Au Tau porridge is a traditional dish of the Mong people in Ha Giang, a province located in the northern mountainous region of Vietnam. This specialty has become a cultural and culinary symbol of this land. Au Tau porridge is made from a type of tuber with special toxicity. Let’s explore the interesting things about this dish right in the article below!
What is an Au Tau tuber?
Au Tau tuber is a wild plant, popular in the northern provinces of Vietnam, especially the highlands of Ha Giang with cold climate. Although they look similar to water chestnuts in the lowlands, water chestnuts and common water chestnuts are two completely different types. Au Tau tubers grow on rocks, have a hard structure and contain toxins. Later, due to increased demand, Au Tau was also planted from January and from July to October of the calendar when people harvested Au Tau.
In the field of medicine, Au Tau is considered a precious medicinal herb with many medicinal effects. However, fresh guava tubers are very toxic and dangerous. According to local people, eating guava tubers directly can cause death. There have even been cases where users mistakenly drank medicinal wine soaked from the wrong tuber root and died.
Even though it is dangerous, through the skillful processing hands of the Mong people in Ha Giang. So the Au Tau root has been turned into a delicious and popular dish. When prepared properly, guava root will have the effect of treating many diseases. Such as relieving colds, reducing fatigue, relaxing tendons and bones, and helping to sleep well. In folk medicine, there have long been remedies for soaking Au Tau root with alcohol properly, used to treat leprosy, numbness in the legs, arms, bones, and joints.
What’s special about Au Tau Porridge?
Unique culinary features of the Mong people in Ha Giang
Dishes made from au tau root, especially Au Tau porridge, have become a unique feature of the Ha Giang stone plateau. This porridge has a dark brown color after cooking, it reminds us of the bowl of porridge of lowland people. Its characteristic nutty, fatty and aromatic porridge taste is the result of the combination of spices and different ingredients.
Special flavor
Because Au Tau root has medicinal properties, one of the characteristic features of Au Tau porridge is its bitter taste, similar to the bitter taste of Panax notoginseng root. However, this bitter taste blends with the fleshy, flexible piece of Au Tau. Also combines with the sweetness of simmered bone broth and the rich aroma of eggs, combining to create a sweet, unique and attractive flavor.
Enjoying Au Tau porridge at night
Au Tau porridge becomes more special when you enjoy it in the evening. Because Au Tau root contains ingredients that help sleep better and deeper, Au Tau porridge is often eaten at night. Therefore, Au Tau porridge shops usually only serve in the evening. In the dark, cold weather in the highlands, enjoying a hot bowl of Au Tau porridge can warm the whole body. The slight bitter taste drifts into the throat and dissolves. Sepcially the smoke from the porridge blends with the sweet aroma, there is nothing more wonderful.
Ingredients and cooking methods to have a delicious bowl of Au Tau Porridge
Au Tau porridge, a unique and elaborate dish, is not simply a dish but also a work of art. Just looking at the ingredients, we can see the meticulousness in the processing process. Au Tau root, the soul of this porridge, must go through a thorough soaking and simmering process to remove toxins. The chef has to spend dozens of hours every day taking care of every detail.
In addition to Au Tau root, Au Tau porridge also contains pork, rice, eggs, pork sausage, vegetables and many other ingredients. Delicious plain rice is cooked into soft and smooth porridge, while pork and pork trotters are carefully selected and thoroughly processed before simmering. Each ingredient is cooked in its own pot to ensure fresh flavor.
Au Tau porridge is perfectly enjoyed with pork trotters, minced meat, coriander and perilla in a bowl of smooth white porridge. The flavor of this dish becomes unique due to the harmonious combination of the bitter taste of the Au Tau. Especially the aroma of vegetables and the fatty taste of pork trotters and minced meat. For out-of-town visitors to Ha Giang, enjoying a bowl of Au Tau porridge is not only a culinary experience for Vietnam food tours. But also a feeling of refreshment and health.
Although the Au Tau root is initially toxic, after proper and extremely elaborate processing. Au Tau porridge becomes a safe and enjoyable dish to enjoy. Au Tau porridge is not simply a simple dish. But also a work of art imbued with the culture and cuisine of Ha Giang.
Book a tour to explore Ha Giang with its majestic mountain scenery and enjoy this unforgettable Au Tau porridge with Origin Vietnam. With a team of professional and dedicated consultants and guides. Also we will be a reliable partner, taking you from surprise to surprise on this wonderful journey.
