If you have the opportunity to visit the coastal city of Rach Gia, in addition to famous seafood dishes, gourmets will definitely whisper to each other about a unique soup, both refreshing and rich: Beef and okra soup.
Looking at the plate of ingredients served, diners will be immediately impressed by the thin slices of okra that are evenly sliced. These slices look like lush green petals, not only creating beauty for the dish but also being the core secret to creating the characteristic smoothness.
When fried okra in boiling broth, thinly sliced okra will release natural mucus quickly, blending into the soup without using too much tapioca starch, keeping the soup's taste always clear and not pungent.
The main ingredient that is indispensable for the dish is minced or thinly sliced beef, fresh, reddish-pink, dotted with slices of pure white onions, fragrant fried onions and a few bright green cilantro stalks.
The soup is served in small aluminum pots placed on an alcohol stove, always in a boiling state. The broth is simmered from bones, clear but deeply sweet, with a faint aroma of minced onions and pepper.
The most interesting point when enjoying this dish is the appearance of fresh lemon slices on a plate of beef. According to gourmets, beef and okra soup will "lose its soul" if it lacks the sour taste of lemon.
When the soup is boiling, add beef and okra, then squeeze a little fresh lemon juice. The sour taste of lemon not only helps the beef become softer, neutralizes fat and viscosity but also stimulates the taste buds strangely.
Sipping a hot spoonful, you will feel the sweetness of beef, the coolness of okra, the slight spiciness of pepper and the refreshing sour aftertaste of lemon.
Enjoying this soup next to rustic wooden tables, in the cozy space of restaurants in Rach Gia is an unforgettable experience. It is not only a nutritious dish but also contains the ingenuity in the combination of rustic ingredients to create a classy flavor.
A serving of beef and okra soup for 2 people costs 120 thousand VND.
