is scooped into a bowl for the customer with a ladle. Cao Bang rice rolls are eaten with bone broth, ham, sausage and eggs. A spoonful of minced meat and a little coriander and onion are added to the soup bowl.

Depending on taste, diners can add more chili peppers, fish sauce, lemon... then put the cake in to eat hot. A piece of rice cake served with broth will help diners fully feel the sweetness of stewed bones mixed with the flavor of onions, the aroma of fried meat, and the chewy taste of the cake. All of these create an unforgettable taste, even for those who enjoy it for the first time.

Sticky rice with Chinese plums

Fragrant and rich taste of sticky rice with Chinese plum - Photo: NA

In Cao Bang, there is a special type of sticky rice with a plump purple-pink color and a strong aroma called: sticky rice with canarium fruit. This is a unique dish with the flavor of the mountains and forests, blending the sweet and fatty taste of natural ingredients with the skillful hands of humans. To cook this type of sticky rice, the chef must be extremely meticulous in choosing the two main ingredients: sticky rice and canarium fruit. The sticky rice must be ripe, have a dark purple color, the fruit must be fresh, the top of the stem still has sap, the skin of the fruit is tight, shiny, smooth, and not blistered. The sticky rice has round, plump grains, when cooked, it is sticky, fragrant, and not hard.

To prepare sticky rice with Chinese plums, first wash the Chinese plums thoroughly with warm water to remove all the resin. Then, pour water over the Chinese plums, put the pot on the stove and stir until the water is hot, about 70 degrees Celsius, then turn off the stove and soak the Chinese plums in the boiled water for 30 minutes to an hour. After the Chinese plums are cooked and soft, use a knife to circle the middle of the fruit, split it in half, take out the pulp and remove the seeds.

After soaking the sticky rice in water for about 8 hours, drain and mix with cooking oil so that when steamed, the sticky rice will have a fragrant aroma and will not stick. When steaming sticky rice, pay attention to simmering on low heat, keeping the heat even, and opening the lid less to avoid evaporation. When the sticky rice and canarium are cooked, they will be mixed together. The sticky rice with canarium is sticky and fragrant, does not stick to your hands when held, and has a beautiful purple-pink color when served on a plate.

Black plum sticky rice is best eaten with sesame salt, peanut salt or Chinese sausage, minced meat, sausage, spring rolls... The aroma of sticky rice mixed with the rich, fatty, nutritious taste of black plum will create a sweet, unforgettable flavor.

Lap xuong

Lap xuong is a dish that is quite elaborate to prepare - Photo: NA

Lap xuong is a popular dish in Cao Bang, not only in restaurants and hotels but also in roadside stalls. According to the description of the locals, to have a delicious lap xuong dish, it must go through many complicated stages, from preparation, processing to preservation. The pig's intestines and meat are first washed with salt water, deodorized with white wine and ginger, then blown, tied tightly at both ends, and dried in a ventilated place for about an hour, the intestines will shrink thin and chewy.

The meat is thinly sliced, marinated with spices, including a little corn wine, mac mat fruit, and mountain ginger, then stuffed into the pig's intestines. The sausage is dried in the sun for about three days, then heated over a fire of fresh sugarcane. The smoke and heat from the sugarcane make the sausage firmer, more fragrant and delicious.

This dish has a very unique flavor, a blend of the aroma of sugarcane smoke, the toughness of the meat and the richness of the spices.

People can prepare sausage by frying or grilling it over charcoal, then thinly slicing it and eating it with herbs or steaming it for a few minutes until soft, then slicing it and stir-frying it with fresh garlic...

Black jelly

Talking about Cao Bang cuisine , besides the famous specialties, we cannot fail to mention black jelly or also known as grass jelly. This is a familiar, simple dish that has been associated with the childhood of many generations and is a cooling gift loved by both adults and children in Cao Bang. Black jelly is prepared by cleaning the black jelly plant, putting it in a pot to cook until soft, taking it out to cool and then squeezing out the residue.

The water is poured into a clean cloth bag, filtered again, then rice flour is added and stirred evenly over the stove. When the solution thickens, it will be poured into trays, bottles, jars or other items. The black jelly will solidify when cooled. To make the jelly more solid and crispy, the maker can add a little ash water, straw to the filtered jelly water, rice flour, and tapioca flour before boiling again.

Cao Bang black jelly is a popular cooling dish - Photo: NA

Black jelly is used by Cao Bang people as a dessert after meals or combined with soft drinks. In addition to its cooling effect, this food also helps with anti-oxidation, reduces blood cholesterol, helps increase energy and treat some diseases, such as: diabetes, an khai, prevent colds, high blood pressure, laxative, cool the liver, anti-aging...

Currently, some products from black jelly are being researched and produced into goods, including canned black jelly which is very convenient for users. However, the shiny black jelly blocks sold by weight in traditional markets are still a familiar image and bear the unique culinary culture of Cao Bang.

Nhat Anh

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/nhung-mon-ngon-cao-bang-194167.htm