The animal that has not "reincarnated" yet crawls around in a basket, Phu Tho people raise it as a specialty, sell it in Vinh Phuc

Originally from Phu Tho , for the past 3 years, Ms. Nguyen Bich Phuong has lived in Tich Son ward, Vinh Yen city - an online trader who also sells silkworm and cassava, a specialty of the homeland.

It is in season, so cassava silkworms are delicious and attract customers. At peak times, Ms. Phuong can sell 15-20 kg of cassava silkworms a day, with customers mainly from around Vinh Yen city.

Due to the large number of customers, there were days when Ms. Phuong could not deliver the goods on time and had to increase the shipper support team.

Ms. Nguyen Bich Phuong said: "I am from Dao Xa commune, Thanh Thuy district, Phu Tho province, one of the localities with developed silkworm farming.

Here, in addition to raising mulberry silkworms for silk weaving, local people also raise cassava leaf silkworms for commercial purposes. I got married and moved to Vinh Yen city and have been selling silkworms for about 3 years now.

Every day, my family in the countryside regularly sends 15-30 kg of silkworms and cassava by car down here, so we have goods to sell every day."

It is known that Ms. Phuong sells many products online. But this season, silkworms are a "hot" product because many people love them and order them in large quantities.

Ms. Phuong shared: “In previous years, my family sent silkworms down mainly to serve our children and grandchildren. Wanting everyone to enjoy the delicacies of our homeland, I went out and shared a little with my husband’s neighbors, friends, and colleagues so they could try it. Since then, more and more people have known about it and ordered it, especially this year, the products have sold very well.”

Although silkworms eating cassava leaves are not "eye-catching", they are a favorite delicacy of many people.

While chatting, Ms. Phuong picked up a large handful of silkworms from a plastic bag and divided them into many small bags to ship to customers. Some buyers bought a few ounces, some a few kilos.

Because they were kept in the refrigerator, the silkworms were temporarily “fainted”, lying still and motionless. But after only 30 minutes at room temperature, these silkworms seemed to be revived, from withered to plump again.

Under the thin yellow skin, each one is round and begins to wiggle, crawling around in the plastic bag. According to Ms. Phuong, if kept in the refrigerator, the cassava silkworms can live healthily for weeks, even longer. Compared to other localities, Phu Tho cassava silkworms are rated by many customers as having the best quality with a rich, fatty taste and a characteristic aroma, so they are preferred to buy.

Some picky customers even have to ask carefully to make sure it is Phu Tho silkworm before buying. Not only delicious, silkworm is also a nutritious food, rich in protein, fat and contains many vitamins and minerals.

Many customers buy a few ounces of silkworms that eat cassava leaves, and Ms. Phuong also sells them to spread the delicious food of her homeland.

Many families are so addicted to Phu Tho silkworms that they buy 2-4 kg at a time to keep in the fridge to eat gradually. Because silkworms are in season, they are both delicious and cheap, with a price of 90,000 VND/kg.

In April (the beginning of the season), silkworms are not only not delicious but also expensive, about 140,000 VND/kg. At this time, due to the difficulty of harvesting cassava leaves, farmers have to feed silkworms with fig leaves, star fruit leaves, and banana leaves. The silkworm season lasts from May to November, so those who love this dish have to eat it every week, even every day.

According to Ms. Phuong, there are households raising silkworms on a large scale, earning tens of millions of dong per month. In the summer, silkworms grow very quickly, on average every 15-17 days the silkworms mature and produce a harvest.

Like Ms. Phuong's family, during peak season they sell 70-80 kg/day. To serve customers, her family has to buy from the people in the commune.

The profit is high but silkworm farming is also very hard, so the old people have a saying: "Raising pigs means eating while lying down, raising silkworms means eating while standing up" because when the silkworms are free to eat, cassava leaves are spread every 2-3 hours and people have to stay up all night to feed the silkworms.

Special dish - fried silkworm with lemon leaves.

According to Oriental medicine, the ripe silkworm has a salty, fatty, fragrant taste, and warm properties. It is used as a medicine to nourish the nerves, poor sleep and appetite, tuberculosis, slow growth in children, physical weakness, and women who have little milk after giving birth.

Although it is a nutritious food, not everyone can eat silkworms. Mostly because the shape of the silkworm makes many people feel scared at first sight.

Or some people are scared to see it but want to explore the rich, fatty flavor of the specialty dish, so after boiling or frying it, they cut off the legs and head, then roll it in fig leaves and dip it in chili sauce.

From the silkworm and cassava business, Ms. Nguyen Bich Phuong not only has the opportunity to increase revenue but also connects with many fellow Phu Tho residents.

This makes her very happy because she has new friends, the opportunity to chat, exchange and introduce and spread regional delicacies, which are also unique cultural features of the homeland.

Source: https://danviet.vn/con-dong-vat-chua-chuyen-kiep-bo-lom-ngom-mot-ro-dan-phu-tho-nuoi-lam-dac-san-ban-o-vinh-phuc-20240817000620821.htm