Grass-fed beef and fire pan make the famous Krong Pa sun-dried beef dish

The sun-dried beef is quickly grilled over charcoal and then shredded and dipped in yellow ant salt, making drinkers crazy - Photo: TAN LUC

The harsh weather of the dry land and the local grass-fed beef breed have created the delicious, unique flavor of the sun-dried beef dish here.

Specialties from grass-fed beef and fire pan

At the end of August 2024, the fiery land of Krong Pa was still sunny, even though the weather in the Central Highlands had been in the rainy season for several months.

From 8am, the sun shines its dry yellow light across the Ba River basin.

The harsh sunlight that makes strangers dizzy is a great catalyst for the delicious sun-dried beef that has now become a specialty.

Turning over the fresh, marinated beef pieces on the drying rack on the rooftop, Ms. Dinh Thi Hau (62 years old) - owner of the 4-star OCOP sun-dried beef brand in Phu Tuc town, Krong Pa district - said that this season, drying beef only needs half the sun.

The bright red beef, soaked in fragrant spices, slowly wilts under the sun as if inviting diners.

Ms. Dinh Thi Hau in Phu Tuc town (Krong Pa district, Gia Lai province) is drying a batch of beef jerky in the sun - Photo: TAN LUC

Krong Pa is the land of cows, because almost every Jarai family has a herd of dozens of cows or more - Photo: TAN LUC

In recent years, along with the neighboring province of Phu Yen, Phu Tuc town has become the land of one-sun-dried cows. As a producer with nearly 30 years of experience, Mrs. Hau said that her family was able to build a big house and send her children to school thanks to cows.

The sun-dried beef dish was created by people in the mountainous region of Son Hoa, Phu Yen and the southeastern region of Gia Lai, inspired by the dried deer and smoked deer dishes of indigenous peoples.

After the period of exploring new lands, food sources from the forest gradually decreased, deer also became scarce and then disappeared completely. The Kinh immigrants invented the method of making sun-dried beef to eat gradually during rainy and windy days.

The Jarai people's yellow ant salt spice was "borrowed" by locals to put into sun-dried beef and accidentally created a perfect combination.

The fresh, delicious beef is marinated with fragrant spices and is gradually wilting in the hot sun - Photo: TAN LUC

Those who have a deep understanding of this specialty believe that the origin of sun-dried beef comes from the Son Hoa mountain region, Phu Yen province.

Then it gradually spread along the footsteps of Phu Yen people migrating to the Ba River Delta in southeastern Gia Lai. The important thing that makes this dish delicious is the meat source from the native grass-fed cattle breed - Phu Yen yellow cattle.

This barren basin is the land of cows, almost every Jarai family has a herd of dozens to hundreds of cows.

Along Highway 25 to Ayun Pa, Krong Pa, it is not difficult to see herds of cows grazing on vast grasslands on both sides of the road. Abundant raw materials and the scorching sun have created the specialty of sun-dried beef.

Get rich thanks to sun-dried beef and yellow ant salt

Up to now, the profession of making sun-dried beef has become an economic sector for many people in Krong Pa. Trucks carrying sun-dried beef are busy going from North to South every day, bringing a prosperous life to the people in this fiery region.

After drying, the sun-dried beef is vacuum-sealed, stored in the freezer, and then sent to customers - Photo: TAN LUC

Visiting the house of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Tien Nga (43 years old), a producer of sun-dried beef in Phu Tuc town, we heard many interesting stories about this specialty.

Ms. Nga said that to make soft, sweet sun-dried beef, it is necessary to use the thigh meat of the grass-fed beef that the locals often raise.

Besides, other parts of the cow or beef are not delicious.

Fresh beef is cut into thick pieces, marinated with spices and then placed on a rack to dry in the sun.

A good piece of beef must be exposed to strong sunlight, wilt quickly without drying out, and retain the sweet juices inside the meat.

It is also necessary to mention the dipping sauce, yellow ant salt, which creates the unique flavor of the dish.

The Jarai people catch the yellow ant nests, dry them, then roast and pound them with dried chili and salt, creating a very strange sour taste that stimulates the taste buds.

During the peak season at the end of the year, orders pour in, almost every household is busy making sun-dried beef.

Households producing this specialty product said that over the past ten years, market demand has increased sharply, helping people have a stable life.

The locality has the largest herd of cows in Gia Lai province.

Mr. Vo Ngoc Chau - Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Krong Pa district - said that this district has the largest herd of cows in Gia Lai province, with a total herd of more than 65,000 cows, of which 63% are native grass-fed cows.

The profession of making sun-dried beef in Krong Pa has been developing strongly in recent years, creating sustainable livelihoods for many households.

Up to now, the whole district has 35 production facilities with quality certification, many of which have been granted OCOP product certification.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bo-co-va-chao-lua-lam-ra-mon-bo-mot-nang-krong-pa-khet-tieng-muon-phuong-20240829100249535.htm