Hoàng Lan

My friend Nguyễn Thị Lan recently invited my family to visit her home in Hà Nội’s suburban district of Ba Vì, famous for many natural tourism sites such as the nearby National Park.

But what was special about this visit was tasting ostrich meat dishes. We enjoyed all kinds of ostrich sausage, grilled five-spices ostrich, fried ostrich with celery and fresh garlic, even ostrich curry.

Lan said ostrich sausage has become the new food trend because it is tastier and more fragrant compared with traditional pork or beef meat.

Guests visiting Ba Vì District in Hà Nội, like to buy ostrich sausage to take home because it is tasty and nutritious. Photo cakhotranluan.com

Our party of four agreed that the sausage has a unique taste, is soft but firm, with a lingering savour.

“It is rich in nutrition, protein and Omega 3 so it is very good for people of heart-related diseases and nutrition for elderly and children,” said Lan. Adding that ostrich meat matches well with a cup of traditional wine, locally known as rượu cuốc lủi (moonshine).

Lan said the sausage is also popular with young families with children because they all can enjoy the meat without it being greasy or being concerned about food poisoning.

Grilled ostrich skewer, a savoury treat, foodies will not easily forget. Photo mytour.vn

After the sausage, Lan brought us a extra special dish, ostrich curry, which was simply amazing.

My mother was so interested in the dish that she asked Lan for the recipe.

Ingredients: ostrich: 500gr, carrot: 1; sweet potato: 2; taro: 1, curry powder: 1 tablespoon; maize powder: 1 tablespoon; shallot, broth mix, sugar and a splash of quality fish sauce.

How to cook: Mix the diced ostrich meat with curry powder and the broth mix and sugar and fry it for around 30 minutes over a medium heat until it is soft.

Add the carrot, sweet potato and taro (all diced) for a further 15 minutes. The last step is to pour half a cup of water mixed with maize powder, to bring the dish to the right consistency.

When Lan brought us a big plate of grilled ostrich skewer our mouths were watering just by looking at the plate.

We all agreed it tasted great, with a strong aromatic flavour, we wolfed it down as if we had not eaten.

Ostrich meat stir-fried with celery and fresh garlic is a great dish with some sips of rice wine. Photo mytour.vn

Lan told us that it’s easy to cook. Ingredients include ostrich meat: 500gr, bell pepper, onion, pineapple, shallot, garlic, lemongrass and ginger, sugar, broth mix, fish sauce, shacha, sesame oil, oyster sauce, and honey.

How to cook: Ostrich meat should be cleaned and soaked in lightly salted water for ten minutes before cutting it into square pieces 3cm by 3cm, then left to marinade in minced shallot, garlic, lemongrass, ginger and the above-mentioned ingredients for 20 minutes.

The bell pepper, onion and pineapple should also be cut into squares and then threaded onto bamboo skewers, alternating with the marinated meat.

The last step is to grill the skewers over wood charcoal or cook in the oven for 10-12 minutes.

“It is even more enjoyable when dipping in mixed salt, pepper and lime and eaten with fresh cucumber,” Lan said.

Raising ostriches brings a stable income for many households in Ba Vì District. Photo vietnam.vnanet.vn

Phan Ngọc Tú in Ba Vì’s Xuân Hòa Hamlet said his farm has raised more than a hundred ostriches since 2017 and in 2020 they registered to join OCOP (One-Commune-One-Product) programme.

“My ostrich meat and sausage have received recognition for their quality. These specialties have sold well in Hà Nội and elsewhere. Almost all my guests visiting Ba Vì buy these items as gift to take home for their relatives and friends.

“I hope these products continue to conquer other markets nationwide,” Tú said. VNS