The taste of buffalo meat in the mountainous region

In the highland villages of Tuyen Quang…, buffalo meat has become an indispensable part of meals and community cultural life. Buffaloes are closely associated with fields and farming, and are also a valuable food source, rich in protein and sweet meat, processed into many delicious dishes, creating the culinary identity of the highlands.

Tien Thanh dried buffalo meat specialty.

The most famous is the buffalo jerky - a dish that has become a trademark of the mountains and forests. The meat is sliced ​​along the grain, marinated with special spices such as mac khen, doi seeds, lemongrass, ginger, chili, then hung in the kitchen to smoke. The wood fire from the forest not only warms the house but also dries each piece of meat, creating a chewy, sweet, aromatic and spicy taste. When eating, tear each piece into small pieces, dip it in cham cheo, chili ginger fish sauce or simply sip it with a cup of corn wine, you will fully feel the soul of the mountains and forests.

Also from buffalo meat, the people also create rustic and rich dishes. Grilled buffalo meat with mac khen has an attractive aroma, the outside is slightly charred, the inside is soft and sweet, and has a spicy taste. After being grilled over fire, the buffalo skin is scraped clean, processed into buffalo skin salad or cooked with sour bamboo shoots, creating a unique crunchy taste. Highlanders also have buffalo meat stir-fried with wild vegetables, betel leaves, and garlic leaves, keeping the original sweetness, combined with the spicy aroma of the mountains and forests, simple but unforgettable.

On important occasions, buffalo meat is prepared more elaborately. Buffalo meat stewed with Chinese herbs or stewed with wild leaves has a sweet and fatty taste, permeated with the aroma of herbs, is both delicious and nutritious, especially suitable for the cold climate of the highlands. Some places still maintain the custom of making blood pudding, grilled or steamed buffalo intestines, considering it a precious drinking dish to treat good friends.

Dried buffalo meat.

It can be said that from simple to sophisticated ways of preparation, highland buffalo meat exudes its own cultural features: reflecting culinary ingenuity, and being closely associated with daily life, work and customs. Nowadays, when community tourism develops, many tourists come to the highlands to enjoy the specialty of buffalo meat. They are not only fascinated by the rich, sweet and spicy taste of the dish, but are also attracted by the culinary space - where the fire is blazing, the sound of the flute, the singing blends with the smell of grilled meat and corn wine. All create an unforgettable cultural experience.

Highland buffalo meat, therefore, is not only a dish, but also the flavor of the mountains, of culture, of humanity. It attracts travelers, creates a brand of mountainous cuisine, and contributes to honoring the value of national identity in today's life.

Hoang Anh

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/van-hoa/am-thuc/202509/du-vi-thit-trau-mien-son-cuoc-606487a/