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Explore The Top 09 Specialty Dishes In Pu Luong

Monday, July 10, 2023 Food & drink Anna

Situated in the heart of Vietnam, Pu Luong is a mesmerizing floating nature reserve that captivates visitors with its untamed beauty and pristine landscapes. This enchanting destination is not only renowned for its majestic scenery and refreshing air, but also for its delectable cuisine that showcases the rich flavors of the mountainous region in northwestern Vietnam. When exploring Pu Luong, make sure to try these top 09 specialty dishes to create unforgettable memories.

1. Co Lung duck (Vịt Cổ Lũng)
2. Grilled stream fish
3. Hill pork
4. Hill chicken
5. Mountain snail
6. Bitter soup
7. Lam rice (sticky rice in bamboo tube)
8. Buffalo meat upstairs kitchen
9. Cần wine

1. Co Lung duck (Vịt Cổ Lũng)

Co Lung duck ( Vịt Cổ Lũng)

When talking about Pu Luong specialties, it's impossible not to mention the famous Co Lung duck. This renowned cuisine is a highlight of the Thai community in Hieu village, Ba Thuoc district. The roast duck, in particular, is a must-try delicacy that showcases the region's culinary prowess. With its reddish-brown skin, tender meat, and delightful aroma, the roast duck is a true delight for the senses. Prepared by stuffing the duck with honey leaves and spices, it is then roasted to perfection for approximately 45-50 minutes. The result is a beautifully dark brown skin that resembles the color of honey. To make it more complete, the duck dish will be dipped with a traditional Thai spice called "chẩm chéo". This unique dish is an experience that will linger in your memory forever.

2. Grilled stream fish

Grilled stream fish

The Thai people have a special love for grilled stream fish, a dish that holds great significance in their culinary traditions. Freshly caught fish from the natural streams is carefully seasoned with a blend of local spices, such as dried herbs, nuts, peppers, and lemongrass, combined with salt for the perfect balance of flavors. It is important to choose medium-sized fish to ensure they absorb the seasoning well. Once marinated, the fish is skillfully threaded onto bamboo skewers and grilled to perfection until it achieves a beautiful golden and crispy exterior. To elevate the dining experience, it is recommended to savor the grilled fish alongside five-color sticky rice and indulge in the traditional sticky rice wine. For a truly immersive and enjoyable experience, take the opportunity to explore the enchanting waterfalls and streams of Pu Luong, where you can witness live fish grilling while immersing yourself in the cool and serene atmosphere of the region.

3. Hill pork

Hill pork

Hill pork is processed in many different ways: grilled, steamed, and braised with coconut. These hill pigs, weighing around 50 kg, roam freely on the hills and feed on natural vegetation, resulting in tender meat with a unique aroma. With their thick black skin and a thin layer of fat, these pigs offer a delightful dining experience. What sets the hill pork apart is the infusion of aromatic spices, especially the mac Khen seeds commonly found in the Northwest mountains. These seeds contribute a distinctive fragrance and add depth to the overall taste of the dish. The hill pork dish becomes a signature delicacy that entices visitors to indulge in its flavors.

4. Hill chicken

Hill chicken

Hill chicken in Pu Luong is considered to be tastier than other regions because the chickens are free-range, raised with rice, so the meat is delicious and very tender. There are various mouthwatering preparations for this chicken, including grilling, steaming, roasting with ginger, fried with onions and mushrooms, and even enjoying it in a hot pot. Each cooking method adds its own unique flavors and delights the taste buds. However, the grilled chicken dish deserves special mention as it offers a delightful and straightforward dining experience that is definitely worth a try. The chicken is marinated with traditional Thai spices, creating an irresistible aroma and taste that will leave you wanting more. Don't miss the opportunity to savor this delectable specialty when visiting Pu Luong.

5. Mountain snail

Mountain snail

Don't miss out on the delectable mountain snail dish when you visit Pu Luong. These snails are a rare find, mainly inhabiting caves and rock crevices within the dense forests. They thrive abundantly during the rainy season, feeding on precious herbs and medicinal leaves, so the snail meat is very fragrant, nutritious and good for health. Mountain snails can be processed into many very attractive dishes such as boiled snails, fried snails, steamed snails with ginger, mixed with salad, etc. Typically, after being carefully cleaned, the snails are steamed with a blend of ginger, chili, and lemongrass, and served with a side of ginger fish sauce. For the locals, these stone snails hold not only gastronomic significance but also serve as valuable ingredients for traditional medicinal remedies.

6. Bitter soup

Bitter soup

Bitter soup is a unique and renowned dish of Pu Luong, Thanh Hoa. At first taste, it may seem unfamiliar, but those who have savored this specialty soup multiple times are captivated by its intriguing flavor profile. Made with bitter leaves and medicinal plants sourced from the mountains of Pu Luong, this soup is typically served with pork intestines, chicken intestines, and pork blood. The bitterness of the leaves sets them apart from the bitter melon found in the southern region of Vietnam. When you first eat, you will feel the bitter taste spreading but then you will feel the sweetness, this dish will definitely make people want to eat it a second time.

To prepare the soup, finely chopped bitter leaves are combined with cleaned and bite-sized pieces of pork intestines, marinated with ingredients like lemongrass, pepper, and chili. This mixture is then cooked on the stove until tender, and water is added to create a flavorful broth. When the water boils, you just need to add bitter leaves to complete the authentic Thanh Hoa bitter leaf soup. On a chilly day, there's nothing more satisfying than sitting amidst the breathtaking scenery, savoring a bowl of bitter soup alongside aromatic lam rice.

7. Lam rice (sticky rice in bamboo tube)

Lam rice

Lam rice (cơm lam) is a simple dish but has a characteristic flavor and always appears in the meals of residents of the Northwest mountainous region. Its origins can be traced back to a man's adventurous journey through the forest armed with a bag of rice, a knife, flintstones, and bamboo pipes found in the forest. Across generations, the Thai ethnic people have cherished and preserved this remarkable dish. What makes Pu Luong's com lam special is the use of rice cultivated on terraced fields, boasting fragrant and white grains.

The main ingredients to make Lam rice include glutinous rice and bamboo tubes. The rice is carefully soaked in water for approximately 30 minutes to an hour, then drained. The soaked rice is then poured into bamboo tubes and sealed. Com lam can be cooked with charcoal, bamboo charcoal or straw, but will taste best when grilled with charcoal. Once cooked to perfection, the aroma of sticky rice intertwines with the enticing scent of bamboo, resulting in an irresistible dish.

8. Buffalo meat upstairs kitchen

Buffalo meat upstairs kitchen

Buffalo meat upstairs kitchen, also known as smoked buffalo meat, is a specialty dish of the Black Thai people in Thanh Hoa. It is made by marinating fresh buffalo meat with local spices. Traditionally, it is enjoyed on special occasions like New Year's Eve and when guests come to visit their house. Nowadays, kitchen buffalo meat has become a popular delicacy in Pu Luong, Thanh Hoa, and is often introduced to tourists visiting the area. Because this dish is prepared according to traditional techniques, it does not contain preservatives, so the meat is very fragrant and delicious with a spicy and salty flavor from the spices. It pairs perfectly with a few glasses of wine.

In the past, when there was no refrigerator, drying meat was a common method to preserve it longer.

9. Cần wine

Can wine - Rượu Cần

Can wine is an essential part of Pu Luong's culinary tradition in Thanh Hoa. It is a unique type of wine brewed in ceramic jars, using natural ingredients like fermented glutinous rice, cinnamon leaves, lemongrass, ginger, honey, and various herbs. The wine yeast is made from a combination of nearly 10 different forest leaves, each contributing its own flavors of sourness, spiciness, bitterness, and sweetness. While the wine can be consumed after aging for about a month, its taste improves with time. During the Tet festival, the people of Pu Luong gather to enjoy the wine and witness traditional dances.

One of the special aspects of Can wine is the way it is consumed – it is drunk directly from the jar using a long bamboo straw. If you plan to visit Pu Luong, make sure to try this special wine and savor its unique flavors.

In summary, Pu Luong's cuisine offers a diverse range of flavors that add to the vibrant and enticing culinary scene of the Northwest mountains in Vietnam. Autour Asia has highlighted 9 specialty dishes that should not be missed, ensuring that visitors can savor an unforgettable gastronomic adventure while exploring the enchanting land of Pu Luong!

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