Preparation
For people in the Mekong Delta, not every part of water hyacinth can be put into a pot to cook. When picking, you must know how to look at the plant, choose long stems, growing in clean water areas with clear flow.
Amidst a bush of water hyacinth, people only choose the youngest bud that has just sprouted - called water hyacinth by the Mekong Delta people with a very affectionate name.
Water hyacinth after being picked is cut into pieces, soaked in lemon salt water to retain its pure whiteness and crunchy texture.
You can choose a bunch of purple water hyacinth flowers that have just just bloomed, bringing a mild sweetness and a cool scent of the countryside.
The soul of this dish is the resonance between water hyacinth and snakehead fish (cobia). Fatty, round snakehead fish with firm meat after being cleaned of slime will be cut into bite-sized pieces.
The authentic sour taste of the Mekong Delta does not come from vinegar but from ripe tamarind fruits that are squeezed to get juice or ripe shredded Barringtonia fruit fallen along the river.
Cooking method
The way to cook water hyacinth sour soup requires the quickness and timeliness of the cook.
First, prepare a pot of water to cook soup, after the water boils, add tamarind juice with a little salt and sweet palm sugar to the pot.
When releasing snakehead fish, the cook must continuously remove the foam to keep the broth crystal clear.
When the fish is just cooked, look at the water hyacinth released into the pot first.
Wait for the water to boil slightly again, then add water hyacinth, cinnamon, chopped coriander, a few slices of chili peppers and immediately turn off the heat.
Water hyacinth cooked with hot steam will retain its characteristic crispness, roughness, and porousness without ever becoming mushy or waterlogged.
The pot of sour water hyacinth and snakehead fish soup served is steaming, covered with a layer of golden fried garlic that will be fragrant. At this time, diners can be ready to enjoy sour water hyacinth soup with salty fish sauce or salt, lemon and chili.
The sour water hyacinth soup not only cools down in the summer, but is also a nostalgia, a culinary pride of the people of the Mekong Delta.
