Taro soup (Named as Ede people is Djam bua) is one of the unique and traditional dishes of Ede ethnic minority people in Dak Nong province. This dish converges many natural ingredients and has a sophisticated processing process. Taro soup is considered as "community" dish, an indispensable dish in ceremonies, funerals, weddings… of Ede people.
Itchy Taro and young banana have been prepared for taro soup
According to the Ede people, this dish is required to have taro tree, the most delicious is the itchy taro. This kind of taro grows many in streams and lowlands in the forest. The tree has small sheaths, green leaves and itchy. When any family and village have a party, the Ede people must go to the forest to pick them. The sheath after bringing home, must be released the leaves, stripped the bark, washed them and cut them into short segments.
Bitter eggplant, itchy taro sheaths… used to cook taro soup
In order to process the delicious taro soup, Ede people also use some other ingredients such as pork hones (beef), beef, intestine (the head of cow small intestine), young banana tree core, pitter eggplant, green pepper, young jackfruit, unripe papaya… according to the taste of each family that the ingredients can be added or removed. However, the number of ingredients used for cooking should be enough, not too much to avoid losing the typical flavor of the dish. Inside that, banana core is also a special ingredient to increase the uniqueness of this dish. According to Ede people experience, the dish made from wild bananas is delicious, it is necessary to choose the right trees that are neither too young nor too old. The body also only need to be chosen from the segment from the base to middle body, which is sweet and soft, don't take the tops because it will be acrid. After picking banana, peel off the old outer shell to get the whole young core, which is white, soft and sweet. When processing, the chef need to take away skillfully the banana resin to remove the acrid taste, make the soup more delicious.
The taro soup pot of Ede people
After pre-processing all the ingredients, the Ede people boil a pot of water and then, putting taro sheaths, pork bones (beef), bitter egg, banana core … to soften. After about an hour, add beef, beef intestine up and cook again. Ede woman also like to mix rice flour and Yao leaves (one kind of wild leaves, often used by the Ede people to make spices) to create viscosity and increase the aroma of this dish. Finally, add green pepper, chives and a little bit of salt, seasoning. When the fragrant radiates, the soup is completed, the soup pot will be left on the stove with low heat and wait until the meal starts.
The taro soup of Ede people is introduced as cuisine contest
Taro soup is taking more time on processing than some other Ede dishes. The soup will have a bit of viscosity and green color characteristic of taro sheath. When enjoying, we will immediately feeling the rich sweetness from the bone, a little bit of eggplant, papaya, and beef intestine. The aroma of rice flour, yao leaves is mixed with the pungent green pepper. Bitter – spicy – sweet taste in the soup is a feature of Ede cuisine. In particular, the taro sheaths are cooked, completely no longer itching, only the aroma and taste remained.
Taro soup of Ede people
Whenever the family or the village has a ceremony or party, The Ede women will gather together, they will help each other to preparing ingredients to cook a real soup pot. Taro soup is nutritious, delicious, brings wild taste but delicate flavor of mountains and forests, it contains deep spiritual value of Ede people.
Source: Baodaknong.org.vn (Đ.H Translated)