The floating season in the West starts from around August to November every year. The water rises at its highest from mid-August to early September, bringing with it many unique products, creating attractive dishes of Westerners.
Fish sauce hotpot
The most typical feature of Western cuisine is the Southern fish sauce hotpot. Outstanding with the rich flavor of Linh fish sauce, the hot pot combined with fresh and unique vegetables of the river region such as Goo Neo, Sesbania, pumpkin flower, So chop flower... Rich hot pot broth , fragrant with the smell of fish sauce, mixed with the sweetness of fresh vegetables and seafood, imbued with the culture of Southern cuisine.
Chef Nguyen Minh Triet - head chef of MAMMOM restaurant specializing in traditional cuisine of 3 regions in Hanoi, said: "Fish paste is the soul of hot pot. The longer the fish sauce is left to eat, the more delicious and rich it becomes. It must be aged for at least a year."
When Westerners enjoy fish sauce hot pot, they will eat it with many types of vegetables because this is a hot pot dish that is more about vegetables than meat. The fish sauce hot pot sauce is so rich that cooked vegetables, meat or fish and shrimp can be eaten immediately without dipping sauce. Some people eat it with fish sauce or sweet and sour tamarind sauce, depending on taste.
River dolphin
Western cuisine has many typical products that are only available during the flood season. Among them, river dolphins must be mentioned. The fish has a small shape, only about 5 - 10 cm long, smooth jade green skin, sharp beak, and curved barbs on both sides of the gills.
Chef Nguyen Minh Triet revealed that this species is called dolphin because every time they are caught out of the water, they will make a "squeak" sound like a pig. This fish only appears in abundance during the flood season and is processed into many different dishes by people in the West.
There are many delicious dishes from river dolphins such as braised river dolphin, braised dolphin with lemongrass and chili, dolphin soup..., the most attractive is grilled dolphin with salt and chili. Grilled fish skin is much tougher than other freshwater fish, the meat inside is soft and moist, especially the fatty layer of fat under the skin, combined with salt and chili marinated on the outside, creating a delicious and unique flavor. mouth.
Salad
More rustic menus of Westerners also include water lily salad mixed with crispy fried field shrimp, Soc Trang sewer cake, dried snakehead fish rice balls with tamarind sauce or wax banana stir-fried with coconut milk... Particularly water lily salad mixed with field shrimps. Crispy fried includes water lily, crispy shrimp, mixed herbs and sesbania - a flower that only blooms during the flood season.
According to chef Nguyen Minh Triet, the time for Sesbania flowers to bloom lasts about 3-4 months. When the flood season comes, Sesbania flowers with their bright yellow color become an indispensable highlight in Western meals.
“A special point is that during the flood season, water lilies rise high along the water, bringing a natural cool sweetness. This season's shrimp eat a variety of plankton and have exceptionally sweet and fragrant meat.
Sesbania flowers and mixed vegetables add a fresh, fragrant flavor to the dish. Enjoying this salad means touching the quintessential, most authentic flavor of the river region," the chef shared.
Previously, diners had to go all the way to the West during the flooding season to have the opportunity to enjoy delicious dishes from unique products here. However, today, some restaurants include these attractive dishes on the menu, bringing the most complete and delicious experience to diners in Hanoi.
