Coming to U Minh Ha, not only wild honey, but visitors can also enjoy many typical dishes, including the steamed bee pupae.
Referring to U Minh Ha, many people will immediately think of wild honey, a famous specialty of the land of Ca Mau.
But it would be flawed if not mentioning the dishes also made from bees. And one of the typical dishes is the bee pupae steamed gourd leaves, considered to be associated with the profession of “eating” bees in U Minh Ha.
Mr. Tran Van Nhi’s family (61 years old, living in Nguyen Phich commune, U Minh district) has more than 40 years in the profession of “eating” bees. According to Mr. Nhi, the bee pupae steamed with gourd leaves is a favorite dish of many local people working as “eating” bees.
When going to “eat” bees, not only get honey but also bees can be used when needed. With the bee pupae steamed gourd leaves, the honeycomb is put into a pot of boiling water, then the bee pupae are removed and put in the hole to drain. Gourd leaves are picked not too old, large or small, depending on your preference, then washed.
After cleaning the bee pupae, put the pupa in the gourd leaves, then wrap it up, then steam it for about 15 minutes to eat it.
This dish is often eaten with lemon chili salt (or a kind of sauce depending on your preference). Due to the water-proof steaming, the bee pupae still retain the fatness, while the gourd leaves have a sweet taste, making many people “flustered” when enjoying.
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