Advertise on podcast: Học tiếng Anh qua ẩm thực Việt

Steamed Baramundi in banana leaf, a recipe for those who prefer authentic flavors. A: Welcome to another episode of Food Delight on VOV24/7 with recipes and cooking tips. If you are looking for a restaurant-style recipe to please your taste, stay tuned. B: Today, we’ll offer you a typical Asian style dish “steamed Baramundi in banana leaf”. A: Let’s talk about the ingredients first. Baramundi is the main ingredient, of course. It is an ocean fish. Baramundi has become an increasingly popular choice for its delicate sweet flavor and rich nutrients which are good for your health. B: And the most important thing is that it does not take too much time to prepare. A: But, there are still some techniques to make it a success. Head Chef Le Duc Phong from KOTO, a non-profit social enterprise providing vocational training to disadvantaged youths, will instruct us on how to make “steamed Baramundi in banana leaf”. B: “Steamed Baramundi in banana leaf” is a signature dish from the new devised menu of KOTO. A: The first step is to prepare the ingredients for the dish. Baramundi is a kind of sea fish. Phong, what is special about Baramundi? Phong: “This fish lives in the ocean, so its meat has strong flavor and good texture. It will taste best when it is steamed”. B: What do we need to pay attention to when preparing the fish? Phong: “First, remove the fish scales and bones. Be careful with the small bones. It is very dangerous to eat if the bones are not totally removed. Then, the fish is cut into 2 centimeter long piece”. A: The fish is now ready. It’s time to marinate the fish. Familiar spices include shallots, spring onions, ginger, chilies, and dills. Am I right? Phong: “Spot on. We add a little of soya sauce, fish sauce to the fish. You know, the ocean fish has stronger smell than fresh water fish. So, ginger will wipe out the fishy smell. Marinate the fish for 1 hour to let it absorb all spices. Then, Wrap the fish in the banana leaf. Wrap one by one”. B: Phong, fresh banana leaves are tough and hard to fold and wrap. How should we deal with this? Phong: “There is a small tip here. Put the banana leaves in boiling water, very quick, then take them out and run through cold water. By doing so, we can keep the green color of the leaves and make them pliable. The fish is wrapped in 2 layers. The first layer ensures the piece of the fish fixed in right shape. The fish then is wrapped in the second layer to keep it closed and prevent the juice from leaking out”. A: Oh, I see. It is not as simple as I thought at first. Now comes the final step, steam the fish. Prepare a steamer pot. Phong: “The fish is steamed over high heat to cook the fish well inside and enhance the flavors of all spices. When the fish is well cooked, we feel the fragrance of banana leaves, ginger, and dills”. B: Normally, we have a bowl of dipping sauce to put aside. How do you make the dipping sauce to serve with “steamed Baramundi in banana leaf”? Phong: “We don’t need dipping sauce for this dish. As you know, the fish is marinated with various kinds of spices and closely wrapped in the leaves, so all the spices are kept inside. This dish is best served with rice. At KOTO, we serve “steamed Baramundi in banana leaf”? with fried rice and lotus seeds. It’s a great combination”. A: Well, we’ve learned how to make “steamed Baramundi in banana leaf” with chef Phong at KOTO restaurant. Why don’t you try making the dish at home with the recipe and cooking tips provided by Phong? Tell us how successful you are in preparing this dish. Thank you, Phong for your time. We hope to welcome you again with more recipes. Good bye. Steamed Baramundi in banana leaf (Photo: KOTO)  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mien luon or eel glass noodle is quite popular to food lovers in Hanoi. Eel glass noodle is delicious and can be eaten at any time of the day because it is light, but still nutritious. A: Hello, everyone, you’re listening to VOV24/7’s Food Delight where you can find recipes, cooking tips, and places to enjoy the best food. We’re…. B: If you love Hanoi food, don’t miss Mien luon or eel glass noodle. A: Eel glass noodle is delicious and can be eaten at any time of the day because it is light, but still nutritious. You can enjoy a hot eel glass noodle soup or an eel glass noodle salad with herbs. I prefer the salad. B: Today, we are recommending a Mien luon stall in Yen The alley, Nguyen Thai Hoc street in Hanoi for delicious eel glass noodle. The owner is Bui Thuy Ngan, who has been serving eel glass noodle for more than 20 years. A: Ms. Ngan’s stall is open from early morning to noon for breakfast and lunch. Then, she spends the afternoon preparing for the next day. We asked her how she prepares the eels. Ms. Ngan: The eel should not be too big or too small and should be fresh. Wash the eel first. Separate the bone from the meat. The bone can be used to make broth, and the flesh can be fried or stir-fried. B: Tip 1: The water should be boiled with some salt. Then scald the eels. The boiled water and salt help get rid of the fishy smell of the eels. But, the water shouldn’t be boiled too much, or it will break the eel skin. When the eel is clean, it is ready to fry. Ms. Ngan: Before frying, the eels are coated with corn starch, which keeps the eel shape while they are being fried. First, pour oil into a frying-pan. Heat the oil, then fry the eels for 15 minutes. You need to divide the eels into batches, each batch about half a kilo. Remember to use a pair of chopsticks to separate the eels while frying. A: When the eels turn golden brown and crunchy, it’s the time to remove them from the oil. So yummy. But you know, eels can be made in a soft version to cater for different tastes. For the soft version, the eels are cleaned the same way as the crunchy ones. Then, Ms. Ngan stir-fries them with some seasoning and shallots. B: We should focus on the broth, which is the soul of any kind of soup. Ms. Ngan: For eel glass noodle soup, we have to prepare broth. We simmer pig and eel bones together. Add grilled shallots and ginger to enhance the flavor. When the bones are well-cooked, add mushrooms and citronella. Finally, adjust the taste of the broth. A: We hope you know now how to make eel glass noodle soup. I think I can finish the final step. First, cook the glass noodle soup broth. Then, place glass noodles in a bowl, top the noodles with crunchy or soft eels, fried shallots, and some herbs, such as sliced spring onions and sliced coriander. Finally, pour in the broth. Some people prefer to serve it with spices like pepper, or chilli and vinegar. B: My mouth is watering. On hot summer days, a bowl of eel glass noodle salad is irresistible. Ms. Ngan: For eel glass noodle salad, cook the glass noodles first in the broth, then take it out. Add some spices and herbs, including soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, cucumber, and fried shallots. Top the noodles with crunchy eels and sliced coriander. Serve it with a small bowl on the side. B: One more tip: You should add eels in the final step to keep it crunchy. A: Thanks, Ms. Ngan, for showing us how to make eel glass noodle soups and salads. If you have chance, drop at Ngan’ s stall in little Yen The alley off Nguyen Thai Hoc street to enjoy a delicious bowl of Mien luon. B: Now we must say good bye. (Photo: savourydays.com) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are now in summer which is also the season of various kinds of fruits. Why not try some detox drink made at home, using any combination of fruits, vegetables and herbs that you like? A: Hi you guys, welcome to VOV24/7’s Food Delight. I’m……and my co-host is B. B: Hi guys. As COVID-19 is spreading, so cinemas, spas and gyms are temporarily closed. A: Actually, I’m still maintaining my workout routine with some workout apps and I’m looking for drinks to detox my body. B: Good idea. You can make detox water at home, using any combination of fruits, vegetables and herbs that you like. And we have Tran Dinh Phuong, a bartender from EZ Cooking Center, to give us some detox water recipes, especially for those who wish to loose weight. You can ask him more. Phuong: Hi everyone, today, I’ll show you how to make some kinds of detox drinks with vegetables and fruits such as celery, cucumber, orange, watermelon, apples and carrots. A: The ingredients are varied and available all year round and you can have it whenever you want. B: Celery is said to be a super food for weight loss. It is rich in minerals like calcium, sodium, copper, zinc, potassium and contains fatty acids and vitamins while oranges, watermelon, and carrots are rich sources of vitamins. How to combine this handful of ingredients into detox water? Let’s ask Phuong. A: The first recipe include celery, cucumber, a little ginger and lemon juice. Only 4 ingredients for this detox, very simple, right? Phuong: For celery, take only celery stalks and clean it. The celery leaves are also edible, you can use it for stir frying or other dishes. You cut both ends of the cucumber. Use a juicer for celery and cucumber juice. 100 gram of celery is juiced for 90 ml of juice. Then, add some lemon juice and 5 gram of ginger which is well ground to boost flood flow and circulation. B: Amazing! A cup of juice brings us loads of health benefits. Should I drink celery and cucumber juice all day to replace water? Phuong: Though it has lots of benefits, you should only drink it before you go to sleep as celery contains photosynthesis which will affect your skin if you drink during the day time. A: So, take note of that. We are now in summer which is also the season of various kinds of fruits. Why not try some detox drink made with pineapples? Phuong, what do you recommend? Phuong: The next detox drink is made of pineapples, watermelon and orange juice. You can enjoy this detox drink in different seasons as pineapples, watermelon and oranges are available all year round. Use a juicer and take 90 ml of pineapple juice, 90 ml of watermelon and 60 ml of orange juice. Finally, pour one by one into a glass or a glass bottle to create different layers or just mix everything. You don’t add any sugar, just enjoy the natural sour and sweet flavors of the fruits. B: I prefer this one as I am a fan of pineapples. Phuong will share with us more recipe made with vegetables like carrots and beetroot. We know they are a great source of fiber and vitamins. Phuong: A recipe with beetroots, apples and carrots is very simple. You peel off the beetroot skin and juiced about 100 grams of beetroot for 90 ml of water. Do the same with apples, and carrots for 60 ml of apple juice and 90 ml of carrot juice. Then, mix all the things together or you can pour one by one to make colorful layers of juice. A: Thanks Phuong for your recipes and useful nutrition advice. We hope you will refresh your body and have a happy time listening to us on VOV24/7. Good bye until next time. (Photo: thepeacheepear.com) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s Food Delight, we will present a Brazilian dish called “Sarapatel” meaning mish-mash of pork offal. This is a dish of Portugese origin now commonly seen in the Northeast of Brazil. It’s made with guts and other pork viscera, in addition to curdled blood and cut into pieces. Hello, guys and gals. Welcome back to Food Delight. In today’s program, we’ll present a Portugese-Brazilian dish called “Sarapatel”. This recipe comes from our friend Wagner Dantas, a Brazilian food lover, whose Vietnamese name is Canh, soup in our language. Wagner: This traditional food is from the Alto Alentejo region, in Portugal; but it was adapted to Brazilian customs and to the mix of African and European spices. It is also common in part of India, which was colonized by the Portuguese, Goa. Such food arrived with the Portuguese colonizers, but it became more ingrained in the Brazilian northeastern region; where some customs are still present. In Brazil sarapatel also means mess, so it represents this recipe. It looks like a slightly different mix, but is it really tasty? Our friend Wagner says yes.  It is a meal worthy of a crowd, a special treat on Sundays, incredibly quick and easy to make, and always a hit with children and adults. Who doesn’t want to try a nutritious and delicious food like this?  Sounds good. Here’s the recipe, so you can make this easy meal at home. Wagner: Separate the pork, wash it well with water, vinegar and lemon juice. Put it to cook with water, a little salt, a pinch of cumin, a pinch of nutmeg, bay leaves, whole garlic cloves and more vinegar and more lemon juice. Let cook until soft, but consistent. Remove from the heat, let it cool and chop everything in cubes of about 1.5 cm, regular as far as possible.  Put 4 tablespoons of olive oil in the pan and let it heat (medium heat).  Fry the garlic and the chopped onion until yellow (without burning).  Add the chopped offal, the more cumin and more nutmeg and let it sauté.  Now Canh (Wagner) will tell you how to finish this dish. Wagner: Add more spices to your taste, reserving 1 ½ tablespoon of the chopped coriander. Stir well, add 150 ml of boiling water and the curdled blood well fragmented, stirring gently. If you need to add more salt. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 5 minutes.  Place in a bowl, drizzle with leftover olive oil, garnish with leftover coriander and cover. Serve hot, with white rice and thick (raw) manioc flour.  Now just call friends, but always leave a pepper next to the dish because there are always those who want their sarapatel very spicy.  Give it a try. You won’t be disappointed. We’d love to hear from you and what you thought of “Sarapatel”. Follow us on our Facebook Fanpage – VOV5 English Service – or email us at englishsection@vov.vn. Thanks for listening. Happy cooking! Sarapatel is made with guts and other pork viscera, in addition to curdled blood and cut into pieces (Photo:https://www.tudoreceitas.com/receita-de-sarapatel-nordestino-2901.html) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Grilled pork in a bamboo tube was recently named one of the Top 100 special dishes of Vietnam. You can try this dish when you visit Vietnam’s Central Highlands, or abbreviate the list of ingredients and try making this dish at home.  A: Hello! Welcome to this week’s edition of VOV 24/7’s“Food delight”. We’re A and B, very happy to be on the air with you.  B: Hello, guys and gals. Did you know that bamboo can be a substitute for pots and pans? Let me tell you about grilled pork in a bamboo tube, a specialty of Vietnam’s Central Highlands.  A: Pork and bamboo together create a dish with an irresistibly delicious taste. The meat comes out tender with a golden colour and a blend of aromas imparted to it by the bamboo and the leaves. B: Typical spices used to marinate the pork include chili, green pepper, cilantro, and sweet basil. It is worth noting that the ingredients must be very fresh, including the bamboo tube. A: Tran Thi Kim Lien, deputy chef at the Kotam ecological tourism site in Dak Lak province, says this dish is not hard to make, but requires time for preparation and cooking. “We must choose pork slices with lean meat, fat, and skin, which offers a full spectrum of meaty flavors. We only cut the bamboo when customers order the dish, to ensure the bamboo tube’s freshness, sweetness, and flavor when grilled. We collect the herbs ourselves, and mix our own spice blends,” said Lien. A: First, marinate the pork for about 15 minutes to allow the spices to soak into each fiber before putting it into the bamboo tube. Cover the two ends of the tube with banana leaves and grill over charcoal or in a high-pressure cooker for 1 hour. B: Grilling over charcoal requires cooks to turn the bamboo tube regularly so that the grilled pork is cooked evenly. The meat can be served when the outer shell of the bamboo tube turns dark yellow. A: This pork meat will look like steamed pork, but has a special flavor and sweetness from the membrane inside the tube. The meat remains soft and the skin is crispy. B: This dish is served with salt, green chili, and herbs. The pungent taste of chili and the aroma of the meat create an appealing dish. “Grilled pork in a bamboo tube has the unique character of the Central Highlands. The seasonings are absorbed into each fiber, creating an unforgettable taste. You can smell the mixture of lemongrass, galangal, pepper, and aromatic herbs that only grow in the Central Highlands,” said Nguyen Thi Hoai Bao, a fan of this dish in Dak Lak province. A: Grilled pork in a bamboo tube was recently named one of the Top 100 special dishes of Vietnam. B: You can try this dish when you visit Vietnam’s Central Highlands, or abbreviate the list of ingredients and try making this dish at home. A: For more recipes, visit vovworld.vn/Food-delight, where several recipes are already waiting. Join us again next week for more ideas for diversifying your menu. And now, goodbye! Pork and bamboo together create a dish with an irresistibly delicious taste. (Photo: VOV) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s Food Delight, we will present a Brazilian dessert called “bolo de rolo” (roll cake). This is a traditional Brazilian dessert, from the State of Pernambuco. The cake dough is made with flour, eggs, butter and sugar. PK: Hello, guys and gals. On today’s Food Delight, we are going to present a Brazilian dessert called “bolo de rolo” (roll cake). This recipe is from our friend Wagner Dantas, a Brazilian food aficionado whose Vietnamese name is Canh, or soup in English. Wagner: “The roll cake” is recognized as a national dish under Brazilian law in the State of Pernambuco as Ordinary Law No. 379/2007 as intangible heritage, that is, this cake is very important to our culture. In fact, the bolo de rolo is an adaptation of Portuguese bridal mattress cake which is a kind of rolled sponge cake with nut filling. Upon arrival in Brazil, Portuguese cooks exchanged the stuffing for guava, which is abundant in the northeast. PK: Can you guess why this dessert has that name? Easy right? Just by looking you can already imagine why. According to Wagner, this is a traditional Brazilian dessert, a cake batter made with flour, eggs, butter and sugar, usually served with a cup of coffee. Ngoc Huyen: “Bolo de rolo” is a dessert that everyone loves for breakfast or afternoon snack, incredibly quick and easy to make, and always a hit with children and adults. Who doesn’t like a little cake to sweeten life? PK: It looks great. Here is the recipe, so you can make this easy dessert at home. And of course, it will come from a Brazilian. Wagner: In a mixer, put the sugar, butter and salt and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one by one, and beat until smooth. Lower the speed, add the wheat flour and mix. Spread the dough on 4 baking sheets of sponge cake (40 cm X 30 cm) greased with butter and sprinkled with wheat flour. Bake in a preheated oven at 200º C for +/- 5 minutes. Then, remove from the oven and fill with a thin layer of guava, loosen the edges with a small knife, roll quickly, place the roll on the other dough with the thin layer of guava and wrap. Repeat this process 2 more times until you form a roll that is +/- 6 cm in diameter. Sprinkle crystal sugar and serve cut into thin slices. Ngoc Huyen: Pay special attention to the temperature of the oven, it must be preheated. Avoid overcooking. As it is a very thin dough, so if the temperature is too high, it looks like a biscuit and you can’t roll it. As soon as it is ready, the dough should be immediately removed from the oven; this makes it easier for it not to dry out and can be rolled up without difficulty. PK: Canh, do you have any other tips for this dessert? Wagner: Yes, you need to be careful with the filling, as the dough is very thin, be careful not to overdo the filling, because in addition to the cake cracking, you risk it becoming too sweet. The best thing is to obtain a filling with a creamy texture, so as not to break the dough or be left with a runny filling at the ends. PK: Another tip is after it’s ready, cover the roll cake with a towel and wait for it to cool. Ngoc Huyen: The roll cake can be served with a cup of coffee without too much sugar because the cake is already sweet. In northeastern Brazilian culture it is always good to have a roll cake ready at home to receive a friend and chat about life. PK: Try it. You will not be disappointed. We would love to hear your opinion and your thoughts on the roll cake recipe. Follow us on our Facebook Fanpage – VOV5 English Service – or send an email to englishsection@vov.vn. Thank you for your attention. Happy cooking! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duck braised with dracontomelon is a specialty dish and favored by many in the North of Vietnam. Chi: Welcome to VOV24/7’s Food Delight with recipes and cooking tips. I’m Kim Chi, your host. Today, let’s join a class at EZCooking, a well-known cooking center in Hanoi to learn how to cook a specialty dish, duck braised with dracontomelon. Duck braised with dracontomelon is best, of course, in the dracontomelon season from June to September. But don’t worry. You can enjoy the dish all year round, as dracontomelon can be stored in the fridge for a long time. Today, chef Chu Anh Tiep of EZcooking will teach us how to make the dish. Chef: Duck braised with dracontomelon can be made in different ways. In the past, the duck was roasted first, and then braised with dracontomelon. Another way is to cook duck using tom yum paste which gives you a mixed flavor combining galangal, lemongrass, chilli and sour flavor. Duck can also be cooked with coconut water and coconut paste as people in the southern region do. Chi: Duck can be made in several ways. Today, chef Tiep will show us how to make duck braised with dracontomelon with tom yum. The main ingredient is duck, so first we must know how to choose the best duck for the dish. Chef: When selecting the duck to braise with dracontomelon, you should choose ducks which have grown up, not too young or too old. You shouldn’t select young ducks because the meat will be flabby. Press the flesh. It is necessary to choose the one with tender and meaty breast with firm skin. Chop the duck into bite-size pieces. Clean the duck with boiling water and salt to remove the poultry smell and let the meat dry. Chi: The flavorings for the dish include: dracontomelon, lemongrass, garlic, fish sauce, sugar, cooking oil, and pepper. Chef: First, heat the oil in a pan. Crush and chop garlic and lemongrass. Stir-fry until they turn brown, put the duck meat into the pot, add seasoning, fish sauce, a little sugar and pepper. Stir the duck over high heat. Shave off the hard outer peel of about 10 dracontomelons and put them into the pot. Add a teaspoon of tom yum to enhance the flavor, and finally add some water. Chi: Should I add cold or boiling water? Chef: For braised dishes or seafood, it is essential to pour boiling water to prevent fishy smell and keep the good color of the meat. Chef: Be sure that the water level covers the top layer of duck. Cook the duck for around 25 to 30 minutes depending on the tenderness of the duck meat. Stew the duck over a small fire until the meat is soft. Chi: The duck meat should be soft and the soup should have a clear, bright yellow color with a harmony of salty, sweet, sour, and spicy flavors. Tiep, could you share with us some cooking techniques when making duck braised with dracontomelon? Chef: Duck braised with dracontomelon doesn’t look good if the broth has a dark color. To have a nice color and delicious broth, the dracontomelon for cooking should be old enough. Moreover, the lemongrass and garlic needs to be stirred well until it turns golden brown. Chi: When the duck meat becomes tender, adjust the taste. When crushing dracontemelon, crush one by one and taste until all the salty, sweet, sour flavors balance. For an extra-special taste, add some herbs, such as spring onion and eryngium. The dish is great when served hot and eaten with rice vermicelli. Thank you, chef Tiep. We hope to have you share more recipes in another VOV24/7 Food Delight. Good bye. Duck braised with dracontomelon (Photo: VOV5) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Besides the famous fish sauce and shrimp paste, another common condiment in many Vietnamese households is “tuong” A: Welcome to this week’s “Food delight” with a recipe to help you diversify your menu. We’re A and B, and we’re always happy to be here to share some recipes with you.  B: Hello, you guys. If you've ever been to Vietnam, you know that the abundance of fermented condiments in this country is really amazing. Besides the famous fish sauce and shrimp paste, another common condiment in many Vietnamese households is “tuong”. A : “Tuong” is a kind of fermented bean paste made from soybean, which is low in fat and calories and high in protein, fiber, and essential vitamins and minerals.  B: Making “tuong” requires technique and patience. The techniques for making this traditional sauce are handed down within families. Each family has its own secrets for making Tuong delicious. A: The ingredient list is short, the items are simple and inexpensive, and yet the flavors are delectable. Mrs. Tran Thi Thuy of Hung Yen province, who has 10 years experience making and selling “tuong”, tells us how “tuong” can be made at home. “To make good ‘tuong’, the soy beans should be selected carefully, washed, and dried in the sun before being roasted into flakes. Put the soy flakes in a clay jar with water and let them sit for a week with a lid on. Then prepare a mold using glutinous rice. Wash the rice carefully, steam it, and spread the rice on a thin bamboo basket covered by longan leaves. It will take at least a week for fungi to transform the rice into a powdery mixture with a nice golden color and a sweet taste. It is important to keep track of the mold as it develops on the rice, as sometimes other toxic types of fungi could develop as well, which will need to be removed.” A: Each family has their own way to make the mold, which is the most difficult and tedious part of the manufacturing process. The basic principle is to let the fermented rice generate heat and create ideal conditions for the fungi to grow.  B: Thuy says the rice should be cooked with less water than usual. The fermentation process will take approximately 7 to 10 days. Some people insist the sauce is more delicious if it is made with rain water. A: When the rice mold is fully developed, it is put into jars, and the fermentation process is continued for at least 15 to 20 more days to create the final product - fermented soybean paste.  “Salt is an indispensable ingredient. You should add the proper amount of salt to the jars to ensure good flavor and long storage time. The result is salty, sweet fermented soybean. ‘Tuong’ can be added to braised fish or braised duck, used as a dipping sauce for boiled morning glory, a kind of spinach grown widely in Vietnam, or used as a condiment in many vegetarian dishes,” Thuy said.   A: It takes less time to make soy sauce in the summer and more time in the winter, according to Thuy, so if you don’t have good technique, it will be impossible to make soy sauce during the winter, when it usually takes a month to make a batch. B: In Vietnam, fermented soybean jam is mainly used as dipping sauce for dishes served with rice, such as tofu and boiled vegetables. This traditional jam is also served with Vietnamese steamed rice cake, a popular snack sold in rural markets. A: In the past, every household stored several jars of soy sauce to eat all year round. Nowadays, tuong can be found in almost every market or supermarket nationwide, as well as in Vietnamese grocery stores overseas. B: If you try making tuong at home, let us know! Leave a comment, and don’t forget to tag a photo on Facebook at VOV5 English Service, hashtag VOV#FOODDELIGHT#ICANCOOK#. A: We’d love to see what you come up with. Cheers, friends! Making “tuong” requires technique and patience. (Photo: topplus.vn) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Soft-shell turtle dishes are increasingly popular these days for their many health benefits as well as their deliciousness. A menu with soft-shell turtles is something that no one can resist. A: Welcome to VOV24/7’s “Food Delight”, the show that shares cooking tips and recipes from great chefs. B: On today’s show we meet again chef Nguyen Van Hoang from Vi Xua restaurant in Hanoi. Today Hoang will introduce some dishes made with soft-shell turtles. A: Soft-shell turtle dishes are increasingly popular these days for their many health benefits as well as their deliciousness.  B: Soft-shell turtle meat is said to boost your immune system, lower your blood pressure, and promote longevity, among many other benefits. A: Soft-shell turtle meat is a good source of nutrients, including protein, calcium, vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and zinc. So how can you say no to a menu of soft-shell turtle dishes? B: Chef Nguyen Van Hoang is going to tell us about some of his favorite soft-shell turtle dishes. Chef Hoang: First, you must choose a soft-shell turtle for cooking. Normally a 2.5 to 3 kilo soft-shell turtle is perfect because an older one is tough and a smaller one is not as good to eat. A soft-shell turtle can be made into 3 or 4 dishes. A: After choosing a good soft-shell turtle, you mush clean it. This step is very important to get rid of the strong smell of soft-shell turtle. I have learned from chef Hoang to first wash the turtle with wine, then stir-fry it with lemongrass and ginger.  Chef Hoang: The first dish I am going to make is soft-shell turtle liver. Soft-shell turtle liver is nutritious and rich in iron. The liver is marinated with salt, pepper, and shallot juice for 20 minutes. After that, the liver is sliced, wrapped in wild betel leaf, and grilled on the charcoal. It is served as the starter. B: I’ve never tried this dish before. But I have had soft-shell turtle roasted with salt, which is quite popular. Let’s see how this dish is made at Vi Xua restaurant. Chef Hoang: The soft-shell turtle legs and necks are used to make soft-shell turtle roasted with salt. The meat is marinated with salt, pepper, garlic, ginger, shallot, a little wine and some seasoning. Lemongrass and wild betel leaf are julienned. The meat is mixed with breadcrumbs, and deep-fried. Add lemongrass, wild betel leaf and salt. Fry until it turns golden brown. The meat needs to be crispy outside, but soft inside. A: The salt used for this dish is not like the salt we normally use. Each chef has a special technique for making their soft-shell turtle tastier and more appealing. Do you have any tips you want to share with us, Hoang? Chef Hoang: The salt used for this dish is special. The chef has to make it himself. The salt must not be too salty, but must be beautiful and look like snow covering the dish. B: Soft-shell turtle roasted with salt is served as a snack. The main dish of the menu is soft-shell turtle cooked with banana and tofu. The main ingredients for this dish, of course, include soft-shell turtle, banana, tofu, pork, shrimp paste, and fermented rice. Chef Hoang: First, soft-shell turtle meat is stir-fried with banana, tofu and pork. The flavor of the dish is enhanced with shrimp paste and fermented rice. After the meat absorbs the spices, pour in some broth and cook until the meat is soft and you can taste the harmony between the flavors of the shrimp paste and the sourness of the fermented rice. Finally, sprinkle the dish with some fried garlic. A: Soft-shell turtle cooked with banana and tofu is best served with vermicelli. What is better for this cold weather than a hot pot of soft-shell turtle cooked with banana and tofu? You can try to make it using this very simple recipe suggested by chef Nguyen Van Hoang. Now we must say good bye. B: Goodbye. (Photo: Vi Xua restaurant)  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever tried a banana flower salad? It's a dish that has a wonderfully crunchy and fresh texture. In today’s program, we elevate the taste to a fancier version by combining banana flower with chicken. It’s easy to make, but really delicious.  A: Hello, guys. Welcome to VOV 24/7’s Food Delight. We’re really excited to share with you some cooking tips on today’s program. B: Hello, guys. Have you ever tried a banana flower salad? It's a dish that has a wonderfully crunchy and fresh texture. In today’s program, we elevate the taste to a fancier version by combining banana flower with chicken. It’s easy to make, but really delicious.  A: I was tempted to stand over the salad bowl with my fork until the salad was gone. Banana flower salad is a refreshing dish that’s perfect for a tired day. Bright, crunchy banana blossoms with grilled chicken on top, perfect.  B: Today, we’ve invited Chef Phan Van Thuc of Old Hanoi Restaurant, 14 Ton That Thiep street. He’ll elaborate on the cooking process. I bet that Thuc’s 10 years of experience will help even the newbie cook handle this dish. “Banana flower salad with chicken is a simple dish with familiar ingredients that are available in any Vietnamese kitchen. The main ingredients are chicken breast meat, banana flower, carrots, cucumber, peanuts, onion, garlic, and chilli. The banana flower should be firm, with tightly packed leaves. Peel off the outer leaves of the banana blossom, which are deep magenta in color. Slice into small pieces and soak in cold water, adding a little vinegar to keep it from turning black,” said Thuc.  B: The banana flower turns black when it is cut open and exposed to the air, so it's important to quickly soak it in water with acidity. My tip is to use lime juice if you don’t have vinegar.  A: And even though the outer leaves of the banana blossom are too tough to be eaten, don’t throw them away. You can keep them for presentation.  B: Serving the salad in a banana leaf is a stylish way to present the dish. Thuc will elaborate on how to prepare the grilled chicken, the soul of this dish.  “You should make a little marinade for the chicken, pretty easy, with some pork fat, some lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic. You’ll need to marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes before grilling. The chicken breast is then grilled over charcoal until golden on the outside and moist and delicious inside. Cook the chicken breasts just before making the salad and let them rest for a few minutes before mixing with other condiments,” said Thuc. B: The finished chicken is tender and juicy on the inside with a savory, smokey crust. Just close your eyes and picture the perfect bowl of salad with grilled chicken breast on top of a bed of sliced banana blossoms, grated carrots, and sliced cucumber.  A: This salad is so filling and delicious that it can be served for either lunch or dinner. “The dressing is the most important part of the salad. To make the dressing, sugar, vinegar, lime juice, and fish sauce are mixed. Garlic and chili are pounded to a smooth paste and added to the dressing. Mix the prepared banana blossoms with the grilled chicken, sliced carrots, cucumber, onion, and some Vietnamese herbs. Toss with the dressing and topped with chopped roasted peanuts. The salad is then served in a banana blossom outer leaf. This sweet-sour salad is a good choice for a summer day,” he said. A: There are lot of different flavors combinations in one dish, making this salad a pure delight to eat.   B: Enjoy every single bite and make the most of the green herbs; the crispiness of the banana blossom, cucumber, and carrot; the smokey chicken; the roasted peanuts; and the sweet-sour dressing.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fresh water crab is a specialty of Vietnam’s northern countryside. When the rice is about to ripe, and right through harvest time, you’ll find a lot of crabs. Today, we’re visiting Vi Xua restaurant in Hanoi where fresh water crab hot pot is made in a very special way.  A: Welcome to VOV24/7’s Food Delight with recipes and food suggestions. B: If you want to cook something special for this cool fall weather, a fresh water crab hot pot is a great choice. A: Fresh water crab is a specialty of Vietnam’s northern countryside. When the rice is about to ripe, and right through harvest time, you’ll find a lot of crabs. B: Crabs live along the edges of rice fields and irrigation ditches. A: I bet many of you have already tried “Lau cua dong” - fresh water crab hot pot. Today, we’re visiting Vi Xua restaurant in Hanoi where fresh water crab hot pot is made in a very special way. B: Nguyen Van Hoang, the chef and owner of Vi Xua restaurant, is going to cook us some fresh crab hot pot, the signature dish of his restaurant. Hoang: My name’s Nguyen Van Hoang. Today, I will introduce to you a kind of hot pot made from fresh crab, a specialty of the countryside in northern Vietnam. The dish is served with vegetables that we grow in rural areas. A: The main ingredient is crabs. What are the best crabs to make hot pot? Hoang: Fat crabs are chosen. They are soaked and washed with salt water to get rid of the smell, washed again with fresh water. Separate the crab roe and keep it in a bowl. Well grind the crab bodies with some salt. We do it the traditional way, using a mortar and pestle. Extract the juice and meat throw away the shells. Normally, for 4 to 6 people, we use 1 kilo of crabs to make the broth. B: For the best fresh water crab hot pot, the first and most important step is to choose fresh, fat crabs. The fresh water crab hot pot at Vi Xua restaurant is said to be cooked a special way. Hoang: After preparing the crabs and washing the vegetables, we prepare the hot pot. The broth for our fresh water crab hot pot includes only water and the juice we extracted from the crabs. What is special is that we don’t use pork bones or any spices. We want to keep the natural flavor of the fresh crabs. The restaurant staff make the broth right at the table so that the customers can see with their own eyes every step of making the hot pot with fresh ingredients. Add a little salt to the crab juice, cook it until the crab meat floats in the juice, then serve the crab meat immediately the customers. A: The broth for the hot pot is light and preserves the natural flavor of the crabs. Can we make some adjustment to cater to those who like spicy food? Hoang: The crab hot pot can be accompanied with a hot pot of pork ribs, chicken, and beef, with some familiar spices for crab soup such as fried onion, vinegar, and diced tomato to make the soup colorful and tasty. B: The flavor can be enhanced with other ingredients like banana flowers, spinach, amaranth, and purslane. A: Fresh crab hot pot is very popular, and you can enjoy the natural flavor of fresh field crabs made in the traditional way at Vi Xua restaurant served by chef Hoang. Thanks for joining today. I hope you’ll tune in again next time. (Photo: Vi Xua restaurant)  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lemongrass is one of my favorite flavors as it’s wonderfully aromatic. The delicious recipe, which uses lemongrass and chicken breasts as the main ingredients, is a great dish for creating cozy family moments around the table.  A: Welcome to “Food Delight” where we present delicious, healthy, easy recipes. We’re A and B.   B: My family had a BBQ party last week, in which I did try one of the recipes suggested by my friend who is a restaurant manager. The delicious recipe, which uses lemongrass and chicken breasts as the main ingredients, is a great dish for creating cozy family moments around the table. I have no words to describe how delicious it was and how much it was loved by everyone. A: Lemongrass is one of my favorite flavors as it’s wonderfully aromatic. Lemongrass and chicken is a great combination, I think. Why don’t we share it with our listeners today how did you prepare that dish? B: In this dish, instead of being an ingredient, the lemongrass stalks are used as skewers. After being marinated, the chicken is placed on the lemongrass and grilled over charcoal. This is one of the easiest and tastiest chicken dishes you can grill. A: I think this could be a great dish for kids to get involved in its making. But you said the recipe is recommended by your friend? B: Well, I got the recipe from Mr. Pham Van Thanh, service and kitchen manager of the Old Hanoi Restaurant. The dish hits all the right notes-smoky, savory, and just a bit sweet. The chicken skewers can go with sandwiches, noodle salad, or any green salad. “We use chicken fillets here because they have more flavor, but you can use chicken breasts instead. The chicken is cut into small pieces and marinated with minced onion, minced lemongrass, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, chillis, and brown sugar for at least 1 hour. Then you use a knife to split the lemongrass stalks into halve lengthwise and place the chicken in the middle. The chicken lemongrass skewers are then grilled over charcoal, which gives the chicken a nice char-grilled flavor while maintaining its juicy inside,” said Thanh. A: The marinade adds the key flavoring to the dish. According to Thanh, you should marinate the chicken at least one hour, or even leave it overnight in the fridge. The longer you marinate, the better the dish will be.  B: The subtle heat of garlic and chili, combined with the aroma of fresh lemongrass, enlivens this lightened rendition of chicken skewers. Thanh said: “Grill the marinated chicken over charcoal for 3-4 minutes each side or until the chicken is cooked through and beginning to caramelize. You can drizzle the chicken skewers with a little oil to prevent the skewers from being burned. The smokey flavor of charcoal goes so perfectly with the intense sweet-savory flavors of chicken marinated in fish sauce and lemongrass. This dish can be served with rice or bread.” A: This is a super-tasty way to cook chicken. If you love lemongrass like I do, this is a worth-to-try recipe.   B: After they taste this, your family will certainly not be saying, “Oh. Chicken again?” If you have a recipe that you want to share, make a recording describing the dish and email it along with some lovely photos to vovfooddelight@gmail.com.  A: Whoever submits the most creative dish with an impressive story behind it might just be our next guest on VOV24/7’s Food Delight. Join us next week for more tips on diversifying your menu. And now, good bye! The chicken skewers can go with sandwiches, noodle salad, or any green salad. (Photo: Old Hanoi Restaurant)   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.