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Ninh Bình in spring is a beloved destination for many, offering stunning natural scenery and renowned spiritual landmarks. In addition to its beauty, the region is home to a diverse and flavorful cuisine that delights every visitor.
Delicious dishes made from goat meat
It’s well known that goat meat raised in the mountainous region of Ninh Bình is lean, tender, and has a distinct aroma due to being free-range and grazing on unique local plants. So, when visiting Ninh Bình, be sure to try various delicious goat dishes such as goat sashimi, goat spring rolls, goat rice crust with sauce, five-spice grilled goat, goat porridge, fried goat sausage, goat hotpot with tamarind, stir-fried goat with lemongrass and chili, and goat cooked with rice husks.
However, food enthusiasts consider the goat sashimi to be the most delicious. This dish is carefully prepared with fresh goat meat, quickly blanched in hot water to cook it lightly, then thinly sliced and mixed with lime leaves, fresh chili, ginger, lemongrass, toasted sesame, and lime juice.
When eating, the goat meat is wrapped with fresh herbs such as Vietnamese coriander, fig leaves, star fruit, and sour banana, then dipped in a fragrant ginger dipping sauce. The delicious flavor and nutritious value of this dish will make it unforgettable every time you think of Ninh Bình.
Braised Fish with Gáo
This dish has a unique name and can only be found in Ninh Bình. The main ingredients are freshwater fish (typically the carp) and gáo fruit. Gáo is a type of fruit that grows in stream valleys or at the foot of hills. It has a sour, slightly sweet, and refreshing flavor, with a fragrant aroma, making it a great substitute for tamarind or starfruit in sour soups or fish braises due to its delicious taste and excellent ability to reduce fishy odors.
To achieve the perfect flavor, locals in Ninh Bình use a clay pot to braise the fish. The process involves layering sliced gáo fruit, then a layer of fish, followed by more gáo on top. Seasonings such as fish sauce, caramelized sugar, pepper, chili, and a clove of garlic are added. Once cooked, the fish becomes tender and fragrant, with a beautiful golden-brown color, making it irresistible when served with hot rice.
Delicious Dishes with Mountain Snails
Mountain snails, also known as stone snails, are very popular in the limestone mountains of Tam Điệp, Yên Mô, and Nho Quan. These snails are typically found in the damp crevices of the rocky mountains and are at their best between April and August, when the weather is humid and rainy.
Mountain snails can be prepared in various ways such as grilling, stir-frying with tamarind, stir-frying with garlic, stir-frying with satay, steaming with ginger, boiling with lemongrass, stir-frying with lemongrass and chili, or boiling and mixing with onion for a fresh salad.
Not only delicious, mountain snails are also considered highly nutritious. Therefore, when preparing these snails, people typically only rinse them lightly rather than soaking them thoroughly, as it’s believed that they contain beneficial medicinal properties. Even when eating, the tail is not discarded. When enjoying mountain snails, you should chew slowly to savor their sweet, refreshing taste and fragrance, which resembles that of traditional Chinese herbal medicine.
Nhech fish salad
Nhech fish are typically found in coastal lagoons and river mouths in the Kim Sơn area of Ninh Bình. These fish are difficult to catch, rare, and known for their high mucus content, making them strong and aggressive.
Preparing nhech fish salad is quite a meticulous process, starting with cleaning and removing the slime. Then, the chef separates the bones from the flesh, slices the fish meat thinly, and rubs it with fresh lime juice to drain excess liquid. Afterward, seasonings are added, and the fish is marinated and mixed with roasted, golden rice powder. The fish skin and bones are fried crispy, with the fish skin wrapped around the salad.
Nhech fish salad is known for the chewy, sweet texture of the fish meat, the refreshing flavors of the accompanying herbs, and the nutty taste of roasted rice powder. It’s an incredibly enticing and nutritious dish that many people especially seek out when visiting Ninh Bình.
To start your exciting journey in Ninh Bình, be sure to contact Mytour.vn via the hotline 1900 2083 to book affordable flights and prepare thoroughly for your adventure.
T.Hai, January 30, 2023, 3:31 PM
