The Muong enjoy dishes made by steam method, and the dish “Sour Bamboo Shoots with Fish” is particularly traditional among Muong people in Hoa Binh. It is an indispensable dish during festivals, celebrations, and significant occasions. This fish dish is also a staple in ancestral worship offerings as well as everyday meals for Muong people in Hoa Binh.

The main ingredient that makes this unique dish is fish, which can include grass carp, and mud carp but the most delicious type is wild-caught fish such as stream fish, carp, and snakehead. Most of these fish are caught from ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams using natural farming methods, contributing to the sweet, aromatic taste, and great texture of the fish meat.

The next important ingredient is sour bamboo shoots. Muong people in Hoa Binh often harvest bamboo shoots or bamboo sprouts from the forest, peel them, slice them into thin pieces, and soak them in salty water for a period to ferment as well as preserve their crispiness and freshness. Sour bamboo shoots have become a familiar ingredient that Muong people in Hoa Binh use to prepare their daily meals.

Another ingredient bearing the characteristic flavor of the general ethnic community and specifically Muong people in Hoa Binh is Doi seeds. The cook roasts Doi seeds to enhance their aroma, then grinds them finely to mix evenly with the fish and bamboo shoots.

Some main ingredients for preparing the dish “Sour Bamboo Shoots with Fish”

After being caught, the fish is scaled, cleaned, and cut into medium-sized pieces. It is then marinated with sour bamboo shoots and spices such as Doi seeds, salt, ginger, lemongrass, etc. The marinating process, which takes about 30 minutes, allows the fish to absorb the flavors evenly, enhancing its taste. Once the fish and bamboo shoots have soaked in the marinade, the cook prepares banana leaves by briefly roasting them to make them bendy. The leaves are then cut into pieces and stacked in layers, then the fish and bamboo mixture is placed on the leaves. The layers are folded, tied tightly with bamboo strings, and placed on the side of the cooking pot. The dish is simmered for 10-12 hours.

A delicious dish “Sour Bamboo Shoots with Fish” meets the requirement

of being thoroughly cooked, with the fish being so tender but not mushy

A delicious dish “Sour Bamboo Shoots with Fish” meets the requirement of being thoroughly cooked, with the fish being so tender but not mushy that people can even chew the fish bones. When indulging, travelers can experience the enticing aroma of the fish blending with sour bamboo shoots and the spices of the mountainous forest.

Culinary arts, in general, and the dish “Sour Bamboo Shoots with Fish” in particular, represent the intangible cultural heritage of Muong ethnic group. For this dish, the ingredients, natural flavors of the mountainous forest, from the fish to the bamboo shoots, Doi seeds, etc. have all been creatively crafted by Muong people in their daily lives, creating this unique culinary creation.

The dish embodies the rich cultural essence of Muong ethnic group, showcasing intricacies in sourcing and processing ingredients. Alongside the dish “Taro leaves cooked with dried buffalo skin”, “Sour Bamboo Shoots with Fish” of Muong people in Hoa Binh province has also been honored by the Association of Vietnamese Culinary Culture as one of the top 121 most unique food and beverage items in Vietnam, in the quest for exemplary cultural values of Vietnamese cuisine.