Phu Tuc afternoon market is a spontaneous market on the sidewalks of the streets surrounding Phu Tuc market such as Hai Ba Trung, Nguyen Van Troi...
The market starts around 3pm every day and runs until dark. There are over 30 stalls selling goods from local farmers.
Fresh vegetables attract buyers at the Phu Tuc afternoon market in Phu Tuc town (Krong Pa district, Gia Lai province). Photo: Van Ngoc.
Returning from her fields, Ms. Ksor H'Vot (Ket hamlet, Phu Tuc town) carries a basket containing more than ten bundles of tiang liang to the market to sell. After the rains, the tiang liang trees in the forest sprout new, lush leaves.
During her lunch break, she picked young leaves and used grass strings to tie them into neat bundles and put them in a basket. She sold each bundle for 5,000 VND. After diligently searching through the bamboo bushes, Ms. H'Vot was able to pick more than a dozen fresh bamboo shoots.
A bunch of young, lush wild tiang liang vegetables sells for only 5,000 VND at Phu Tuc afternoon market, Phu Tuc town (Krong Pa district, Gia Lai province). Photo: Van Ngoc.
And those are the items that Ms. H'Vot takes advantage of to bring to the afternoon market in the hope of earning extra money to cover her living expenses.
The couple has 3 children of school age. They work hard on more than 5 hectares of cassava but life is still very difficult.
But since she started collecting forest products around her fields, she has an extra 50-100 thousand dong each day to buy more rice, buy more cakes for her children or save up to buy new clothes. More than that, every family dinner has an extra fish or piece of meat.
“This season, tiang liang is young and delicious, so I pick it to sell. Many people love to eat these leaves, they can be eaten with grilled dishes, pounded into salt to dip or pounded with dried fish to eat, all delicious. Some people even buy them as gifts to send far away.
In other seasons, I sometimes go out to pick giang leaves, aromatic grass, or catch ants to sell. At noon, I go out for about 1 hour to pick leaves, break bamboo shoots, and in the afternoon I come back to sell for about 2 hours and then go home to cook rice. Although I don't earn much, I still have a little extra money to pay for my children's food and clothing," Ms. H'Vot confided.
A plastic bag containing ingredients for stir-fried noodles costs only 10,000 VND. Photo: Van Ngoc
Next to that, Mrs. Ksor H'Rin (Du hamlet, Phu Tuc town) also busily tied the noodles leaves in a very eye-catching package for customers to choose from. Perhaps there are few markets that sell noodles leaves stir-fried with bitter eggplant like Phu Tuc afternoon market. In the plastic bag are noodles leaves that have been crushed with a "combo" of wild eggplant, bitter eggplant, chili, bamboo shoots, male papaya flowers and are sold for... 10 thousand VND.
Fresh, unprocessed ants and ant eggs are also sold at Phu Tuc afternoon market in Phu Tuc town (Krong Pa district, Gia Lai province). Photo: Van Ngoc
Ms. H'Rin said: "Each bag can comfortably feed 3-4 people. When you buy it, just add fish sauce and salt. If you like steamed fish or pork belly, add it and stir-fry it a bit and you can eat it right away.
Many people here like to eat cassava leaves but don’t have time to prepare them because it takes a lot of time to knead them. I’m old and not as strong as the kids, so I have to work hard to make this dish and then sell it at the market to help my children and grandchildren. I only sell it when it’s all gone, I can’t leave it until tomorrow.”
Natural shrimp and fish, including river shrimp and stream fish just caught on the Ba River, are sold at Phu Tuc afternoon market, Phu Tuc town (Krong Pa district, Gia Lai province). Photo: Van Ngoc.
In the land located on the banks of Ba River, the afternoon market cannot lack the fish and shrimp that this river has to offer. From fresh shrimp jumping to goby fish, white fish... all can be easily found at Phu Tuc afternoon market.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien (Binh Minh village, Phu Can commune) shared: “Early in the morning, my husband and I go out to remove the nets and put them in the morning market, then continue to cast the nets in the afternoon, so the shrimp and fish are very fresh. Buyers really like fresh products that have just been caught from the river, so I only sell them for about 1 hour.”
The market also has local products such as fresh ants and ant eggs, termite mushrooms, bitter eggplant, melon, chili, male papaya flowers... that can stimulate the taste buds of any visitor.
No one remembers exactly when Phu Tuc afternoon market started, but it has entered the memories of many people here, especially those who are far from home.
Male papaya flowers, termite mushrooms, and sword mushrooms are typical Jrai cuisine, giving Phu Tuc afternoon market its own unique character. Photo: Van Ngoc.
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Son (Ho Chi Minh City) recalled: "Because of my job, I have to work far away, but I always remember the taste of simple, rustic dishes in my hometown.
So every time I come back, I go to the afternoon market to find that flavor, it is unique and cannot be found anywhere else. My wife is not from Krong Pa but she also loves going to the afternoon market, everything looks fresh and delicious and she wants to buy it all.
I often ask my family to buy it and park my car there, but the most interesting thing is still walking around the market like this. I think the afternoon market can be a very attractive tourist destination because I believe many people who love to explore will be fascinated."
Source: https://danviet.vn/mot-cai-cho-chieu-o-gia-lai-thay-dan-ban-la-liet-rau-rung-tom-song-ca-suoi-gia-re-bat-ngo-20240924170240437.htm
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