Pa Pinh Top is a specialty of the Thai ethnic group in the northwestern region. (Photo: VietnamPlus) Yen Bai (VNA) – “Pa pinh top” and “flying shrimp” are among the special dishes that are highly recommended for visitors when they arrive in Muong Lo in Nghia Lo town, the northwestern province of Yen Bai.
"Pa pinh top" is the Thai name for grilled fish.
According to a homestay owner in Nghia Lo town, the fish used to make the dish should be a live tilapia or carp, weighing from 1,5-2kg.
The special point when making the dish is to cut the fish open at the back, not the stomach, so that it can be easily folded in half for grilling. The knife to cut the fish must also be very sharp, so the cut looks neat.
An indispensable spice in making “pa pinh top” is “pac nam” - a typical herb of Muong Lo along with Mac Khen (Zanthoxylum rhetsa) - a spice that is quite close to pepper with a mild spicy taste and intense aroma that can remove the fishy smell.
Some other herbs such as scallions, basil, lemongrass, ginger, chili, and dill are minced, mixed, and rubbed on the fish, and put into the fish's belly.
The fish is marinated for about 20 minutes and then grilled on a charcoal stove. The coal fire must be kept even and small. If the fire is high, the fish will burn. If the fire is low, the fish will be difficult to get cooked and so it would smell fishy. It takes about 30-40 minutes to grill the fish and it must be turned over often so that the fish turns golden brown on both sides.
Grilling fish is the most important step to get a delicious "pa pinh top" dish.
Meanwhile, "flying shrimp" is also a unique dish on the menu for Thai people in Muong Lo. The dish is infact fried grasshopper.
It is quite simple to make the dish. After removing the wings and the intestines of the grasshoppers, local people boil the grasshoppers in water used to soak sour bamboo shoots, then pour them into a small basket to drain.
The grasshoppers then are poured into boiled fat, and stirred quickly and regularly. When the grasshoppers turn yellow, the cook adds spices including chili, pepper, and mac khen seed, and some chopped lemon leaves. The dish is both fragrant, crispy, fatty, and full of flavour.
Photo: Fried grasshopper (Photo: VietnamPlus) On the tray of Thai people in Muong Lo, besides "pa pinh top" and "flying shrimp" there are also dishes made from local chicken and sticky rice.
Nguyen Ngoc Duy, a tourist from the Red River Delta province of Ha Nam, said that the grilled fish was delicious and very fragrant thanks to the spices.
Meanwhile, the "flying shrimp" was both crispy and greasy.
“I have tried fried grasshopper before but the one made in the style of Thai ethnic people in Muong Lo is very different,” he said.
Le Vu Ha, a tourist from Hanoi, said that Muong Lo is well known for its white rice and clear water. She said she is impressed with the unique dishes there.
Moreover, she said she feels the friendliness, hospitable, and also typical cultural features that the local people have carefully put into each dish.
“I will revisit this place when I have the opportunity,” she said, adding that she also wants to learn about Thai dance which UNESCO recognised as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity./.
