In the journey to discover Vietnamese rustic cuisine, Minh Hoa rice, a traditional dish of Minh Hoa district (Quang Binh province), always leaves a deep impression in the hearts of diners.
Elaborately prepared from familiar ingredients such as corn, rice, and cassava, this dish not only fully encapsulates the flavors of the mountains and forests but also reflects the life and culture of the people here.
The art of processing
Com boi is not only a dish but also the crystallization of meticulousness and ingenuity. The main ingredients to make com boi include corn, rice (or sticky rice), and fresh cassava. The corn kernels are soaked in boiling water for about two hours to soften, then removed and drained, pounded in a mortar and sifted to get the fine powder.
This dough will be kneaded thoroughly, beaten until fluffy, then steamed in a steamer. When the rice is cooked, it is taken out of the mold, shaped into pieces or round cakes, which are both convenient for storage and beautiful when displayed on a tray.
For the rice dish made from rice, the process is similar. When combined with fresh cassava, finely chopped, pressed and mixed with corn flour and rice, the rice dish becomes more fragrant, fatty and delicious. To increase the appeal, Minh Hoa people also cleverly add green beans or sticky rice, creating fragrant, beautiful round cakes.
Minh Hoa's steamed rice is even more special when served with male snails, a type of snail that lives in clean streams. After being caught, the snails are processed into many different dishes, but the most popular is boiled snails dipped in lemongrass salt or chili salt. When enjoying, use grapefruit thorns to pick each snail, dip it in spicy salt and eat it with a piece of steamed rice, the feeling is both strange and unforgettable.
Along with male snails, Com Boi often appears next to Ca Lao, a traditional pickled eggplant of the Minh Hoa people. The sour and crunchy taste of Ca Lao blends with the fatty taste of Com Boi and the salty and spicy taste of snail salt, making this dish not greasy but stimulating the taste buds.
Minh Hoa’s Com Boi is not only a daily dish but also a part of cultural life. In folk festivals, Com Boi is prepared and presented as a special dish, representing the cultural exchange in the Minh Hoa mountainous region. Each piece of Com Boi is the crystallization of nature, labor and love for the homeland of the people here.
Trader Dinh Thi Huong Giang - who sells Com Boi at Minh Hoa market - shared that this dish has long been the pride of her family. Many tourists visiting the market are attracted by the delicious, rich Com Boi pieces and bring them back as gifts.
Unique features of Minh Hoa cuisine
Minh Hoa’s stuffed rice is not only delicious in taste but also attractive in its simplicity and authenticity. This dish clearly shows the simple and creative personality of the people here. From the first spoonful of stuffed rice, diners will feel the sweet taste of corn, the chewy texture of rice flour, and the distinctive aroma of cassava. Whether eaten alone or combined with side dishes such as male snails and eggplant, stuffed rice still retains its unique flavor.
This dish not only warms the hearts of those far from home but also makes anyone who has tasted it remember the unforgettable taste of this land. Minh Hoa rice has become a famous specialty of Quang Binh, not inferior to any delicious dish in the culinary guide of this land.
