Exploring Western Vietnam: Trying Dried Snakes and Field Mice

Dried Snakes and Field Mice are dishes that can be haunting due to their peculiar appearance, deterring many adventurous eaters.

Exploring Western Vietnam: Trying Dried Snakes and Field Mice

Dried Snakes

During the flood season in the Mekong Delta, water snakes and pythons thrive. With an excess of snakes, locals devised a method to preserve them by drying. Most notably in Vinh Hoi Dong commune, An Phu district, An Giang province, where unique snake drying ovens exist, few dare to venture. During the flood season from August to November annually, local households focus on production, yielding dried snakes and various snake-based products. The snakes are gutted, skinned, and deboned. Then, the ingredients are seasoned according to traditional recipes before being flattened into thin slices and sun-dried for about 2 to 3 days. The drying process is crucial, determining the freshness of the final product. Unfavorable weather conditions can result in sourness. High-quality dried snakes should be flexible, with each piece sticking together, exhibiting a natural pink color. On average, every 4 kilograms of fresh snakes yield 1 kilogram of dried snakes.

There are many ways to enjoy dried snakes, but the most common and simplest is to make a salad with green mango, sour starfruit, or soursop leaves. When dried snakes are grilled until cooked, they are slightly crispy on the outside while naturally sweet and fragrant on the inside, making them an enticing appetizer for men.

There are numerous ways to enjoy dried snake, but the most popular and simplest is to make salad with green mango, sour starfruit, or fig leaves. When the snake is grilled to perfection, slightly crispy on the outside yet naturally sweet and fragrant inside, it becomes the irresistible appetizer for gentlemen gatherings.

Dried Field Mouse

At the top of the list of 'terrifying' dried delicacies from the Western region is dried field mouse. This is a renowned specialty in Tam Nong district, Dong Thap province. Field mice in the West come in two main types: rice field mice and rat snakes. Field mice can be hunted year-round, from October to March in the lunar calendar. However, the best ones are those caught after the rice harvest. During the rice harvesting season, farmers often organize hunting trips to improve their family meals and dry them to serve delicious rural dishes to guests.

The secret to making delicious dried field mouse, passed down among drinking buddies, is to bury it in hot charcoal. Once cooked, it's taken out and pounded clean of charcoal, then dipped in salt, pepper, and lime juice, or cut into small pieces and fried over low heat until crispy, offering a combination of richness, chewiness, and a spicy, fragrant flavor from various spices.

Dried 'Long-Legged Dancer'

Frogs are available year-round in the rice fields of the Western region, such as An Giang, Bac Lieu, and Dong Thap. When the sky turns dusky, they emit a chorus of rural symphony, making it easy for farmers to use lamps for capturing. Living in the wilderness, frog meat, when cooked, is both tender and flavorful, earning it a place among the region's specialties.

According to Travel.vn

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Source: Travel Handbook iJOURNEY.com