For the Thai people in the Northwest, Bauhinia flowers are not only used to decorate landscapes and houses, but are also used as ingredients to make many delicious dishes such as stir-fried Bauhinia flowers, Bauhinia flowers in soup, Bauhinia flowers steamed with sticky rice, etc.

Among them, Ban flower salad is a popular dish and is most loved by people because of its unique and refreshing flavor.

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For the people of the Northwest, Ban flowers and wild bamboo shoots are considered precious gifts from nature. Photo: Moc Chau Oi

Ms. Ha Phuong (living in Chieng Coi ward, Son La city) said that there are two types of Bauhinia flowers: purple and white. Both types can be used as food, but purple Bauhinia flowers are more popular.

Every year, from February to April of the lunar calendar is the season of blooming Ban flowers. This is also the time when wild bamboo shoots of the Northwest are in season, so people often combine these two ingredients to make salad.

Ban flowers are an indispensable ingredient in the delicious salad of the Thai people in the Northwest. Photo: Tran Phuong Thao

Ms. Phuong said that the ingredients to make the authentic Thai-style Ban flower salad include Ban flowers, bitter bamboo shoots, rotten vegetables, roasted peanuts and grilled stream fish. This dish cannot lack some typical spices such as garlic, chili, Mac Khen, herbs (duck basil, red basil, rau sang ...).

However, depending on each family's conditions, people can add or remove additional ingredients, depending on their preferences.

“When you pick the Bauhinia flowers, remove the old stems, keep the petals and pistils, wash them, blanch them in boiling water, then take them out and let them drain.

Families should choose bamboo shoots or bitter bamboo shoots, chop them, soak them in diluted salt water, boil them until cooked, remove them, wait for them to drain, and slice them into thin, bite-sized pieces. For grilled stream fish, remove the meat, remove the bones, and pound them,” said Ms. Phuong.

The ingredients are carefully prepared before mixing. Photo: Tran Bich Ngoc

According to her, before mixing with spices, people often crush the blanched Bauhinia flowers. Next, people add bitter bamboo shoots and chopped herbs, season with salt, chili, garlic, sugar, crushed Mac Khen, galangal, lemon juice, etc. and mix well. Wait about 10-15 minutes for the ingredients to absorb the flavor, then add the crushed stream fish meat.

When serving the salad on a plate, people sprinkle roasted peanuts to make the dish look more attractive and increase its attractive flavor.

Ms. Phuong said that the Ban flower salad is simple to prepare but has a unique and delicious taste, easy to eat. The Ban flower has a natural sweet taste, slightly astringent, and the bamboo shoots are carefully processed to reduce the bitterness and still retain their crispness and freshness.

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From a rustic dish of the Thai people in the Northwest, Ban flower salad is now included in the menus of local restaurants and eateries to serve the enjoyment needs of tourists from near and far. Photo: Tran Bich Ngoc

Having had the opportunity to go to the Northwest and enjoy Ban flower salad with bitter bamboo shoots, Ms. Thanh Nga (in Hanoi) commented that the dish has a blend of sour, spicy, salty, bitter, sweet, and rich flavors, stimulating the taste buds.

“Ban flower salad is a spring dish, full of mountain and forest flavors and suitable for relieving indigestion.

Because of the love for the unique flavor of this salad, this year, my whole family decided to travel more than 280km to Son La, to experience the Ban flower festival and enjoy dishes made from the famous flower of the Northwest," said Ms. Nga.

Some delicious dishes made from Bauhinia flowers. Photo: Le Trieu Duong

In addition to experiencing it in person, this woman also revealed that she bought Bauhinia flowers in Hanoi, washed them, cooked them, then froze or dried them so they could be used all year round.

She also learned to cook some delicious dishes from the Bauhinia flowers following the instructions of the Thai ethnic people, such as stir-frying them with beef or pork or mixing spices and stuffing them into fish belly to grill or steam.

Each dish has its own delicious flavor, both adults and children can enjoy.

This "heaven-sent" specialty in the North has a strange taste, people pick it up to make a famous dish . Not only is it an ingredient to make delicious sticky rice dish famous in the North, this vegetable, considered a "heaven-sent" specialty, is also very useful in treating some diseases.