VI
EN
Thai-Shui Jellyfish Salad
Thai Thuy is a coastal district of Thai Binh province. It is famous for two local specialties: eel salad and jellyfish salad. With an annual harvest of tons, it's easy to understand why jellyfish has become a signature dish of this region.
Jellyfish from Thai Thuy are characterized by their soft, translucent, glass-like texture, making them ideal for making jellyfish salad. Although a simple, rustic dish, jellyfish salad is highly nutritious. The people of Thai Thuy always tell visitors: "If you come to Thai Thuy and haven't tasted jellyfish salad, it's like you haven't truly been here."
Nem chao Vi Thuy
From its name alone, we can guess the origin of this specialty. Indeed, Vị Thủy fermented pork sausage originates from Vị Thủy village, Thái Thụy district, Thái Bình province. Because it's made from raw meat, this specialty is also known as "raw sausage." Typically, only experienced people can make this type of sausage because the process of handling the raw meat is very meticulous to avoid stomach upset.
Like other types of spring rolls, the pork skin is cleaned of hair, boiled until cooked, and thinly sliced. However, the special feature of Vị Thủy spring rolls is that the freshly butchered pork, still hot, is not washed but immediately minced within an hour. At that point, all the bones, pork meat, and marrow have reached a sticky, pliable consistency and are well combined. All these ingredients are then mixed with garlic, chili, fish sauce, MSG, and roasted rice flour to create the final product.
NGUYEN VILLAGE RICE CAKE
In the past, the famous rice cake of Nguyen village, Nguyen Xa commune, Dong Hung district, was a delicacy offered to the king. Today, the people of Nguyen village still maintain this unique dish as a way to preserve its ancient value.
The essential ingredients for making bánh cáy (rice cake) include glutinous rice, gac fruit, gardenia fruit, peanuts, sesame seeds, carrots, ginger, and tangerine peel. The finished bánh cáy will have a thick sesame layer on the outside and a fragrant glutinous rice flour layer inside. It is usually sliced thinly and enjoyed with tea.
Quynh Coi Fish Soup
Quynh Coi fish soup has long been considered a source of pride for the people of Thai Binh. And although it's called fish soup, it's actually served with rice crackers instead of rice.
The fish used in this dish is deboned, cut into pieces, marinated, grilled until cooked through, and then fried until golden brown. The remaining fish meat is separated from the bones, minced with dried onions, pepper, and chili, then shaped into balls and fried until crispy. The head and backbone of the fish are simmered to make the broth. All of these steps contribute to the distinctive flavor of Quynh Coi fish soup.
Guava
This guava variety, with its charming name, is seedless, sweet, crunchy, and mildly sour, and about the size of a fist. However, due to its low yield and economic benefits, the area planted with this guava variety is gradually shrinking. Therefore, visitors to Thai Binh are not always lucky enough to enjoy this fruit.
Eel salad
"Nhech" is the name of a type of fish with a shape and characteristics similar to eels. Therefore, during the initial preparation, ash is used to remove the fish's slime. After cleaning, the fish is sliced thinly and mixed with roasted rice flour, while the bones are finely chopped and cooked to make a dipping sauce. The sauce is then flavored with garlic, chili, ginger, lemongrass, and pepper to create a unique condiment. The fish skin is separated and deep-fried until crispy.
The flavor of this dish also depends significantly on how it's eaten. For the best taste, the eel salad with crispy fried fish skin should be wrapped in fig leaves, dipped in a dipping sauce, and served with lime leaves, mint, and perilla leaves.
Bun bung
Bun bung is one of the most popular dishes in Northern Vietnam. However, bun bung from Thai Binh is special because it's not served with taro stems, but instead with banana blossoms. It is for this reason that people in Thai Binh also call bun bung "banana blossom noodles."
Bun bung is typically made with pork trotters, meatballs, water spinach, Piper sarmentosum leaves, and of course, banana blossoms. The astringent taste of the banana blossoms, the fragrant aroma of Piper sarmentosum leaves, and the fresh vegetables blend with the rich flavor of the meat to create a dish that diners will never forget.
Ben Hiep steamed rice cake
Pork sausage rolls are not an unfamiliar food to many people, especially those in Northern Vietnam. However, in Thai Binh, this dish continues to be celebrated for its simplicity, ease of eating, and lack of cloying nature; it can be eaten as a substitute for rice, as a snack, or as a main meal. The most famous in Thai Binh is the Ben Hiep pork sausage roll, known for its excellent quality and attractive packaging. It seems that almost everyone who visits Thai Binh brings back some Ben Hiep pork sausage rolls as souvenirs.
Turmeric cake
It can be confidently stated that nowhere else in Vietnam can produce turmeric-flavored rice cakes as golden, fragrant, and rustic as in Thai Binh. This is the sentiment shared by many who have tasted this "rice-growing homeland" dish. Made from regular rice rather than glutinous rice, the cakes can be eaten in large quantities without causing heatiness or weight gain. The addition of turmeric also enhances the nutritional value of this dish. It's worth noting that turmeric-flavored rice cakes taste best when hot, as their flavor diminishes when cooled.
Dai Dong sticky rice cake
Dai Dong sticky rice cake has a tradition spanning hundreds of years and has become a must-try specialty when visiting Thai Binh. The cake's chewy texture, fragrant aroma, and distinctive sweetness allow everyone to experience the true essence of rustic charm.
