(HBO) - The special food tray on leaves, the most unique culinary flavor of Hoa Binh, the mountainous area, is considered to be a primitive culinary culture of Muong ethnic people.
The speciality of the food tray on leaves
To have a delicious special food tray on leaves, it is necessary to have the right material. The most popular material is the indigenous pig, also known as the hog badger, weighing 15 - 30 kg. This type of pig is often raised on the forest or semi-unbridled, eating vegetables, corn, cassava all year round so the meat is firm, low-fat with naturally sweet-smelling. The leaves used for food display are banana leaves taken from forests that have been exposed to fire and have a characteristic aromatic smell, symbolizing the attachment of the residents to the mountains.
The visitors attending the Week of Culture and Tourism in Hoa Binh province in 2019 are enjoying the special Can wine made from yeast.
Now the special food trays on leaves are not only monotonous with only boiled dishes. They are very lively, sophisticated with eye-catching decoration and being added with the grilled dishes, rolls in pomelo leaves and the additional dishes such as Loong soup. The aromatic white sticky rice is wrapped square in banana leaves, symbolizing the quintessence of the land and the forest. Accompanied with the food is the salt with the seed from michelia tonkinensis. The grilled seeds from michelia tonkinensis are mixed with roasted salt have become an indispensable part of Muong special food tray, making it more charming.
The famous specialty, Can wine
It is said in the legend that Can wine of Muong ethnic people was born from the skillful hands, wisdom and virtue of Muong girls. Drinking Can wine of Muong ethnic people means drinking the natural milk from the mother and drinking the warm love of people.
Today's Can wine is widely used in the activities of the community, celebrating new houses, wedding parties, receptions or religious ceremonies. Especially, it has become a gift bringing a warm and happy feeling to every happy event. Can wine has become a brand of origin in Hoa Binh, appearing a number of establishments and villages producing Can wine to serve customers’ need of enjoyment all over the country.
In addition to the special food tray on leaves, the jar of Can wine is the most unique cuisine of Muong area, other culinary flavors of Muong ethnic people in Hoa Binh are also praised by the customers, such as boiled vegetables made from the leaves of Carica papaya, Meo broccoli, wild betel leaves, broccoli or pickled bamboo shoots cooked with chicken, buffalo with persicaria chinensis ... Coming to Muong area in Hoa Binh, enjoying the special food tray of Muong, enjoying drunk in yeast of Can wine on the occasions of festivals or New Year, you can feel all the meaning, unique cuisine flavor in the life of Muong ethnic people.
In the context of globalisation and deeper integration, preserving and promoting the national cultural identity is of utmost importance. Aware of their pioneering and proactive role on all fronts, over the years, the youth organisations at all levels in Hoa Binh province have implemented various concrete and practical activities to preserve and promote the cultural identities of ethnic groups in the locality.
Mai Chau district of Hoa Binh province is home to seven ethnic groups, six of which are minorities. The cultural identities of the ethnic minority groups have been preserved well. One of the district’s effective preservation efforts is the establishment of a cultural preservation club at the Mai Chau Boarding Secondary and High School for Ethnic Minority Groups.
Within the framework of Project 6 on preserving and promoting the fine traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities associated with tourism development, Lac Son district of Hoa Binh province organised a training programme and experimental competition of "danh mang” – a folk game played by the Muong ethnic group during their festivals – on November 26-27.
The Muong ethnic minority community, with a nationwide population of over 1.4 million, are primarily concentrated in Hoa Binh province, which is home to more than 500,000 Muong people who make up over 63% of the locality's total population. The promotion of the Muong language and script is crucial for preserving and promoting the rich cultural heritage of the Muong people, as well as bolstering socio-economic development, thus contributing to the effective implementation of the national target programme on boosting the socio-economic development of ethnic minority-inhabited and mountainous regions.
As part of Project 6 under the national target program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in 2024, Lạc Sơn District, Hoa Binh province focuses on diverse and practical activities to promote the project's goal: "Preserving and promoting the beautiful traditional cultural values of ethnic groups in conjunction with tourism development."
After 3 years of implementing Resolution No. 04-NQ/TU, dated October 11, 2021 of the Provincial Party Standing Committee on preserving and promoting the cultural heritage values of Hoa Binh province's ethnic groups in the period of 2021 – 2025 with the orientation to 2030 (NQ04), it has mobilized the participation of the entire political system, the people from all walks of life and there have been positive changes. So far, out of the 10 targets of NQ04, 3 targets have been met and exceeded the plan set for 2025. Typically, 70% of the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) of ethnic groups in the province is on the list of the national ICH items and they have been protected and restored, exceeding 20% of the proposed Resolution.
