Rau khúc (also known as thanh minh thao, cuc tan, and co ragweed) is a vegetable that grows naturally in gardens, fields, along pond banks, river banks, etc., and is abundant in northern provinces such as Phu Tho, Thai Nguyen, Hoa Binh, and Hanoi.

There are two types of rau khúc: sticky rau khúc and te rau khúc te. Of these, the te rau khúc te has small leaves and a characteristic aroma and is more popular, and is used to make a number of attractive dishes.

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Rau khuc is considered a "heaven-sent" specialty because it grows naturally and does not require care. This vegetable can be harvested all year round, but is most abundant and delicious from January to the end of March of the lunar calendar. Photo: Nhung Phan
Rau khuc can be used both fresh and dried. When preparing food, people pick the leaves, stems and young shoots, and remove the old flowers. Photo: Ha Nguyen

Ms. Thu Ha, owner of a breakfast restaurant in Thanh Xuan district (Hanoi), said that rau khuc usually grows and develops best in spring, around the end of the third lunar month. After that, the plant blooms and then withers.

“In years with a lot of rain, the rau khuc grows well and vice versa. Because the vegetable season is short, when the season is almost over, people take advantage of going to the garden, walking around the fields and lawns to pick rau khuc to freeze and use gradually,” said Ms. Ha.

There are two popular ways to preserve rau khuc. One is to dry and grind it into powder. The other is to boil it, squeeze out the water, then crush or grind it and freeze it. However, people prefer the second method because using fresh rau khuc is more delicious than using dried powder or dried vegetables.

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Rau khuc is an ingredient in making the famous sticky rice dish in the North. Photo: Nhung Nguyen

Although it grows wild, rau khuc is very popular because of its delicious and unique flavor and ease of eating. Northerners often use this vegetable to make xoi khuc.

According to Ms. Ha, to make delicious sticky rice requires meticulous preparation. This vegetable grows close to the ground, the leaves have fine hairs so it is easy to get dirty, must be washed many times to clean, quite time-consuming and laborious.

After washing, people blanch the rau khuc in boiling water, wait for it to drain, then chop it, blend it or pound it to make the shell.

“When grinding, you should use both the water and the vegetable residue to make sticky rice because if you only use the juice, the dish will lose its flavor and nutrients. I usually chop the blanched rau khuc into small pieces and then pound it by hand.

This method is a bit laborious and time-consuming, but in return, when cooked, the cake crust will have a shiny brown color, very chewy and fragrant," she added.

The rau khúc is washed, blanched, then mashed and mixed with sticky rice flour. Photo: Esheep Kitchen

This woman also said that after pounding the rau khuc, mix it with sticky rice flour and knead it well to blend the mixture together. If you want the khuc dough to be less sticky, you can add a little rice flour.

In addition to the dough crust, xoi khuc also has a rich, fatty filling made from soft stir-fried pork belly and mashed green beans.

Depending on the location and personal preference, the chef can add more dried onions and pepper.

“Stir-fry the pork belly with shallots until cooked or simmer it for a long time until soft. You can add a little bit of the stir-fried meat juice to the dough mixture to increase the gloss and richness of the dish,” Ms. Ha shared her experience.

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The dough is rolled into balls and rolled in sticky rice before steaming. Photo: Nhung Phan

When wrapping the cake, people first flatten the dough and then add green beans and meat on top. Next, the cake is rolled into balls, rolled in sticky rice once more and wrapped in dong or banana leaves.

Depending on the amount of sticky rice outside, the cake is steamed for different periods of time, on average 20-25 minutes, ensuring the cake is cooked through, the sticky rice is soft, plump and fragrant.

In addition to sticky rice, many people like to enjoy banh khuc by itself. After mixing the dough and adding the filling, wrap it in leaves and steam it immediately instead of rolling it with a layer of sticky rice.

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Dishes made from rau khúc are said to have an attractive flavor, are easy to eat, and can be enjoyed by both adults and children. Photo: Esheep Kitchen

According to physician Bui Dac Sang, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, rau khuc is not only used as food but also useful in treating a number of diseases such as colds, fever, coughs with phlegm, bronchitis, asthma, bone and joint pain, rheumatism, skin scabies...

However, pregnant women, breastfeeding women, young children, and people with allergies should not use this vegetable.

When picking wild rau khúc, people need to be careful, only pick it in fields, family gardens or places that they know for sure will not be contaminated with pesticides to ensure safety and avoid poisoning.

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