Bitter tomato soup often has a lot of hot and “bitter” chili peppers to enjoy, not … complain. More sophisticated, pork skin cut about two knuckles cooked in a pot of bitter tomato soup, increasing the fat, chewy and delicious taste significantly. Dried fish is a popular reserve food of the mountainous people and it is unknown when the Ede people can choose the head of a dried herring cooked with bitter eggplant – it is deliciously compatible. Perhaps the aromatic herring oil, which is often canned, is “different”, using canned fish to cook bitter tomato soup instead of crushed herring heads – still not inferior to each other. Ede people often use this dish with rice. Because they have a habit of eating quickly, they often cook this dish a bit thick to eat with rice. They often squeeze into handfuls with eggplant and eat, the bitter and spicy taste makes the dish more delicious, bitter eggplant is also a valuable medicine to help increase resistance. According to the Ede, bitter eggplant is not eaten raw like eggplant, but only cooked. Can buy a lot to cut pieces to dry, hang the kitchen truss gradually; Before cooking, soak in water for about 5-10 minutes, the eggplant is soft and the bitter taste is not lost. Bitter eggplant grows wild on upland fields and is planted in many gardens, almost every house of the Ede has bitter eggplant. The tree has thorns, has fruit all year round, has few and many thorns; The more thorns, the more bitter, bitter like bitter melon.

At 12 noon, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Chi (67 years old, from Ben Tre) returned to a shack in Vinh Loc B commune (Binh Chanh district, Ho Chi Minh City). Due to the complicated epidemic situation, her business of selling lottery tickets has been severely affected. Going all morning, she has not sold more than half of the lottery tickets received from last night. “Selling too slow, I’m worried this month I won’t be able to pay for the room. Fortunately, the landlord has announced that he will cut my rent by half,” said Ms. Chi, adding that she would tighten spending. To save money, every day, she eats only white rice and dried fish that was given to her by a neighbor. Living in a difficult situation, she was very happy when she heard that her rent was reduced. This joy also comes to more than 300 people who are renting at Residence No. 1 (Hoc Mon district, Ho Chi Minh City). Mr. Pham Trung Hieu, the owner of the accommodation, said that during the recent Covid-19 epidemics, the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Worker Support Center and the accommodation have implemented many programs to support tenants. Currently, many motel owners have exempted or reduced rent for employees. During this epidemic, he also reduced the rent for more than 300 people staying here. “We give gifts to workers who are renting and reduce the room rate by 50%. The accommodation is supported by a sponsor of the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Worker Support Center. We will organize people to come and receive free rice next Saturday,” he said. Meanwhile, in a row of more than 20 rooms for rent on Nguyen Cong Hoan Street (Ward 7, Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City), Mr. Ho De is free of charge for some tenants here. This is the fourth time that Mr. De has exempted or reduced the rent. He said: “Three previous epidemics, I also exempted and reduced rent. Poor families rent here for many years, I reduce the money. For students, students with difficulties, I always free rent.” Ms. Only received a reduction in the rent of the room from the lessor. To save money, she only eats white rice with the dried fish given to her. Local people said that Mr. De’s exemption and reduction of rent is not uncommon. Because more than 40 years ago, he had taken care of, even for people with difficult circumstances, poor students to stay in free accommodation. Leave a house of tens of billions, treat tenants like family In particular, recently, he completed a will with the content of leaving 2 houses worth tens of billions of dong for the lonely elderly and poor students – free of charge. Ho Thi Nhu Quynh, a student at the University of Industry 4, who is renting here, said: “Every epidemic, Mr. De also visits and asks for the innkeepers”. “He put up a notice to give everyone a 50% discount on rent. However, when he knew which families were too difficult, he reduced them from 60-70% of the rent. Some people are completely exempted from rent by him,” Nhu Quynh said. Similar to Mr. De, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy (owner of a motel room in Tan Quy Ward, Tan Phu District, Ho Chi Minh City) also reduced the rent and space for the poor from last May. This is the fourth time that Mr. Ho De has exempted or reduced the rent. However, until this June, the epidemic situation in Ho Chi Minh City was still complicated, so she continued to reduce the rent. She even actively reduced the rent of her already very low business premises. Mr. Nguyen Van Tai, the tenant of Ms. Thuy’s premises, said that he and his wife rented the business front in front of Ms. Thuy’s inn to sell soft drinks. Although located in a large street frontage, crowded with people, convenient for business, Ms. Thuy rented it to him at a very cheap price. “In this epidemic, Ho Chi Minh City was separated for a long time, so I sold very little. One day, we barely sold anything, it was very difficult. Fortunately, Ms. Thuy actively reduced the rent. This has helped our family a lot during this tight time,” said Mr. Tai. Thuy shared, most of the tenants here have been with her for many years. According to each person’s circumstances, Ms. Thuy will reduce the rent differently. She said: “In the epidemic, people who work are unemployed, business people are sluggish… Therefore, their income has also decreased a lot. How can I collect enough rent? I try to reduce the rent, rent the premises so that they can help some or that part. Right now, I just want to help workers overcome the pandemic so that they can stabilize their lives and send money back to their hometowns.” Like Mrs. Thuy, Mr. Hieu said, he always considers the people who are renting with him as “family members”. When his “family” was severely affected by the epidemic, he could not sit still. Therefore, even though he knew that he would lose a large amount of income when reducing the rent by 50% for more than 300 people, he still tried to do it.

Panorama of Cai Rang floating market. The deeper you go inside the floating market, the more vivid the life of the merchants becomes. Mr. Tin, who has spent many years going up and down the Hau Giang river, confided: “For several generations, he made a boat as a home, all day he drifted along the water, but since then life has become more stable and his children have been educated.” The floating market is crowded with boats. The goods at the market are very diverse, most of which are specialty fruits of the river garden. There are also dried fish, crafts, necessities and food service included. Selling something, people hang that item on a tree stuck in the bow of the boat, in a unique way of advertising and offering. Diverse types of dried fish and essential products. The boats are full of goods with the familiar image of a palm tree in front. In particular, when coming to the floating market, it is impossible not to mention the “shake” noodle dish. It’s crab vermicelli, vermicelli… rich in Western flavor. The reason it is called “shake” vermicelli is because all activities of buying – selling, processing – enjoying take place on the boat. Sitting and eating and swaying with the waves, this will surely be an unforgettable breakfast for those who go to the floating market for the first time. A shop of “shake” bread at the floating market. When the dawn has just dawned, sitting on a boat in the middle of the vast river, enjoying a bowl of hot vermicelli, drinking a cup of coffee with relatives, to feel the breath, the vibrant rhythm of life, will be a wonderful experience. A very unique experience when coming to Tay Do. baocamau.com.vn

People in the fishing village (Lake Ea Sup Lower) go fishing Oasis Looming behind the green-covered mountain, more than a hundred small wooden houses located at the foot of the mountain facing the immense water surface of Lower Ea Sup Lake (Ea Sup town, Ea Sup district, Dak Lak province). In the afternoon, the wind was cold, the garden of green trees hugged the lake bed, fishermen’s boats drifted … The households here have migrated from the West, most of them do not have arable land, live mainly by fishing. Everyday, people hire what they do. Mr. Nguyen Van Hung has worked as a fisherman here for more than a decade. People in this neighborhood all drifted away from the West to live by fishing, catching crabs and snails. Fish is the main source of income for each family. Around 3-4 pm, people get on boats to let go of their nets, and around 4-5 am the next morning to remove their nets. “Living in close attachment to the lake bed for more than ten years, although the fishing is sometimes less, life is still fun. Subtracting all the expenses for a day I still have about 2-3 hundred thousand VND left. In the Central Highlands there are few places where there are fish like this Ea Sup Lake ”, Mr. Hung said. The road to Lake Ea Soup is boiled with the smell of dried fish. On the porch of the solidly built house, Mr. Phung Van Thanh (SN 1968) quickly smashed each fish on a thin net. He shared that life outside Binh Dinh was difficult, so the family immigrated here to make a living for more than ten years. The new land has inclement weather, sand and sand, so that it is difficult for agriculture to take care of family life. Lake Ea Soup upper and lower volume of water year round, so there are many types of fish. People living around the lake, at first thinking of earning a few fish to improve their meals, who thought this was the main income, each day a family also earns hundreds of thousands of dong. Hunching over, the batch of fish dried on a woven net that was carefully shaded in the sun, he said, each day he and his wife pulled about 20-30 kg of fish, after drying, people came to buy them at home. The fish is clean and the quality is delicious, so they love it. The fishermen live and stick in this lake bed through the rainy season, the source of fisheries is extremely important. They only catch fish by traditional means using canoes, nets, fishing rods. This is a non-destructive fishing method that nurtures aquatic resources, so that people can have a long-term attachment to the fishing profession. Several dozen households for a living by fishing on the Buon Tua Sah hydroelectric lake (Krong No commune, Lak district) are familiar with the name of the fishing village. This small fishing village was established in 2009, when some people in the West came to work in fishing. They build boats, build houses right on the water. Every afternoon, people row out to sail away to release nets, light up the lights to chase fish late at night, early in the morning, dream up and remove fish in time to sell to traders. Mr. Hoang Van Dung (from An Giang) shared: “This job is very precarious, we can still work on normal days, but when it rains and storms, we are hungry. The family’s piece of rice looks forward to the net batches every night ”. The floating life on the river made many children drop out of school halfway. Hoang My Quyen had to quit school since 7th grade, stood a stall selling dried fish to passersby, and shared: “On a lucky day, I sold a few hundred thousand, but one day I could not sell any weight of fish. Here children only learn to be literate ”. People rowing boat picking lotus mirrors Quietly making a living Ms. Le Thi Hien, a resident of the lake bed, said that the fishing profession had to wake up early, sailing up the lake to drop the net. On average, each fishing trip, they collect 10-15kg of fish, mainly tilapia, snakehead (also called fruit fish), goby … Each month, they earn 4-5 million VND. Fishing is becoming more and more difficult because it depends on the weather. Far in the middle of Lake Ea Sup, three or four people were diving in the water. Mrs. Pham Thi Thuong held a bunch of lotus flowers from the lake, her whole body soaked with the smell of mud. Washed hands, took bread to hang from the fast food truck, she said: “In the morning I have to fast to soak in the water to pick the lotus, because if I eat it, it will make my stomach hard to wade. The work of picking lotus lotus must be skillful and gentle to avoid the broken lotus. The pickers had to dive for several hours in the water, crawling to the lotus root ”. According to Mr. Phung Van Thanh, who has worked for more than 10 years with fishing in Ea Sup Lake and Lower Lake, here fishing gives people a high and stable income. This is the freshwater fish production area of ​​the province. Fish are sold in the locality and other provinces such as Saigon, Binh Duong … She also did not remember how many years she had been following this profession of picking lotus lotus, only remembering every year in May she went to the lake to pick it up and sell it. In the season, early in the morning, she leaves home and leaves until noon from 11-12 o’clock. Every day, I can find a lot of lotus flowers, pick more than 10 bunches, sell 15 thousand dong / bunch. In this district, each time the family welcomes guests away from home, they buy them to make rice shrimp salad, which is both delicious, nutritious and easy to process. Many people put large quantities of sour salt to eat. In the afternoon in the border district, the sun is hotter, the heat is directly in the face, Mr. Le Hoang Tien, a resident of the lake area, prepares his equipment to board the boat. He said he and his wife often pick a lotus mirror and have to row a boat to a new deep water area, where the water is low and small. The mirror to be picked about is divided into two, the one that leaves the mirror intact and the one that separates the lotus seeds. Most customers choose the cup available. Sen in the main season, each day he and his wife can harvest more than 30kg for 30,000 VND / kg. “Many people in Buon Ma Thuot city often ask acquaintances here to buy old lotus seeds and peel them to dry them for long-term preservation. Sometimes picking is not enough for them to buy. Here, life is hard, but there are jobs to make money. In the evening, fish nets are released, while in the lotus season, picking and watching lotus in the daytime, ”Mr. Tien said.

Grilled pork hybrid dish with bamboo tube. According to Ms. Lien, this dish is not processed too fussy but requires meticulousness, it is important that the ingredients are fresh, including the outer bamboo tube. “Meat must be delicious, fresh, with fat and lean skin, balanced and fresh. And the bamboo tube must also be very fresh, when customers order, we cut the bamboo in the morning, then the bamboo will be sweet and fragrant. And when the meat is grilled, it is delicious. After marinating and letting for about 15 minutes to soak the spices, the pork is put into a bamboo tube, the end of the tube is covered with banana leaves and grilled over embers or in the high pressure oven for about 1 hour. Pork is seasoned and left for about 15 minutes. For grilling on a charcoal stove, grill is very important. To avoid burning, the griller needs to observe to turn the tube over, so that the meat is cooked evenly. When the bamboo tube outside is scorched yellow, the aroma of meat spreads can be enjoyed. Pork grilled on bamboo tube will look like steamed pork because it is grilled through a layer of bamboo, so the meat is fragrant while keeping the softness, the skin is crispy, the fat is fat but less greasy. The cooked meat does not smell smoke, coal ash, is not too dry due to dehydration. This dish is served with salt green chili and herbs. The pungent taste of the chili and the aroma of the meat create an attractive dish for visitors. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoai Bao, from Quang Phu town, Cu Mgar district, Dak Lak province, when enjoying this dish, feels, “The dish has a unique characteristic of the Central Highlands, the taste is very delicious and rich. Ede people are infused with spices, so it feels difficult to describe when eating, including lemongrass, galangal, pepper, and the taste of some leaves that only people have. New people in the Central Highlands have “. After seasoning, the pork is put into a fresh bamboo tube. According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Anh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ko Tam Ecotourism and Community Culture Company, the steamed hybrid pork dish, grilled bamboo tube is processed according to the traditional cuisine of the Ede people in Dak Lak. and blended, marinated with natural ingredients available, so that brings its own unique flavor here. In particular, hybrid pork is an ingredient that makes the dish unique, because hybrid pigs are bred from grass pigs (piglets) with wild boars. Along with the cooking process is a story about culture and environmental protection. That is why, recently, the steamed hybrid pork dish, grilled bamboo tube in Ko Tam tourist area was selected by the Vietnam Record organization to be in the Top 100 special dishes of Vietnam in 2020-2021. The end of the tube is covered with banana leaves. Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Anh shared, “The province also introduced Dak Lak’s delicacies and the Institute of Records allowed people to check and evaluate many times, then announced and decided on the steamed pork hybrid dish, Grilled with bamboo tube, I am extremely happy because we have a story and we came up with a story when we do travel to create a regional specialty dish and preserve the varieties that heaven was born with. in my country “. The Ede people often used the way of baking on charcoal stove, repeatedly turning the meat in the tube well and not being burned. Thus, along with grilled chicken rice dish was in the Top 100 specialties of Vietnam (period 2011 – 2016), up to now, Dak Lak province has 2 dishes in the Top 100 of Vietnam. Along with that, in recent years, the dishes are made from the available ingredients of the local ethnic people such as bitter tomato soup, dried fish tomato salad, dishes from rattan buds, cloves leaves, … shows more and more in the menu of restaurants, eateries and is favored by customers. From the traditional ingredients and cooking methods, many chefs have suitable variations to suit the tastes of diners, creating a rich variety of dishes while still retaining the unique features in the cuisine of the local ethnic community./.