In Hung Yen province, there is a fragrant, shimmering dipping sauce that was once offered to the king and is now confidently sold all over the world.

In the heart of the fertile Northern Delta, Hung Yen has long been famous for its many famous specialties, but perhaps the "soul" of the cuisine here is Ban sauce. The shimmering, golden dipping sauce has a unique flavor that anyone who has ever enjoyed it will find hard to forget.

Each drop of golden soy sauce, with the rich aroma of soybeans, mixed with the salty taste of sea salt and the sweet taste of sticky rice, makes anyone who has tasted it once become addicted forever. Even after hundreds of years, the people of Ban Yen Nhan village still maintain the traditional essence, preserve and develop this famous dipping sauce.

The long-standing origin of Hung Yen Ban soy sauce

Tuong Ban Hung Yen is not only a rustic dipping sauce but also a cultural symbol, a part of the memory of the Vietnamese people. According to many historical documents, the profession of making Tuong Ban has existed since around the 12th - 13th century, associated with the development of Pho Hien - a bustling trading port at that time.

Tuong Ban is a famous specialty of Hung Yen. (Photo: ST)

The ancients recounted that, during the Ly Dynasty, when the king moved the capital to Thang Long, delicious dishes from all over poured into the capital, and Ban soy sauce was one of the royal products, much loved by the kings and mandarins. A fleet of boats carrying jars of soy sauce from Hung Yen went up the Red River to the royal court, bringing the rich flavors of the Northern countryside to the royal banquet table.

However, it was not until the early 20th century that Ban soy sauce really became popular. From 1935 to 1940, Mrs. Than Thi Luu was the first person to think of bottling soy sauce to sell along Highway 5A, helping this specialty spread far and wide. Her "Cu Lam" brand of soy sauce became the first famous product of Ban soy sauce village, paving the way for many Ban soy sauce brands later.

Tuong Ban Hung Yen has been around for hundreds of years (Photo: ST)

A bottle of delicious Ban Hung Yen soy sauce must first have a golden brown color like honey, shining under the sunlight. When opening the lid, the rich aroma of soybeans mixed with the strong smell of fermented sticky rice awakens all the senses. Take a taste, the sweet taste spreads to the tip of the tongue, followed by the fatty taste of soybeans, combined with the rich taste of salt, creating a perfect harmony.

The drops of sauce flow down, thick as honey, leaving a shimmering layer on the edge of the bowl, creating an irresistible feeling of attraction. Bringing it to your mouth, you can feel the smooth consistency, the seductive aroma, both rustic and sophisticated. When dipped with boiled spinach or crispy eggplant, the rich delicious taste suddenly explodes in your mouth, making everyone exclaim in praise.

Gourmets often have a very subtle tip for choosing soy sauce: good soy sauce is not too thin, not too thick, when shaking the bottle gently you will see the soy sauce stick evenly to the bottle, not clumping or separating.

The secret to making premium Ban Hung Yen soy sauce - The soul of Vietnamese cuisine

It is no coincidence that Ban soy sauce has such a special flavor. The people of Ban Yen Nhan village have their own family secrets, combined with climate conditions, water sources, and traditional earthenware jars to create batches of delicious soy sauce.

In Ban village, it is easy to find handmade earthenware jars that are 50 - 70 years old. The soy sauce produced from old jars will be more delicious and sweeter than that from modern earthenware jars. Although hardened by fire, the jars still retain the porosity of the soil and do not leak or seep.

The mold for making Hung Yen soy sauce must be delicious sticky rice. (Photo: ST)

At the same time, with the wide mouth feature, the maker can actively check the condition and taste to adjust regularly. The large mouth of the jar also helps the user to easily scoop the soy sauce when using, extremely convenient.

Although the ingredients for making soy sauce are not sophisticated or complicated, to make a batch of delicious soy sauce with rich flavor, the maker must be extremely meticulous. Making soy sauce is not difficult, but to make standard traditional Ban soy sauce, not everyone can do it.

Making soy sauce includes the main steps of molding sticky rice, fermenting soy sauce and fermenting. The first step is to choose rice to make mold. The rice must be golden sticky rice, large, plump grains, not broken, moderate whiteness. When making, only rub the rice, keeping the bran to make the soy sauce sweeter. The villagers call this sliding rubbing.

The milled rice is then steamed into sticky rice. Wait until it cools down, then scoop it out onto a tray (sieve) to prepare for the molding process. According to the traditional method of our ancestors, the sticky rice must be covered with longan leaves because longan leaves have the ability to retain heat well.

Molding is one of the important factors that directly determines the quality of the entire batch of soy sauce. If the mold is slimy, sour, too moist, infected with black mold and other types of mold, the soy sauce after fermentation will be sour, have bad color and lose its sweet and fatty taste.

Ingredients to make Hung Yen soy sauce are very simple (Photo: ST)

So, when the sticky rice tray is covered with white mold, people use their hands to squeeze the sticky rice grains so that every grain is covered with mold. Then they cover it with cloth and longan leaves and wait for the mold to grow back.

With soybeans, you need to wash them until the water is clear, and remove any damaged or flat beans. When roasting, you must use a thick-bottomed pan and stir constantly to prevent the soybeans from burning. The evenly cooked soybeans are crushed by the soy sauce maker.

The last step is also equally important, which is the step of fermenting and fermenting the soy sauce. When fermenting the soy sauce, you need to pay attention to the ratio of salt, water, and mold to get a delicious, sweet, fragrant, and rich finished product.

In particular, making soy sauce requires the most "sunlight", otherwise the soy sauce will be rancid, meaning it will not have the right flavor. People in Ban village usually make soy sauce from the third to the eighth lunar month every year because this is the time when the North receives the most sunlight. At the same time, the soy sauce needs to be stirred every morning.

Perhaps the only thing that never changes is that to produce a batch of delicious soy sauce, without bad smell, with just the right amount of flavor, requires the person making Ban soy sauce to have many years of experience, perseverance and patience.

Therefore, for the people here, Ban sauce is not only a dipping sauce but also a traditional cultural beauty. The people here share that: "Working hard day and night is not to get rich but to preserve the traditional craft village".

For generations, Ban sauce has been an indispensable dipping sauce in Vietnamese meals. With just a small bowl of sauce, we can enhance a series of dishes: boiled water spinach, banh duc, banh te, boiled meat, pickled eggplant... Ban Hung Yen sauce is not only a dipping sauce but also an ingredient for braised fish, braised beans, braised meat, helping the dish to be rich and have an attractive aroma.

People in Ban town make soy sauce all year round. (Photo: ST)

The familiar folk song: "La melon, Lang basil, Bang spring rolls, Ban bean sauce" proves that, for generations, Ban bean sauce has held an important position in our country's cuisine. Not only a spice, Ban bean sauce is also a nostalgia for the homeland of many children living far away from home.

Although society has developed and many types of industrial sauces have been born, Ban sauce still maintains a solid position. Today, this specialty is not only present in family kitchens but also exported to the US, Japan, and Korea. Famous Ban sauce brands such as Cu Lam, Nam Duong, and Tan Hung are increasingly developing, contributing to bringing the flavor of the homeland far and wide.

Ban Hung Yen sauce is not only a dipping sauce but also a symbol of ingenuity, sophistication and love for the homeland in every drop of sauce. Through many generations, this specialty still retains its value, captivating many domestic and foreign diners. If you have the opportunity to visit Hung Yen, do not forget to buy a few bottles of original Ban sauce to experience the traditional flavor and bring back as gifts for relatives and friends.

Source: https://danviet.vn/o-tinh-hung-yen-co-thu-nuoc-cham-song-sanh-thom-lung-truoc-dem-tien-vua-nay-tu-tin-mang-di-ban-khap-the-gioi-2025032116192586.htm