Cold shrimp sweet gruel: A unique dish to cool off on a summer day in Xu Lang

In the hot summer days, nothing is more wonderful than enjoying the sweet and refreshing taste of a cup of Cold shrimp sweet gruel- a unique dish to cool off on a summer day in Xu Lang.

Share with us the origin of this unique dish. Mr. Hoang Van Pao, Chairman of the Cultural Heritage Association of Lang Son province said, This dish comes from the Guangxi region, China with the full name Liang Xa. In Lang Son, this dish is only available in Trang Dinh district, also known as Luong Xa by Tay and Nung people here, through the skillful hands of the women here, the dish has been processed to be more appetizing.

Coming to Trang Dinh in the early days of June, although it was pouring rain when we arrived, at the sweet gruel shop in That Khe market, there were still a lot of people in the rain buying cups of Cold shrimp sweet gruel to enjoy.

Ms. Hoang Thi Minh Hue, That Khe town is adding sugar water to Cold shrimp sweet gruel for customers

Ms. Dam Thi Minh Hue, Area 4, That Khe town said, I have been selling sweet gruel for nearly 10 years, this sweet gruel  is taught by my husband’s parents. Each stage of making this sweet gruel requires its own meticulousness, the rice to make it must be Bao Thai rice, rice soaked with Styphnolobium japonicum flowers, clear lime juice must be in a certain ratio because the flower itself has a bitter taste, so you have to watch the quantity to not be bitter. My family sells sweet gruel from the beginning of April to the end of November of the solar calendar, the most crowded time is from May to July of the solar calendar, there is a time when I sell more than 50 kg of rice cooked with shrimp sweet gruel.

To make Cold shrimp sweet gruel, the seller washes the dried flower buds and soaks them in water, the rice is also soaked with water overnight, then the rice is finely ground with the flowers. When the rice is ground into a fine powder, it will be put into the pot to prepare to stir with lime water into a thick paste, when stirring, it must be thoroughly mixed so as not to burn or clump. This mixture is left to cool down, put the mixture into the mold and start pressing. When the flour mixture meets cold water, it will form small sweet gruel fibers shaped like shrimp. Normally, the sweet gruel can be kept for about 2 days or even longer if kept in the refrigerator.

If you want to eat salty or lightly sweet gruel, it will depend on how you adjust the sugar, add a little banana oil, desiccated coconut, roasted peanuts to increase the deliciousness. Mr. Hoang Minh Hieu, Ha Long city, Quang Ninh province said: When I was at school, I was given cold shrimp sweet gruel by my senior from Lang Son. Since then, every summer, I ask friends to send sweet gruel from Lang Son to Ha Long to enjoy and soothe the hot summer day. In particular, I also tried cold shrimp sweet gruel of the Chinese in Ho Chi Minh City, but I still find Lang Son’s cold shrimp sweet gruel more fragrant and fresh.

It is known that when it comes to dishes made from Styphnolobium japonicum flowers, whether salty or sweet foods are used to nourish the face, this cold shrimp sweet gruel is very good for women. In addition, cold shrimp sweet gruel also has a laxative effect, support to reduce blood pressure, regulate body temperature… whether children or the elderly can eat this cold shrimp sweet gruel, but according to oriental medicine, Styphnolobium japonicum flowers has a neutral nature (meaning neither hot nor cold) so people with an upset stomach or have a cold, you should not eat.

Although the form at each store selling cold shrimp sweet gruel is slightly different, basically, when eating the sweet gruel , you can still feel the freshness of the flowers and the softness of the rice. The price of a cup of cold shrimp sweet gruel is also very affordable, only 10,000 VND to help you dispel the summer heat.

With the uniqueness and novelty in cuisine, it has created a very unique attraction of Lang Son for tourists. So what are you waiting for, come to Xu Lang to enjoy a cup of cold shrimp sweet gruel and enjoy the pleasant cool climate, charming landscape of this place.