Thai ethnic cuisine in Mai Chau (Hoa Binh) is famous near and far for its diversity and appeal from form to taste. Dishes such as: Lam rice, grilled chicken/duck in bamboo tube, snail cake, gai cake, upland sticky rice, grilled chicken with bamboo shoots, sour bamboo shoot soup… appear quite popular in eateries, restaurants, and resorts in Hoa Binh and is popular with diners.
However, there is another delicious dish of Thai people that not all tourists know about, which is.
When we introduced the steamed fish dish with Papaya leaves, many diners shook their heads and refused. They think that this type of leaf is very bitter and is not delicious and difficult to eat. They only use it as medicine,” said Mr. Trinh Phuc Man, owner of a resort in Xat Khoe commune, Mai Chau Hoa Binh.
The form of this dish At first glance, it’s not attractive, it looks like a lightly wrapped cake. The outer layer of leaves is not beautifully green but dark.
“At first, customers criticized it, but after enjoying it, many people were surprised. Unexpectedly, the fish dish steamed with papaya leaves is very delicious and has a unique taste. Male papaya leaves and flowers are very bitter, but when prepared properly, they only turn slightly brown and have a sweet aftertaste. This is one of the most popular dishes at my restaurant today,” said Mr. Man.
During the holidays Especially when celebrating a new rice meal, the Thai ethnic people always have carp steamed with papaya leaves.
The ingredients of this dish include: Carp usually choose the upper body piece close to the head to have few bones. and the fish’s belly is wide; Leaves of male papaya; Some types of herbs such as basil, dill, green onions; Lemongrass, ginger, chili pepper, dried onion.
According to Ms. Lo Huong Giang, a Thai ethnic person in Sam Khoe commune ( Mai Chau Hoa Binh) is currently a chef in a local resort: People often choose fish 2-3kg or more because the meat is juicy and firm. The fish is cleaned and cut into medium sized pieces to wrap in papaya leaves.
After preparing and marinating the fish, the chef uses papaya leaves to wrap it with a layer of banana leaves and wraps it like a banh chung. “This step must be done very carefully so that the fish juice does not flow out while steaming,” Ms. Giang said.
Steaming time is from 1 to 2 hours so that the fish cooks evenly, the papaya leaves become soft and absorb evenly. fish juice.
When serving customers, the staff will bring the entire wrapped fish package and place it on the table. When peeling off the banana leaf layer and using chopsticks to gently separate the papaya leaf skin to both sides, diners will see a thick piece of fish with pure white meat steaming hot and the rich aroma emanating from it fills the nose.</ p>
Putting the piece of fish to the diner’s mouth, diners will feel the slightly bitter taste of papaya leaves seeping into the sweet fish meat soaked in spices like chili pepper. The fish has a sweet taste, not bitter and scary like many people think.
According to Oriental medicine, papaya leaves have cooling properties, a slightly bitter taste and a pungent smell, helping to clear heat, detoxify, cool the liver, nourish the spleen and have a laxative effect. This type of leaf is considered a “miracle drug”.
There are potential advantages and have been exploited to develop travel From the 90s of the last century until now, Mai Chau district has become one of the bright spots on the Vietnamese tourism map with 197 accommodation establishments, including 4 resorts and 9 resorts. hotels meeting 1 – 3 star standards, 31 motels and 153 community motels.
Resolution 06-NQ/TU on “building Mai Chau district into a national tourist destination in 2020 with a vision to 2030″ plays a guiding role for tourism development activities in Mai Chau in recent years. In addition, Mai Chau district (Hoa Binh) has integrated new rural construction programs with economic development to help people escape poverty.
The word “fragrant” carries far away the number of tourists coming. with Mai Chau increasing each year. In the first 9 months of 2023, the district welcomed 467,713 visitors, including 54,807 international visitors and 412,906 domestic visitors.
Besides the natural landscape culture Thai ethnic people’s attractive cuisine also contributes to attracting tourists to Mai Chau. Revenue from tourism contributes greatly to the socio-economic development of the district.
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