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The mention of rat meat evokes feelings of disgust in many people, but in Dinh Bang, it's considered a delicacy. Although not as common as dog, chicken, or beef, people in Bac Ninh still consume rat meat as a daily food item. In fact, many families even include this special dish on their wedding feast table.
According to the villagers, hunting rats in Dinh Bang is not for a living like in many other places, and rat meat is not a dish reserved only for the poor. It stems from the belief that it helps ensure a bountiful harvest. In Dinh Bang, people catch field rats to eat year-round, but if you want to join the villagers in rat hunting, you should come after the harvest because the rats are more abundant and fatter then. If you're imagining stray cats roaming the alleys, you'll be surprised to find that instead of cats, every household here keeps dogs to catch rats.
The people of Dinh Bang use dogs to hunt rats, absolutely not by digging burrows. This method helps catch many rats, and they remain alive after being caught. Using traps is also a common way to catch rats here, but the rats often break their legs and die before the villagers can collect them. In addition, traditional rat catching methods are still applied during the straw season. The villagers burn straw and fan the smoke into the burrows, leaving only one entrance open, forcing the rats to run out and crawl into the trap.
After the harvest, you can join the young men of Dinh Bang village on a rat hunt. Photo: vnphoto
Field rat meat, white and as flavorful as chicken, is used as a main ingredient, combined with other ingredients, to prepare many dishes ranging from simple to elaborate. The most popular is boiled rat meat pressed with lime leaves. The meat is boiled until cooked, then pressed on a cutting board to drain excess fat. After a few hours, it is chopped into small pieces, sprinkled with lime leaves, and served with a lime-pepper dipping sauce. This dish is crispier and more flavorful than chicken.
Equally popular is field mouse stew with beans. The meat is chopped into pieces and stir-fried with fish sauce until fragrant, then tofu is added and simmered. When served, a little chopped scallions and cilantro are added, and it's eaten with rice noodles.
Grilled rat tastes best during the cold season. Photo: dlna
For discerning diners, stir-fried rat with lemongrass and chili is a must-try dish when visiting Dinh Bang. After marinating with garlic, spices, five-spice powder, and soy sauce, the meat is stir-fried in a pan with oil, sautéed onions, garlic, and finely ground lemongrass and chili. When cooked, it's served on a plate; the aroma of lemongrass and the spicy kick of chili blend with the rich, fatty flavor of the meat. Eating it while hot is perhaps the best experience of any dish.
In addition, field mice are also prepared into dishes such as jellied mouse, mock dog meat stew, fried mouse, sweet and sour stir-fried mouse, or mouse in tomato sauce, making many people's mouths water when the dishes are presented. Locals in Dinh Bang say that eating field mouse meat is very healthy, has the effect of strengthening the body, relieving pain, and healing bones.
Nowadays, while rat meat in Dinh Bang is no longer as popular as it once was when it was available in many places, Hanoi's food connoisseurs still often return to Dinh Bang to enjoy this rustic dish. Here, it's not difficult to find stalls selling dishes made from field rats in the villages of Xuan Dai, Thinh Lang, Ha, Thuong, and Dinh.
If you ever have the chance to visit Dinh Bang and have never tasted the specialties of this Kinh Bac region, put aside your initial fear and try the delicious dishes made from rat meat; you'll surely be hooked and want to eat it again.
