For a long time, sour meat has been present on the table of thousands of Mường families. In Lam Hóa Street, Vũ Bình Commune, Lạc Sơn District, Hòa Bình Province, there is a "sour meat village" with nearly 10 production facilities for this famous specialty, providing locals with stable income and employment opportunities.
Each workshop starts producing sour meat with a different origin. However, the common point of the "sour meat village" is that any household that has "fallen in love" with the dish from Mường will be attached, hoping to develop it.
In an interview with PV, Ms. Đỗ Thị Lam Giang - owner of the sour meat production facility at Đỗ Family (Lam Hóa Street, Vũ Bình Commune, Lạc Sơn District) shared: "My family is originally from Ninh Bình, but has been living in Hòa Bình for 50 years now. While living and working with the Mường people, we realized that the cuisine of Mường is very unique and special, especially the sour meat dish, so we decided to learn and process it into a product for consumers."
According to Ms. Giang, the secret to making delicious and flavorful sour meat is to pay attention to the selection of raw materials. Pork that meets the standards is raised in a natural environment, with a suitable balance of lean and fat meat. Most importantly, the pork must be fresh and delicious, and must be processed immediately when the meat is still slightly warm.
"The processing must follow the regulations to ensure food safety and hygiene from the time of processing to the consumer. Currently, our sour meat products are being distributed to provinces in the north such as Hưng Yên, Thái Bình, Nam Định, Hà Nội, Ninh Bình... Meanwhile, they meet the standards to be sold in some supermarkets and retail stores" - Ms. Giang said.
This rural specialty has officially entered the domestic market. Sour meat products are now available on the shelves of many supermarkets and large stores, contributing to the expansion of Mường specialties nationwide.
The sour meat production facilities also create employment opportunities for local laborers. Currently, in Vũ Bình Commune, sour meat is being developed as an OCOP product, helping to increase income and create employment opportunities for local residents.
Mr. Bùi Minh Tặng - Vice Chairman of Vũ Bình Commune People's Committee said that currently, there are 5 sour meat production facilities in Vũ Bình Commune, with 3 of them having been certified for food safety and hygiene.
According to Mr. Tặng, the advantage of Lạc Sơn sour meat lies in the abundant raw materials, with pork being raised in a natural environment by local residents. Moreover, the unique flavor of Mường sour meat is created by the use of dổi seeds, which are grown in a famous dổi region in Chí Đạo Commune.
"Each sour meat production facility will have its own secret recipe, but Lạc Sơn sour meat will have the original flavor of Mường cuisine in Hòa Bình, which is why it is favored by customers.
To develop the product, the commune has directed the Farmers' Association and Women's Union to support market connection and coordination with local residents to provide a market outlet for the product, helping to expand Lạc Sơn sour meat nationwide and create employment opportunities and develop the local economy" - Mr. Tặng said.
Sitting on a Mường-style house, sipping rice wine, and eating sour meat will allow you to experience the unique flavors of this region. Sour meat is processed throughout the year and can be consumed at any time.
