Wild ngot vegetables, a rustic vegetable of the mountainous region of Quang Ngai, bring a pure sweetness that is completely natural, without elaborate seasoning but still rich. From a dish associated with the difficult days of the highland people, now wild ngot vegetables have become a clean specialty, favored by consumers.
Wild ngot vegetable has long become a familiar dish in the meals of mountain people. The special feature of this vegetable is its light sweetness, natural richness, and does not require sugar or MSG when processed.
With just a little fish sauce, a little salt, the flavor is complete, bringing out a very unique "sweet aftertaste". Since then, people have added the name "MSG plant" to wild ngot vegetables.
Forest ngót grows naturally on the mountain slopes, belongs to the woody type, prefers light, is taller than a person's head, and has lush foliage. At the end of winter, the forest ngót tree loses all its old leaves, and around the end of January begins to sprout young shoots. From February to March of the lunar calendar is the most ideal harvest time, when the leaves and young shoots reach softness, sweetness and are rich in nutrients.
In daily meals, wild water spinach is processed into many simple but still attractive dishes. The most common is plain water spinach soup or cooked with shrimp, minced meat, and snails. After picking, the vegetables only need to have young leaves, washed, and gently squeezed to cook quickly and release sweetness.
When the water just boils, add the vegetables, season with a little fish sauce and salt, wait for it to boil again and then turn off the heat. No need to add elaborate spices, the bowl of soup is still clear, green and cool, bringing a natural sweetness.
In the memories of many highland people, wild ngot vegetable soup was once a precious dish in difficult days. Just going to the stream to catch a few rock snails, going to the forest to pick a handful of vegetables, adding a small handful of rice, you can cook into a pot of hunger-resistant soup. That simple but nutritious dish has contributed to helping people overcome times of hardship.
Besides the soup, stir-fried wild Malabar spinach is also popular with many people. The processing method is not fussy but requires quick operations. Sauté garlic until fragrant, add thinly sliced shrimp or meat to stir-fry until tender, then add vegetables and stir-fry over high heat, season with salt or fish sauce.
Thanks to its natural sweetness, the dish does not need any added sweetening spices. The finished product is a plate of lush green vegetables, soft but still retains its crispness, light sweetness blended with the rich flavor of shrimp, meat and the aroma of garlic.
Not only delicious, wild ngot vegetables are also a nutritious food. According to traditional medicine, vegetables have a sweet taste, cool properties, help cool down, detoxify, diuretic, support digestion and beautify skin. This is also a clean food source, close to nature.
Today, wild ngot vegetable is not only present in the meals of mountain people but also gradually becomes a popular specialty in urban areas. Thanks to its natural sweet and healthy taste, low spice demand and high nutritional value, this vegetable is increasingly sought after by many people as a clean, safe food choice, imbued with the flavor of the mountains and forests.
