Insect cuisine - aphids
The first rains of the season cool the dry land of the Seven Mountains region, and seem to also "awaken" a unique insect called: the Planthopper.
For many people, the shape of this insect is not easy to swallow, but locals consider it a specialty with elaborate preparation and a unique flavor.
Bedbugs – an attractive insect specialty of the Bay Nui region, Tinh Bien town, An Giang province.
Mr. Nguyen Van Ben (owner of a restaurant specializing in processing rice field bugs in Nha Bang ward, Tinh Bien town) said: "After being brought home, the rice field bugs will have their legs cut off and their intestines removed.
The meticulous person will boil the insect in water to remove all impurities. Then, soak it in salt water and rinse it with clean water. It takes a few steps like this before starting to prepare the dishes.
People can fry them and they are delicious, but I will stuff the bugs with a mixture of meat, peanuts, and peppercorns to enhance the flavor of the dish. No matter how it is prepared, the flavor that remains at the end is the crispy aroma when putting the bugs in your mouth.
According to Mr. Ben, in the past, there were countless aphids and they were just a snack for the people of Bay Nui. Now, aphids have become a specialty that many people seek out to enjoy their delicious taste. Because they only appear for a few months each year, the price of aphids is relatively high, about 300,000 VND/kg at the beginning of the season.
Processed bugs will cost much more. For diners from far away, seeing bugs on a plate for the first time will be very difficult to swallow. However, after tasting a few, they will feel their unique flavor.
During the rainy season, Mr. Ben buys 1,500 - 2,000 rice field bugs every day to serve diners near and far.
The “contacts” that supply him with planthoppers come from Van Giao commune and Nhon Hung, An Phu, and Nha Bang wards. Thanks to planthoppers, the people here have an additional source of income and Mr. Ben also has enough supply to serve diners.
Mr. Ben said that every year, the planthoppers only appear from around the end of March to the end of July, so gourmets will take advantage of the season to enjoy them.
To increase the appeal of this wild animal dish, Mr. Ben invites diners to eat it with mango fish sauce. To make the fish sauce dish, he chooses very sour mangoes. Mr. Ben revealed that if he uses Thai or Taiwanese mangoes, they will not be "infected" with planthoppers.
Therefore, the more sour the mango is, the more attractive it will be because it awakens the taste buds of diners. On the plate of mango fish sauce, Mr. Ben sprinkled a little chili powder, which looked quite beautiful. The mealworm meat dipped in mango fish sauce is a blend of sour, spicy, salty, and sweet flavors that makes diners extremely excited.
Mountain crab season
On rainy days, visitors to An Giang will also be curious about the food in the highlands, especially the story of "crab hunting and snail catching" of the people on Cam mountain.
Indeed, the highest mountain in the West always has many seasonal specialties, mountain crab is also on that list. This year, the rain was late, so the mountain crab season was also late. Currently, mountain crab fishermen catch less than a dozen crabs per day, so they have to wait a few days to have enough to deliver to customers.
Tourists visiting Cam Mountain (Tinh Bien Town, An Giang Province) during the rainy season really enjoy the famous mountain crab dish. Mountain crab is one of the wild animals in this famous mountainous region.
As a person who often provides this specialty to diners from far away, Mr. Le Gia Giang (a resident of Cam Mountain) said: “This year, the source of mountain crabs is low, because up to this time there has not been enough rain. The water channels on the mountain are still quite shallow, the crabs have no place to live and reproduce, so it is “hard work” to find a dozen crabs each day. To get 1kg of mountain crab to serve guests, I have to wait for people to catch them for 2-3 days, so the price is still very high, about 350,000 VND/kg”.
With mountain crab, most diners like to stir-fry with tamarind or salt. Mountain crab meat is naturally sweet and fragrant, combined with the sour taste of tamarind and spices, it will be very delicious.
In addition, boiling lemongrass to eat immediately is also quite "sticky", because the crab meat will retain its characteristic flavor. Visitors to Cam Mountain during the rainy season will be very excited to taste the flavor of the crab hidden in the high mountains.
However, due to the natural habitat of this animal, it is not always available to serve diners. In addition, people on Cam Mountain often say that they will not catch small crabs and crabs that are carrying eggs. They understand that "heaven's blessing" is limited, if they do not preserve it, there will be no more crabs to increase their income in their free time.
In addition to mountain crabs, people on Cam Mountain also hunt for mountain snails (also a wild animal) to provide to diners. Mountain snails with a delicious and characteristic flavor, through the hands of amateur chefs in the wild, will have a very unique flavor, worthy of being a dish for tourists to seek when coming to the majestic That Son region.
Besides its wild beauty, the Bay Nui region also possesses delicious specialties crystallized from the soil, sun, wind and the processing hands of the local people.
To fully exploit the value of these specialties, it is necessary to have a plan to promote them in parallel with reasonable conservation measures, in order to diversify the experience for tourists when coming to An Giang province, and improve the lives of local people through tourism revenue.
Source: https://danviet.vn/bo-ray-cua-nui-la-2-con-dong-vat-hoang-da-bien-thanh-mon-dac-san-o-vung-nui-cam-an-giang-20240805232849505.htm
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