Preserving and developing the 'black treasure' of the tea land

THAI NGUYEN Due to suitable soil and climate conditions, canarium fruit grown in Ha Chau is very special, with a richer, fatty, aromatic flavor and firmer flesh than canarium fruit grown in other localities.

THAI NGUYEN Due to suitable soil and climate conditions, canarium fruit grown in Ha Chau is very special, with a richer, fatty, aromatic flavor and firmer flesh than canarium fruit grown in other localities.

Ha Chau black plum is famous along Cau River, Phu Binh district, Thai Nguyen province. Photo: Pham Hieu.

Black plum is a specialty of the northern mountainous region. Wherever there are hills and forests, black plum can be found. However, the most famous is probably the black plum of Ha Chau, a commune located along the Cau River in Phu Binh District, Thai Nguyen Province.

"No matter where you go

Remember the season of Ha Chau's star fruit and come back"

Black canarium trees have been planted in Ha Chau commune for hundreds of years, belonging to the group of woody plants, flowering in February, fruit ripening and harvesting from July to September of the lunar calendar every year. Due to the suitability of the soil and climate conditions, canarium fruits grown in Ha Chau are very special, with a rich, fatty, fragrant, and firmer taste than canarium fruits grown in other localities, so black canarium fruits have become a specialty of this land.

Ha Chau black plum has a richer, more fatty, aromatic and firmer taste than plum grown in other localities. Photo: Pham Hieu.

According to the experience of local people, delicious black star fruit must be diamond-shaped, and when bitten, the flesh is bright yellow. In good years, a tree can yield from 1 to 1.5 quintals of fruit. The price of delicious black star fruit is about 90,000 - 100,000 VND/kg. Compared to growing other types of trees, black star fruit trees bring high economic efficiency.

When it comes to harvest, people almost do not have to bring it to the market to sell, but traders will come to their homes to order, even ordering the whole tree when the canarium begins to bear fruit. Thanks to that, Ha Chau canarium has spread beyond Thai Nguyen and to many regions of the country.

Canarium fruit is one of the popular rustic dishes. People can process black canarium fruit into many different dishes such as: Braised canarium fruit and cooked canarium fruit into sticky rice with canarium fruit; canarium fruit stewed with meat and fish; canarium fruit salad and especially the canarium fruit dish which has become a famous specialty of Ha Chau people.

The dish of Nham Tram requires elaborate preparation. Photo: Pham Hieu.

Canarium fruit has many nutrients. Canarium pulp contains protein, fat, sugar, especially vitamin C, B1, PP, fiber and minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, carroten... which are very beneficial for health.

In oriental medicine, Chinese jujube has a sour, sweet, astringent taste, warm properties... and is a medicine to treat many diseases such as bronchitis, dysentery, dermatitis, bone and joint pain, and cool the body...

Most households in Ha Chau, from old to young, know how to make black tram. Especially now, to serve the need to enjoy this local specialty with tourists, restaurants in Ha Chau or Phu Binh district all have black tram on the menu. In addition to nham, black tram can also be made into many other dishes such as stewed with meat, fish, cooked with sticky rice, soaked in fish sauce...

Ha Chau plums can be used to make many dishes, but the first step is still to stew the plums. First, you need to mix hot water with a “handful” amount of water and then soak the plums. The “handful” estimate is a particularly important factor in the preparation stage. If the water temperature is right and sufficient, the plums will become soft and fatty, but if the water is just a little cold or a little hot, the plums will become inert, hard, and even have to be thrown away.

After the plums are stewed soft, they can be eaten in simple ways such as dipping them in sesame salt or mixing them with chili fish sauce and eating them with white rice. This is the way to help diners feel the most clearly the fatty, nutty and sour taste of plums. More elaborate dishes include braised black plums with meat, stuffed black plums with meat or sticky rice with black plums...

There is a more elaborate dish made from canarium fruit that requires 14 spices to prepare. It is called “nham sua” and can only be found in Ha Chau.

When enjoying the canarium fruit, you will feel the sweet, rich, sour, and astringent taste. Photo: Pham Hieu.

The stewed black plums will be ground. Grill the salted fish or white carp until cooked, remove the bones, then fry until golden brown and fragrant. Slice the pork belly, young banana stem, sour star fruit, ginger leaves, fig leaves, and Polyscias fruticosa leaves. Grate the coconut, roast and crush the peanuts… Then mix everything together.

The way to enjoy this special dish is to pick up a bit of Nham Tram and place it in the middle of a Nhội leaf, a very thick type of forest leaf with a strong astringent taste, then roll it up and dip it in a sauce mixed with a little sugar. When eating, the person enjoying it will feel the full sweetness, richness, sourness, and astringency from the products of the mountains and forests of Ha Chau.

Preserving ancient canarium trees as local heritage

Currently, the entire Ha Chau commune has more than 4 hectares planted with over 1,500 black canarium trees. Black canarium trees are planted in Moi hamlet, Tao hamlet and scattered in Nui hamlet, Dong hamlet... Annual output is estimated at 20 - 25 tons; average yield is 40 - 50 kg/tree.

Through the Black Canarium Tree Conservation and Development Project, Ha Chau Commune is focusing on preserving ancient Canarium trees to become local heritage trees. At the same time, Ha Chau Commune has been coordinating with specialized agencies of Phu Binh District to support the Ha Chau Black Canarium Conservation and Development and Processing Cooperative to build a brand for salted Black Canarium and Canarium products to reach consumers widely.

At the same time, propagandize and mobilize people to expand the area of ​​black canarium planting into a concentrated raw material area. Currently, Ha Chau commune is planning to develop the area of ​​black canarium in the area, striving to have 3 more hectares of new planting in the fields of Cay Troi, Nui Chua, Bai Quan by 2025, thereby increasing the total area of ​​black canarium in the commune to 7.5 hectares.

Source: https://nongsanviet.nongnghiep.vn/gin-giu-phat-trien-bau-vat-den-xu-che-d370072.html