Soy sauce in a country meal

water spinach-infused-with-water-spray.jpg — Morning glory with tamarind sauce.

King's offering

That simple dish is not only the pride of Hung Yen but also famous on the map of Vietnamese cuisine . It has even been mentioned in the folk song “La melon, Lang basil, Bang spring rolls, Ban sauce, Van Van fish sauce, Dam Set perch...”.

Along with Nam Dan soy sauce (Nghe An), Duong Lam soy sauce ( Hanoi ), Hung Yen soy sauce in its golden age was a dish offered to the king. Nowadays, this dipping sauce has gone beyond the bamboo fences of the village, naturally appearing on luxurious banquet tables, alongside other delicacies such as beef, rare goat, wild boar, etc.

The famous delicious soy sauce is in Ban village, Ban Yen Nhan town, My Hao town. Here, soy sauce makers have gathered four necessary elements: good soybean varieties, soy sauce fermentation mold (soy sauce yeast), clean water source and the skillful hands of the artisans. Soybeans, although grown everywhere, but in the alluvial land along the river with high ground will produce many fruits, even seeds, golden color.

The process of making soy sauce is an art that requires patience, meticulous attention to detail, and is also a secret recipe in families.
Soy sauce is made from sticky rice that is soaked and then cooked into sticky rice.

When the sticky rice is cooked, spread it out on a tray to cool, cover it with lotus leaves or taro leaves until it becomes moldy, then take it out to dry. Dry it under the hot sun until the mold blooms, and when you hold it, it feels as light as cotton.

After careful selection, soybeans are roasted on sand. To roast soybeans evenly, the fire must be maintained and the beans must be stirred constantly. Even for the jars used to make soy sauce, the villagers choose jars from Tho Ha village, Bac Giang province.

The water used to soak the beans is clear and sweet from the village well. The salt here is not chosen lightly; the villagers of Ban village prefer Hai Hau sea salt to have the right savory taste.

Waves of soy sauce

Every morning, when the golden sunlight shines on the yard, the villagers of Ban village will open the lids of the soy sauce jars, use bamboo sticks to stir the soy sauce and add water. If it is sunny, they open the lids to dry, if it is rainy, they cover the mouths of the jars with nylon bags to keep out the rain.

Soy sauce loves the sun, the stronger the sun, the more golden and shimmering the sauce becomes. However, it is not good with rain, just a few drops of rain falling on the jar will spoil it immediately. The ladle used to scoop the sauce is usually made from a piece of coconut shell, with a bamboo handle. Before scooping the sauce, people usually stir it well with the ladle, then scoop.

Making soy sauce is hard and meticulous, but a bottle of soy sauce is very cheap, only a few tens of thousands of dong. When buying, depending on the user's preference, the soy sauce can be transformed into a magical catalyst.

Dip boiled morning glory into the soy sauce, bring it to your mouth and feel the flavor of soy sauce spread on the tip of your tongue, awakening your senses. You can feel the saltiness of the salt, the sweetness of the soybeans mixed with each piece of green vegetable. It sounds like you are tasting the simple soul of the countryside.

Every time I go back to my hometown, I love the most the pot of crucian carp braised with banana and fermented soybean paste that my mother-in-law painstakingly prepares. My mother went to Do market to buy a batch of crucian carp. This simple river fish, when braised with green banana, creates a unique flavor.

My mother-in-law, with her skillful hands, marinated the crucian carp with ginger, galangal, lemongrass, chili, and a little bit of fermented soybean paste. After marinating, the fish was carefully arranged in the pot, alternating with layers of galangal leaves, green bananas, and fermented soybean paste, and simmered over low heat. When everything was blended and the aroma gave off the characteristic flavor of fermented soybean paste, it was time to serve.

The whole family gathered together under the breezy porch. Picking up a piece of braised fish, imbued with the aroma of soy sauce, ginger, lemongrass, and a little bit of chili. A piece of green banana, rich with the sweetness of soy sauce. Nothing can compare to mother's food, once eaten, one will never forget it.
Every time I go to the supermarket and see the soy sauce bottle on the shelf, I miss my husband's home-cooked meals in the North.

Source