Lac Son Chicken Rice

It was already dark, the shops were closed, and the mountain town was not very bustling at night.

"Why don't you go eat Lac Son chicken rice?", the motel owner said when he saw me returning home hungry. "People sell this dish on the sidewalk. Just drive along the road, and stop by wherever people set up a box and put in a few oil lamps to light it up. When you go to Quang Binh, you have to try this dish, it's guaranteed to be delicious", the host enthusiastically said.

So we took the car and drove along the road. In front of a small park, a woman placed a basket on a plastic table and set up some oil lamps. A few plastic chairs were neatly arranged inside. "Do you sell Lac Son chicken rice here?". "That's right, come in and eat," the seller enthusiastically invited, reaching out to take a plastic table and set it up for the customers.

Lac Son chicken rice with ingredients from home garden and traditional recipe

A big bowl of hot rice; a bowl of braised chicken mixed with eggs, ham, pickled cabbage, and stewed chili peppers… The chicken pieces are chewy and flavorful, suitable for even the pickiest eaters.

Why is it called Lac Son chicken rice? Locals told us that this dish originated from Lac Son village, Chau Hoa commune, Tuyen Hoa district, Quang Binh province. Lac Son villagers wake up early, prepare the dish, put it all in baskets, and take the train to sell to customers. They spread out in all directions, selling everywhere in the province, but mostly at train stations, markets, etc. This dish from a small village has now spread throughout the province.

Lac Son chicken rice is famous for its deliciousness, toughness of the meat and the way it is prepared. Chicken, the main ingredient, is raised by the people in the garden. The chicken chosen to cook is not too old or too young. All the ingredients for cooking include: free-range chicken, eggs, pickled cabbage, chili and fresh turmeric... The cooking method is very simple: First, people reduce the cooking oil with turmeric powder or fresh turmeric and dried chili, then add a bowl of diluted fish sauce with salt, sugar, pepper, seasoning powder, wait for the water to boil and then put the chopped chicken into the pot. The cook needs to watch the stove, after about an hour of boiling, the "pure" water is just enough, the meat is soft and well-seasoned, then add onions, coriander and whole fresh chili. When the water is dry, the chicken is cooked to the right golden color of turmeric, it is time for the cook to turn down the heat. The rice is also cooked on the stove. When everything is done, it is also dawn, they put it in baskets, and spread it everywhere to sell.

The delicious rice dish we ate that day cost only 20,000 VND/portion. Almost all the ingredients for the chicken rice dish were homemade. No one knows when this Lac Son chicken rice dish originated, they only vaguely remember that it had been around for a long time. The predecessors passed it on to the successors, and so on, selling it on the street. The strong carried their baskets and took the train to far away places; the elderly sat on the sidewalks to sell. It was a rustic dish and popular with diners, so almost no vendor had a bad day. When it was sold out, whoever wanted to sell more would return home, prepare it, and sell it late at night.

If you have the opportunity to visit Quang Binh, remember to warm your stomach with a meal of Lac Son chicken rice.

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