Nung people's fermented bean curd
It takes half a year to soak the spices before they can be eaten immediately or made into dishes with fragrant upland rice. Through many stages of processing, the Nung people in the "white highlands" of Bac Ha have created a unique cuisine, imbued with their national cultural identity, from soybeans grown by hand in the fields – Nung people's fermented bean curd.Every year Mr. Vang Van Lung always makes fermented bean curd to sell |
Like many other ethnic minorities in the Bac Ha highland, the Nung people in Ta Chai also have a culinary culture with many delicious dishes, including many unique dishes made from indigenous soybeans grown on the farm such as: bean curd, bean sprouts, soybean sprouts, bean curd and fermented bean curd. The fermented bean curd is considered as a unique and most miraculous dish, because it takes half a year to brew before it can be used to eat…
Vang Van Lung, from the Nung ethnic group in Na Kheo village, Ta Chai commune, Bac Ha district, has been taught by his grandparents and parents since he was a child, and still maintains the profession of making fermented bean curd until now. Every year, around November, after harvesting the winter rice crop, the weather starts to cool down, Mr. Lung prepares tools to make fermented bean curd. The stages of making a batch of fermented bean curd are very sophisticated. Soybeans grown on the fields are ground in golden sunshine and pressed into bean curd. Then, Mr. Lung cut into small square pieces of bean curd and dried the bean curd in the sun. Mr. Lung said, the Nung people often dry bean curd on straw or woven bamboo to put bean curd on the sun. After drying the bean curd, which have just been scorched, are put in a jar to ferment mold for about 1 week to 10 days. When the bean curd are moldy, take them out, wash them, and then mix them with spices. When mixing heirloom spices, add white wine to enhance the flavor. The seasoning to soak the bean curd into fermented bean curd is dried chili powder ground or pounded, crushed dried orange peel, xen seeds, doi seeds, star anise... Put all in marinade and soak, divide into small jars (about 1 kg/bottle) for a period of 6 months to use.
The secret to making a batch of soft, delicious, fermented bean curd with a characteristic flavor, in addition to knowing how to prepare spices from herbs as mentioned above, in the processing stage, you must also ensure cleanliness and use tools. Beans must be used separately, not with other utensils. After finishing each batch of bean curd, it is necessary to clean and store the tools for use next year. When soaking bean curd, absolutely do not stick to grease. Mr. Vang Van Lung added that last year, his family made 4 quintals of soy beans and 2.5 quintals of fermented bean curd but not enough to sell. This year, making more than 2 quintals of fermented bean curd, now it's starting to absorb and taste good. For every 1 kg of fresh beans, Mr. Lung can process 2 boxes of fermented bean curd. The average selling price of 1 box of fermented bean curd (about 1 kg) is 100,000 dong. In fact, making fermented bean curd is a feat, but it is not as profitable as doing other jobs, but Mr. Lung still wants to keep this traditional job.
At first, there were years when the weather was not favorable, there were also batches of bean curd processing that were unsuccessful and had to be thrown away. Then, just by collecting the experience through brewing, soaking and reducing spices, now Mr. Lung's family's fermented bean curd product has a reputation in Bac Ha, many people are "addicted" to the dish. This season did not forget to come back to order takeout. Mr. Lung said: The seasoning to soak the fermented bean curd is similar to the seasoning used to prepare the buckle meat, the Nung's barbecue, etc. However, it takes 6 months of soaking to taste good. In the village of Nung - Na Kheo, almost every family knows how to make fermented bean curd to serve family meals and family occasions.
Fermented bean curd is usually eaten by the Nung with cooled white rice. This is a dish before the time of grandparents, Mr. Lung's parents used to take it to work in the fields. Today, fermented bean curd has become a specialty dish of Bac Ha highland. If soy bean dish is indispensable in the seasoning of boiled meat or in the famous Bac Ha noodle soup, then fermented bean curd is also considered a traditional, rustic dish, imbued with the highland cultural identity. Vang Van Lung and many Nung people in Ta Chai commune, Bac Ha also have an extra income from this traditional profession - making not only the meaning of preserving the unique culture of their nation-making fermented bean curd.