Unique Muong food tray

As one of the ethnic groups that have lived for a long time on their homeland, the Muong ethnic group in Yen Lap district still retains its traditional identity in terms of language, costumes and especially unique dishes, including the leaf feast.

Over time with changes in life, traditional dishes on the leaf tray are still preserved in the life of the Muong people in Yen Lap.

Together with Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai in Hon area, Xuan An commune, we prepared a traditional tray of leaf offerings. While preparing, she introduced us in detail about the unique dishes of her people. Ms. Mai said: “The Muong people are very hospitable. When guests come from far away, the Muong people always treat them with a tray of leaf offerings. Leaf offerings mean the tray of offerings is displayed on banana leaves. After being cut, the wild banana leaves are trimmed to fit the size of the tray and heated over a fire to increase the softness of the leaves. The flavor of the wild banana leaves mixed with the flavor of the dishes will create an unforgettable rich flavor in the hearts of diners. For the Muong people, the leaf offering tray is also the quintessence of cuisine, it contains the affection of people for the land, sky, mountains and forests".

In the tray of leaves, there are always enough dishes made from pork, chicken, fish, stone crab, vegetables, tubers, fruits... These are products that people grow and harvest in the forest. Especially the indispensable dish is the five-color sticky rice with the symbolic meaning of yin and yang and the five elements, for the solidarity of the Muong ethnic community in particular and the ethnic communities in the district in general. The fragrant sticky rice grains are selected from the Ga crow sticky rice variety, carrying the characteristic aroma of plants and trees in the mountains and forests. The sticky rice grains are plump, shiny and beautiful, when cooled, the sticky rice grains shrink but still retain their softness and stickiness, making the five-color sticky rice dish unmistakable from any other type of sticky rice.

Mixed with meat dishes are boiled bamboo shoots and steamed wild vegetables. In the past, when going to the fields, Muong people often brought baskets to pick wild vegetables such as: Dang cai, rau don, rau dau, la chia, la sen, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, banana flowers... Mixed wild vegetables are washed, put in bamboo tubes or steamed in a steamer for about 30 - 40 minutes. Steamed wild vegetables are dipped in a special sauce, which is vinegar, when eaten, you will feel the bitter, astringent, sweet, rich, spicy... flavors of the vegetables when mixed together. This is also a very healthy dish and still appears regularly on the family dinner tray of Muong people.

In the leaf tray, wild banana flowers are often processed into many different dishes. But the most popular is still the banana flower with ribs. To make this dish, the banana flower will be thinly sliced, soaked in vinegar, or lemon juice to keep the banana flower fibers white and not darkened. Then take it out to drain and mix with salt, pepper, aromatic leaves and minced pork ribs. When the spices are absorbed, it will be put into bamboo tubes and grilled over hot coals. The banana flower with ribs dish has the rich flavor of banana flowers and the fatty, crispy, fragrant flavor of pork ribs, making the tray of food more attractive.

Leaf tray with rich Muong ethnic identity, Yen Lap district

The most impressive dish is the grilled Lao fish of the Muong people here. The fish are caught by hand and then brought back to be cleaned and drained. The fish will be marinated with spices and clamped with bamboo tongs and grilled over charcoal until the fish is evenly golden brown. The cooked Lao fish is spread evenly on banana leaves while still hot, the smell of grilled fish combined with the smell of banana leaves creates an attractive aroma that awakens the sense of smell and taste.

Comrade Nguyen Tam Ba - Chairman of Xuan An Commune People's Committee said: "The dishes on the leaf tray are all dishes formed during the production process of ethnic people and are processed, with ingredients reduced, becoming typical dishes of the Muong people. The Muong people consider the arrangement of leaf trays to entertain guests as a manifestation of love, solidarity, respect and hospitality. The leaf tray imbued with the flavor of the mountains and forests is always carefully arranged in a circle with a full range of different dishes, expressing the intersection of heaven and earth and the aspirations of the Muong people for fullness, completeness, abundance, prosperity, and human well-being.

Through the leaf tray, the Muong people flexibly express their community spirit, mutual affection, family traditions as well as their culture. The leaf tray is considered one of the culinary cultural characteristics of the Muong people in Yen Lap on the occasion of Tet and traditional cultural festivals.

Thu Giang

Source: https://baophutho.vn/doc-dao-mam-co-xu-muong-225840.htm