A moment ready to carry three grains of rice
There was a time when cassava was almost the staple food in all regions. From the mountains, midlands to the plains, the entire Quang Nam - Da Nang region, cassava was grown everywhere.
From reclaimed land, garden land, even fences around houses, you can see the shadow of cassava. During the rice shortage, there was a time when a meal of Quang people had "a slice of cassava carrying three grains of rice".
Because Quang people are frugal and flexible, they come up with many dishes from difficult situations to avoid getting bored. Steamed cassava, wrapped in banana leaves, crushed and dipped in sesame salt. Shredded cassava is cooked with mussel soup, fresh shrimp... Dried cassava is sliced and ground into flour to make “chép ép” cakes, some places call it “chép đập” cakes, or “it” cakes.
But perhaps the most popular and convenient are cassava pho and cassava rice paper. If cassava pho has developed into a unique craft in Que Son, cassava rice paper is popular throughout all localities of Quang Nam.
Coming home from work hungry, I dipped some cassava rice paper rolls with water spinach cut from the garden, added a bowl of fish sauce and green jujube. So I had a light but filling meal.
Not to mention, grilled cassava rice paper is also a “divine” snack during the subsidy period for children. The huge, warped, spongy grilled cassava rice paper, broken into four or five pieces to share with the children for a mid-morning meal is always the solution chosen by mothers in the countryside.
If you are diligent, use a sickle to snatch a ripe coconut, chop it open, take out the coconut flesh and eat it with grilled rice paper. Take a bite of the fatty coconut flesh with a piece of crispy cassava rice paper. All the sounds and flavors combine together, creating a lingering aroma that lasts even into old age…
“Taste Triangle” in Five Minutes
Que Son cassava rice paper is as thin as crepe paper, with a golden color. When held up to the sunlight, it looks crystal clear. This type of rice paper can only be eaten by dipping it in cold water and then letting it drain naturally. Because the rice paper is quite flexible, tough and soft, once dipped in water, it must be separated, otherwise it will stick together and be very difficult to remove.
Steamed mackerel rolled with morning glory and cassava rice paper is a traditional delicacy of Quang people. I am sure of it!
Sometimes when I go to the backyard and see young water spinach, I crave to make cassava rolls with fish sauce. Or when I go to the market early and buy a bunch of fresh green mackerel, I miss the water spinach rolls with that soft yellow cake. That triangle of flavors is always linked together to make people love and remember.
Not to mention, this roll dish is also quick to prepare in 5 minutes. Choose a mackerel about the size of 2 fingers. Just clean it, marinate it with salt, onion, pepper, and chili. Quang people especially like to marinate the fish with crushed shallots to anchor the aroma and remove the fishy smell. Put the fish on a large plate, sprinkle with chopped green onions and a few slices of chili for decoration. Put it in a steamer, wait a few minutes for the fish to cook.
Of course, at this time, the basket of water spinach with old leaves removed, washed and fresh green is placed in the middle of the table. All that is needed is a bowl of fish sauce and crushed green chili. At this stage, the diners can only roll, roll and roll...
Culture of books
Culinary researchers believe that “rolling culture” is a characteristic of Quang people. Because anything can be rolled with rice paper.
The rolling motion must also be gentle. If you roll too quickly, the cake will tear.
With cassava rice paper, you have to be even more patient. First, you have to spread the cut rice paper (depending on the size) on the palm of your hand or on a plate.
Pick up a few stalks of water spinach, then use chopsticks to gently separate the fish and place it on top of the spinach. Finally, roll them up the length of the stalks you just picked, and dip them in the fish sauce and green chili. The flavor has poured out into emotions.
The beauty of this rustic dish is that it is always available, easy to find and versatile. It can be used as a main course or as a late afternoon snack. When friends or neighbors come over, serving it as a treat won’t embarrass the host. It’s delicious when eaten alone, but it’s even more delicious when eaten with a group…
In March, the batch of fresh, plump, green-backed mackerel just arrived at Cua Dai and Binh Minh. I went back to find water spinach and cassava cake to wrap the fish to satisfy my craving...
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