Northwest specialties include unique and strange wild flowers that are not only delicious but also nutritious and are precious medicinal herbs.

People in ethnic villages in these highland provinces still maintain the habit of going to the forest to pick vegetables and flowers for food. Their cuisine clearly reflects the seasons of the year, in the style of each season has its own food.

Mr. Khom Van Yen, a Black Thai ethnic person in Muong Phang commune, Dien Bien district (Dien Bien province) picks wild banana flowers for use. Photo: B.Nguyen

March comes, the Northwest mountains and forests are not only filled with the colors of Ban flowers but also the season of other wild flowers blooming. Many of these flowers become delicious dishes, creating a very unique mark of Northwest cuisine in the flower season. March - the season of bees making honey. Honey is also a specialty of the highlands thanks to the diversity of Northwest wild flowers.

A variety of delicious dishes made from wild flowers

Bauhinia flowers are considered the flower of March because this is the time when they bloom the most. Bauhinia trees with white flowers are not only for viewing but also used as ingredients to make many unique delicious dishes such as: Bauhinia flowers stir-fried with meat, Bauhinia flower salad...

Although it is all Ban flower salad, there are many different variations depending on the ethnic group and region. Ban buds and flowers can be made into salad with bitter bamboo shoots or other flowers such as Bip flower (a flower with a slightly bitter taste) and a little cassava leaves. These ingredients are boiled and mixed with some spices such as galangal, salt, MSG, garlic, and chili.

When Cha Nua honey becomes an OCOP product, the honey beekeeping model is being replicated in Nam Po district. Honey products are granted OCOP certification, and honey is tested to ensure better quality and origin.

In addition to the Ban flower, in the Northwest mountains there are many types of flowers that have become familiar dishes of the ethnic groups: Thai, Mong, Lao... Mr. Khom Van Yen, a Black Thai ethnic in Muong Phang commune, Dien Bien district (Dien Bien province) said: "When we go to the forest, we only need to bring a package of sticky rice, bean salt or grilled meat, and the vegetables we eat with it are usually picked right in the forest. Among them, there are many types of wild flowers that become vegetable dishes. The flowers of the forest bloom seasonally, so the dishes of the ethnic groups also have seasonal dishes". Wild banana flowers are available all year round, but some types of flowers, including the Ban flower... can be picked and eaten raw or made into salads. Bougainvillea flowers are used to create a beautiful yellow color for sticky rice or some dishes that require color.

Ms. Leng Thi Chien, Head of the Women's Association of Na Su village (the first community tourism village in Nam Po district, Dien Bien province) shared that the daily meals of families in the village all use vegetables and fruits available in their gardens or harvested in the forest. People in the village also hardly use money but often exchange goods with each other.

“March is the season with the most blooming wild flowers of the year. Many types of flowers become familiar dishes in our daily meals. Among them, the most frequently prepared dish is the bee flower, a plant whose flowers cover the entire tree. In daily meals, this flower is often boiled or cooked in soup. When entertaining guests, we prepare elaborate dishes such as fried stuffed bee flowers, bee flower salad... Before the bee flower season, there are po ke flowers which also have a bitter taste, so dishes similar to bee flowers can be prepared,” said Ms. Leng Thi Chien.

A meal to entertain guests with many delicious dishes made from wild flowers of the White Thai ethnic group in Na Su community tourism village, Nam Po district, Dien Bien province. Photo: B.Nguyen

Honey collection season from wild flowers

According to the people of the Northwest, from March to June is the season of abundant and highest quality wild honey in the year because this is the time when the Northwest enters the season of blooming wild flowers. The Northwest mountains and forests have a variety of flowers such as: mac cop tree (a tree with fruit similar to pears), hawthorn trees, oak flowers, cistanche flowers, chestnut flowers... Therefore, honey from wild flowers is also a specialty of the Northwest highlands.

Northwest forest honey has many varieties and flavors depending on each forest region, each area as well as the honey bee species. Among them, Khoai honey is considered one of the best types of honey.

In addition, there are more popular types of honey such as: rock honey, honey bee honey, mint honey... All types of honey have beautiful colors and pure flavors of natural wild flowers. Northwest wild honey also has high nutritional value with many nutrients that are good for human health.

Dien Bien province is a region with a high density of mountains and forests, which is a favorable environment for wild bees to grow and develop. This is also a land famous for its wild honey specialties. According to the people of A Pa Chai village, Sin Thau commune, Muong Nhe district, this land is covered by mountains and forests, so the honey here is the most authentic of the mountains and forests. Therefore, gourmets, including tourists, are very fond of wild honey from the westernmost land of the country.

Types of flower tea. Photo: B.Nguyen

For a long time, Cha Nua honey in Nam Po district has been famous for its delicious quality. Cha Nua honey was chosen to build an OCOP product (One Commune One Product Program) of Nam Po district.

Thung Thi Lam, a member of the White Thai ethnic group in the Na Su community tourism village, Nam Po district, said that in addition to farming, her family also raises bees for honey. Although they are called farmed bees, the quality of farmed honey is no different from wild bees because the beekeepers only make boxes for wild bees to live in, and the honey is taken from wild flowers or plants grown on the farm, purely natural. The farming and exploitation of honey is still done manually.

According to Ms. Lam: “Raising bees based on this wild flower season cannot be rushed, we have to wait for the flower season, the bees make honey until the hive is full before harvesting. Therefore, the honey yield is usually not too much, mainly for family use, only a little left over is sold on the market.”

In Na Su village, honey is not only a nutritious drink for health but also a valuable medicine. Many families in the village soak male papaya flowers in honey to treat coughs, sore throats, etc. for family members, especially children and the elderly.

The way to prepare male papaya flowers in this locality is also very different. Male papaya flowers that grow naturally on the hills are picked, fried over a fire until dry, ground into a fine powder, and then soaked in wild honey for later use. Thanks to this preparation method, the honey soaked papaya flowers not only tastes delicious, but also lasts longer than soaking fresh flowers like in many other places.

Source: https://danviet.vn/dac-san-tay-bac-goi-ten-nhung-loai-hoa-rung-doc-la-khong-chi-ngon-ma-con-bo-duong-la-vi-thuoc-quy-20240402162213448.htm