Every December of the lunar calendar, the people of the Mekong Delta clearly feel the spring coming. Tet here does not come in a hurry, but starts from familiar things that last for a whole month before Tet such as planting flowers, cleaning the house, and then on the full moon of December, picking apricot leaves, making jam and especially salting pickled scallions and pickled mustard greens. Rustic dishes not only contribute flavor to the spring meal but also preserve the Tet reunion custom of people in the river region.
Holding a jar of pickled scallions that had just been made, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hiep (Luong Tam commune, Can Tho city) said that making pickled scallions for Tet has become a family habit for many years. "There are many goods sold outside the market, but doing it yourself, the whole family sits together, some pick pickled scallions, some wash, some prepare jars... the atmosphere is bustling, Tet is clearer," Ms. Hiep shared.
According to Ms. Hiep, each family has a different way of choosing pickled onions, some people like large bulbs, others prefer small bulbs. She usually chooses small bulbs because they are crispy and quickly absorb spices. Onions must be fresh, with even stems, then when salted, they will have a beautiful color and crispy deliciousness. Pickled onions need to be mixed with sugar and then left for about 10-15 days to remove the pungency, so they are usually made before Tet from 15 - 30 days before Tet. When eating, pickled onions are often served with braised pork with duck eggs, spring rolls, dried shrimp - familiar dishes in the Tet meal tray, both to prevent boredom and as a snack when relatives and friends meet.
Meanwhile, sour cabbage from green cabbage is faster to eat, only about 3-5 days to use, so it is usually made close to Tet. Ms. Hiep's family also proactively plants cabbage a month in advance to have clean raw materials and feel secure in using it in the first days of the year.
Ms. Duong Thi Quy, a resident of My Xuyen ward (Can Tho City) said that each household has its own secret, from how to soak pickled onions, sun-dry them to seasoning with sugar, vinegar or fish sauce. Sour cabbage must also be cooked on the right day, at the right sourness to be delicious. "It takes so much effort, but Tet without pickled onions and sour cabbage, I feel like something is missing," Ms. Quy said.
Ms. Cao Tuong Vy (My Xuyen ward, Can Tho city) said that this year she is more at home, so she takes advantage of making two jars of pickled scallions and pickled mustard greens for her family. "Before, I was a worker and didn't have time. This year, because of my health, I stayed at home, during Tet, making pickled vegetables is both economical and has clean food. It's the first time doing it and everyone in the family praises me," Ms. Vi shared.
Not only serving family meals, many households also make pickled onions and sour cabbage to sell during Tet to earn extra income. The jars of golden yellow pickled vegetables and green sour cabbage are carefully packaged, sold at the market or for regular customers to pre-order. The increased demand at the end of the year helps many families have extra Tet spending.
Ms. Pham Kim Ngan (Ca Mau province) said that thanks to her relatives skillfully making delicious pickled scallions, she takes advantage of social networks to introduce products to friends and regular customers at a price of about 150,000 VND per 1-kg jar.
Sharing the secret, Ms. Ngan said that it is necessary to choose old pickled onions to be crispy and delicious. Pickled onions grown on soil are of better quality, avoid choosing pickled onions grown on white sand because when making pickles, they are easily wilted. When cutting pickled onions, do not cut deep into the flesh, only cut off the roots to make the onions both beautiful and delicious. Usually, 1 kg of fresh pickled onions after being finished is about 600 - 700 grams.
Similarly, Ms. Nguyen Thi Lieu, residing in Phu Loi ward (Can Tho City), said that for the past month she has been busy making pickled scallions to serve Tet orders. Pickled scallions are made according to family recipes, suitable for taste, so they are favored by many people. "This Tet season, I have sold more than 20 kg of finished pickled scallions, currently only a few kg left because the closer to Tet, the more I can't make it in time," Ms. Lieu said.
