Thu Hà

As autumn approaches, ginger flowers begin to bloom in the mountains of Nghệ An Province’s Kỳ Sơn Hamlet.

Ginger flowers are an unusual ingredient that can be turned into a variety of unique dishes, although in the past they were used only as a remedy in traditional medicine, according to local resident Nông Thị Lai.

The flowers are often compared to bamboo shoots, and they are gradually gaining recognition among city residents, particularly urban housewives who buy them and bring them home to cook in the lowlands, Lai said.

Ginger flowers are now a prized addition to dishes such as stir-fried beef or soups. Photo phunuonline.com.vn

Each ginger plant can provide anywhere from eight to 20 flower buds or even more, giving growers an additional income, she said.

Lai noted that dishes cooked from the unique ingredient can include ginger flowers fried with beef, bamboo shoots, and garlic, cooked with eggs or added into soups.

Ginger flowers grow from the plants' roots, so harvesting requires skill. To collect the flowers without damaging the roots, farmers need skill to cut the buds. Because each bud is as thin as a thumb, around 20-25 buds are needed for a single serving, lai explained.

Stir-fried ginger flowers have the fragrance of ginger root, a delicate flavour of the flower, and a sweet aroma from the mountain forests where they grow, Lai said.

Ginger flower bunches ready for sale. Photo phunuonline.com.vn

Season of flavour

Sweet and fresh, ginger flowers also pack a bit of texture and are often cut into two parts to fry with beef, bamboo shoots, chicken or shrimp, creating a rich, savoury fragrance in every dish.

During ginger flower season, which lasts from the seventh to the ninth lunar month, Lai said she and her sisters often keep very busy picking the flowers to sell at the market.

Before sunset, their woven basket backpacks are usually full of the flowers. After a full day of picking, the women are happy to return home, earning some VNĐ300,000-400,000 per basket (each bunch is worth about VNĐ20,000-25,000).

“The money helps us stabilise our life,” said Lai.

Mường women picking ginger flowers. Photo vneconomy.vn

Trần Khánh Ngọc from Hà Nội told Việt Nam News that she often spends time visiting Nghệ An during ginger flower season, which lasts until the middle of November, to enjoy both the natural scenery and local dishes.

“The lush green colour of ginger flowers mixed with red shrimp stimulates all the senses,” said Ngọc, adding that she loves the fragrant aromas of the dish before sitting down to eat.

Many kinds of flowers in Việt Nam can be eaten -- including Tonkin creeper or Sesbania sesban -- but none match the distinctive taste of the ginger flowers, with a special flavour that has addicted many foodies.

But they still have to wait for next season if they wish to enjoy it again.

Ginger roots remain a key spice and traditional medicine remedy, widely used for treating colds and digestive issues. Photo vi.pgntree.com

From remedy to delicacy

As well as being rich in nutrition, ginger flowers are also loaded with fibre, benefiting digestion and immunity, according to herbalist Nguyễn Văn Thoại from Nghệ An Province’s Centre for Traditional Medicines.

“Ginger flower soup is a simple yet effective way to treat colds during unpredictable autumn weather,” he said.

Recently, ginger flowers have become a much sought-after specialty in the city, priced ranging from VNĐ50,000-70,000 per kilogramme.

From a simple local dish, the flowers are now seen as almost a luxury and have become more widely used in restaurants, helping to bring the unique flavour of the ingredient to more palates and becoming indispensable to Vietnamese cuisine, Thoại said. VNS