Lom leaves (depending on the place, also called giang leaves, vồn vén leaves, thom lom leaves, moi leaves...) are wild climbing plants, found in abundance in the North, especially in some mountainous provinces in the Northwest such as Hoa Binh, Son La, Lai Chau, Dien Bien...

Compared to other types of leaves and wild vegetables such as fern, wild spinach, sau sau... lom leaves impress diners with their confusing name, which requires you to curl your tongue twice to read.

This type of leaf has a mild, refreshing sour taste and is easy to prepare, so it is often used as an ingredient in many different dishes.

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The leaves have a unique, mildly sour taste and are often used in cooking. Photo: NonEgo Foods

Ms. Nguyen Mo - owner of a restaurant specializing in buffalo meat dishes in Tan Lac district (Hoa Binh province) said that lom leaves are harvested year-round and can be used fresh or dried. Local people often process these leaves into dishes such as sour soup, lom leaves stir-fried with meat, hot pot, etc.

Among them, buffalo meat cooked with lom leaves is the most popular and favorite dish. This dish is considered a famous specialty of the Muong people in Hoa Binh and neighboring provinces.

Ms. Mo said that to make the buffalo meat cooked with lom leaves delicious and authentic, people must choose young leaves to ensure enough sourness and not bitterness or astringency. The buffalo meat must also be fresh, supple and firm.

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Buffalo meat cooked with lom leaves is a specialty of the Muong people in Hoa Binh. Photo: Le Trieu Duong

“To make the dish have a special flavor, the chef often chars the buffalo meat until fragrant, scrapes off the hair and softens it, then cuts it into small pieces, seasons it to taste and simmers it in a pot until thoroughly cooked.

Wash the lom leaves, pound them or mash them and stew them with the meat. You can add some broken rice to increase the natural sweetness and create a thick consistency,” the female owner shared.

According to her, depending on the culture of each place and the preferences of each person, the dish of buffalo meat with lolot leaves can be prepared differently, but still ensures deliciousness and harmonious flavor.

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When cooked together, the sour taste of the leaves overpowers the pungent taste and reduces the stench of buffalo meat, creating an attractive dish. Photo: Quoc Hoa Binh

When the broken rice is cooked and the buffalo meat is tender, the broth is thick, and all the ingredients have absorbed the spices and sour taste of the lolot leaves. In particular, the sour taste of the lolot leaves overpowers the characteristic smell of buffalo meat, making the dish more appealing and everyone can enjoy it.

“The dish looks simple at first glance but the flavor is very attractive. The buffalo meat is tender, rich, and soaked in the sour taste of the lolot leaves, very delicious, stimulating the taste buds,” Ms. Mo shared.

In addition to buffalo meat, many families also use lolot leaves to create many other delicious dishes such as sour rib soup and braised fish with lolot leaves. Photo: Le Kieu Trang
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