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Discover the irresistible delicacies of the Dao ethnic community. Each ethnic group in our country has its own distinctive specialties. When it comes to Dao people, there are certain foods and delicacies that are widely known. The Dao ethnic group boasts a plethora of unique and delicious delicacies, meticulously crafted from ingredient selection to cooking techniques. In this article, we will showcase the most exquisite specialties of the Dao ethnic people. If you ever have the opportunity to visit the Dao community, be sure to indulge in the rich flavors of their cuisine.
Bamboo Rice
The Dao people refer to bamboo rice as 'duong dua,' also known as baked cakes. The best season to make bamboo rice is during the month of April when the bamboo sprouts have tender, soft, and thin layers of white paper inside the tubes. After cleaning the bamboo tubes, glutinous rice and water are poured in until the tubes are filled. Then, the mouth of the tube is sealed with fresh banana leaves. The banana leaves are harvested from wild banana trees to enhance the aroma of the bamboo rice.
The uniqueness of the black chung cake made by the Dao people lies in the material used to create its black color. Unlike some other ethnic minorities' black chung cakes, which obtain their color from purple glutinous rice or dye the rice cake with charred wood ashes, the black chung cake of the Dao people achieves its black color by using the ash from burnt glutinous rice straw.
Taro sticky rice
For the Dao people, taro sticky rice is a traditional dish that has been preserved for generations, a familiar dish in daily life, and also a main dish for welcoming guests or festivals. An invention of the Dao ancestors, sticky rice expresses gratitude to the land and sky for providing them with food and a prosperous life.
Taro sticky rice is prepared very simply yet is equally appealing compared to other sticky rice dishes. Since ancient times, taro has been the staple food in the meals of the community, in animal husbandry, and in trade. Taro shoots are used as vegetables, taro roots are boiled or sliced, dried, and stored for preservation from one season to the next, ensuring a steady supply throughout the year.
Stuffed tofu with meat
In Lai Chau, the Dao Khau people mainly inhabit the highland district of Sin Ho. Similar to other ethnic groups in the remote borderlands, the Dao Khau have many traditional dishes with high aesthetic value. Among them, stuffed tofu with meat is an indispensable dish at weddings, for entertaining guests, or for welcoming new households. This dish is easy to make, with readily available ingredients. Tofu is thinly sliced about 2cm thick, into square shapes, then fried over low heat until the tofu turns a deep golden color. After that, it is removed to cool and cut into triangles. Along with frying the tofu, the ingredients for stuffing are prepared. This is an important and decisive step.
Smoked pork hanging in the kitchen
For ethnic minority communities living in provinces in the Northwest region of Vietnam, smoked pork hanging in the kitchen is as common as many other dishes. Smoked pork hanging in Sơn La kitchens is actually a way to preserve food longer, used as food on rainy days or days without markets. The spices used to marinate the smoked pork contribute to the unique taste of this Northwest specialty. As a traditional dish of the H’mong, Dao, Tay, and Thai ethnic groups, smoked pork contains the cultural nuances and culinary artistry of the Northwest, making it an indispensable dish on traditional festive occasions.
Mau Son fragrant frog
The Red Dao people of Khuong Tang (Mau Son commune, Loc Binh district, Lang Son province) take pride in a creature that has existed here for thousands of years. They are 'dominated' by the power of sound and alluring scents. It is the Mau Son fragrant frog, also known by other names such as giant frog, king frog, princess frog... The meat of this frog is not only delicious, with a special fragrance, but is also considered a 'miracle drug' in the realm of romance. The breeding season of the fragrant frog is around May and June. By around October and November, it reaches its highest weight and quality. An adult frog weighs from 4 to 5 taels, much larger than many other types of frogs weighing under 100g.
Five-color sticky rice
Five-color sticky rice is not only a delicious and unique dish but also carries cultural and traditional significance. Five-color sticky rice naturally has 5 colors. But why 5 colors and not 6 or 7? In the Dao people's belief, the 5 colors of the sticky rice represent the five elements - the factors that make up the earth, sky, and all things. Furthermore, the vibrant, fresh colors of the five-color sticky rice also symbolize wishes for a peaceful, lucky, and fruitful life.
Ingredients for making five-color sticky rice include glutinous rice and various types of forest leaves to dye the rice grains. Authentic Thượng Yên Công five-color sticky rice must be prepared using glutinous rice harvested from the lush fields of Tập Đoàn village, Khe Sú. The glutinous rice grains are elongated, slightly pale in color, not as pristine white as jasmine rice.
Men men
Men men rice from the Dao's teosinte variety is essentially prepared similarly to the Mong men men. The best teosinte for making delicious men men is freshly harvested teosinte. Dried teosinte is husked, cleaned, and sifted before being ground into flour. After obtaining the teosinte flour, it is spread onto a plate, sprinkled with water, and kneaded until moist before transferring it to a cooking pot. After about half an hour, it is poured onto a plate, sprinkled with more water, kneaded by hand, and sieved until all the flour is sifted before returning it to the pot to cook. Men men is left in the pot until mealtime when it is served. However, men men is at its best when freshly taken out of the kitchen. Enjoying hot spoonfuls of men men with a side of cabbage and chicken soup or a dish of tribal stew (thang co) is truly delightful. To give the Dao's men men dish its distinct flavor, a small amount of glutinous rice is soaked and mixed into the men men during the second cooking round. When men men is cooked, the chewy, fragrant glutinous rice grains blend with the sweet, nutty flavor of teosinte, adding to its appeal for the palate.
Gu cake
Gu cake is often made by villagers to offer during the village festivals of Bang Ca, which are on the 1st and 2nd days of the lunar new year, the 1st and 4th days of the 7th lunar month, the 1st and 10th days of the 10th lunar month, and the 20th day of the last lunar month (year-end festival). This is a popular cake in Dao families in Bang Ca commune, so everyone knows how to make it, and every family must have it to offer to ancestors and entertain guests during ritual offerings, festivals, and holidays.
Bau wine chicken soup
Chicken soup cooked with bau wine not only has the sweet aroma of Hoanh Bo chicken, but also has the scent of ginger, a refreshing taste, warms the body, and is very palatable. Cooking bau wine chicken soup is not too difficult, but it requires harmonizing the ingredients with each other.
The Thanh Y Dao people have experience in choosing chickens to cook bau wine chicken soup, which is a young, tender chicken, weighing about 2kg for roosters and 1.6kg for hens. They do not use capon because capons tend to be fatty and less flavorful when cooked. After cleaning the chicken, it is evenly chopped and marinated. Then the chicken is sautéed with lard and shallots to release the aroma, boiling water is added until the chicken is cooked through, then ginger is smashed, a small piece of diên diền and sudden wine are added and simmered thoroughly.
Specialty bau wine
Most Dao families in Bang Ca know how to ferment and brew bau wine. However, each family has its own recipe and method of cooking based on the ancestral secrets of each family and lineage. Bau wine is made from glutinous rice, but it is not brewed like strong wine; instead, the rice is cooked into rice and then fermented for 1-2 days and nights with forest leaves yeast. Then the wine is put into jars following a process similar to how the Kinh people make sticky rice wine, and after about ten days, it is ready to drink.
Above are the Top 12 specialties that cannot be missed by the Dao ethnic people. Those who have the opportunity to visit the mountains and meet the Dao ethnic people remember to enjoy all these specialties. Remember to share the article if you find it useful.
Posted by: Nha Huong
Keyword: Top 12 must-try specialties of the Dao ethnic people
