The ‘hunger relief’ dish once in Nghe An village became a specialty that could not be sold in time

The 'hunger relief' dish once in the Nghe An countryside became a specialty that could not be made in time to sell photos 1

Cha dam – a dish that sounds quite strange to many people, because this is just a “hunger relief” dish for a time of the people of Tan Nhuong village. According to Mrs. Phan Thi Soa, a resident of Tan Nhuong village said: “Cha dam is a dish of the villagers in poverty. Dam (field crab) in the field is a lot, caught to eat it all and don’t know how to preserve it for a long time, so I thought of a way to make Cha dam, bake it to eat instead of rice, if it doesn’t eat it all, store it in salt to save food for the day after”. Photo: Thanh Phuc.

The 'hunger relief' dish once in the Nghe An countryside became a specialty that could not be made in time to sell photos 2

After decades, Cha dam is only in the memories of the elderly in the village, few people still know about this dish. Photo: Thanh Phuc

The 'hunger relief' dish once in the Nghe An countryside became a specialty that could not be made in time to sell photos 3

The main ingredients of Cha dam are dam, chicken eggs, lean pork shoulder meat, Khang Dan rice flour and spices including: fresh turmeric, turmeric leaves, ginger leaves, toothpick leaves, tangerine peel… Photo: Thanh Phuc

The food that once 'saved hunger' in the countryside of Nghe An became a specialty that could not be made in time to sell photos 4

Dam clean, slurry for juice, eggs for each yolk, lean shoulder meat mixed with rice flour and spices pounded into a thick, fragrant mixture. Photo: Thanh Phuc

This mixture is poured into an aluminum mold, the bottom is lined with fresh banana leaves and spread evenly. Photo: Thanh Phuc

The 'hunger relief' dish once in the Nghe An countryside became a specialty that could not be made in time to sell photos 6

Then, put it on the stove and sauté it until golden brown on both sides. This stage requires meticulousness, when quickly flipping the patties, and adjusting the fire temperature according to the ripeness of the patties. If the fire is young, it will be fishy, if it is old, it will be dry, not chewy and crispy. Photo: Thanh Phuc

The 'hunger relief' dish once in the Nghe An countryside became a specialty that could not be made in time to sell photos 7

From a rustic dish, now cha dam has become a popular specialty of the people. Cha dam has been present at many restaurants, hotels and orders in the province and abroad. Photo: Thanh Phuc

The 'hunger relief' dish once in the Nghe An countryside became a specialty that could not be made in time to sell photos 8

Each day, the team supplies about 150-200 pieces of fried rice to the market. Create jobs and income for people, and create products with local characteristics. Photo: Thanh Phuc

The 'hunger relief' dish once in the Nghe An countryside became a specialty that could not be made in time to sell photos 9

If there is a stable output, we will expand it to other branches, develop cha dam into a craft village, and build cha dam into an OCOP product of Hung Dao commune. Currently, we have received many Tet orders from customers near and far,” said Ms. Tran Thi Hau – Chairwoman of Hung Dao Commune Women’s Union. Photo: Thanh Phuc