As many as 126 breeds of wild vegetables specific to Vietnam arebeing scientifically identified and studied to ensure that theincreasingly common addition of such plants to restaurant and familymenus is a healthy choice. Tuoi Tre newspaper reports.
Gone is the time when wild vegetables were limited to the daily meals of the ethnic minority people who live near forests.
In the past few years, these plants have become increasingly popularin restaurants of Lam Dong province’s Dalat city. They are a newfounddelicacy, popular with tourists and locals alike.
According to Mai Xuan Dung, who owns a small chain of restaurants inDalat, nothing was known about these wild vegetables until recently,when they suddenly became popular.
A plate of mixedvegetables such as “la bep”, “sam dat”, “mountain mong toi,” and “rauphan”, all popular choices, varies from 40,000-70,000 VND (2-3.3 USD).
“Wild vegetables are now ‘in vogue’ as they arehighly nutritional, hygienic and relatively cheap. On a busy night, weoften run out of them,” Dung said.
The vegetables are usually prepared into simple but tasty boiled and fried dishes and soups.
Most of the vegetables come from ethnic minority households in such districts as Lac Duong, Da Huoai and Da Teh.
Lien Kim, a farmer in Lac Duong district, said that since orders fromrestaurants started flooding in, he has begun to grow them himself whilecontinuing to harvest those that grow naturally in nearby forests.
“Wild veggies are very easy to grow and safe for human consumption.They don’t require much care, such as plowing or fertilisers, orprocessing time before cooking. We’re planning to increase our growingareas to cope with the surging demands,” Kim added.
Attracted by the ease of growth and high profitability, many locals have asked Kim f or seedlings to grow them at home.
The owner of Chau Loan restaurant, located near Lang Biang tourismcomplex in Lac Duong district, said that most of her customers orderdishes with wild vegetables.
She has to place orderswith the farmers a long time ahead, and even sends her staff topurchase them directly at the farms in Dalat or neighboring provinces.
The vegetables have recently become her restaurant’smain specialty and are now a fixture on the menu, as her daily revenuesdrop by half on days when she runs out of them.
“Many diners also ask us for fresh tender shoots to grow them at home.Maybe we’ll build a sapling greenhouse soon,” she smiled.
Few know that behind the increasing popularity of wild vegetables onthe menus is a large-scale scientific project to identify and study thevegetation thoroughly.
“I was quite surprised seeingthe ethnic minority people cook the vegetation they bring home from theforests. But when offered, I was really amazed at their delicious,exotic taste,” Luong Van Dung, vice dean of Dalat University’s BiologyFaculty and the project manager, recalled when asked why he chose toresearch wild vegetables in the first place.
Theresearch team currently has 252 dried specimens of the 126 breeds, whichrange from edible vegetables and seasoning herbs to those withmedicinal properties and can cure such ailments as hypertension, coughs,toothache, hepatitis and rheumatism. The vegetables all containproteins and lipids, and a number contain valuable amino acids.
Among the 126 studied breeds, one plant, “dang sam” (codonopsijavanica), has been enlisted in the Vietnam Red Book of EndangeredSpecies. Thirty-two of the plants are both tasty and boast medicinalproperties.
According to Dung, cultivation of cleanwild vegetables is possible using local farmers’ safe, meticulousfarming techniques.
The team has selected ninehighly nutritious and best tasting breeds for experimental farming. Theyare all easy to grow and can be grown alongside industrial plants suchas coffee, rubber and cashews year-round.
“Theproject has mapped out a new direction for wild vegetables regardingtheir nutritional and economic values, while attending to theconservation of such valuable natural resources. We’re positive thatwith the proper attention, we can maintain the development of thesevaluable plants,” said Phan Van Dat, from the provincial Department ofScience and Technology.-VNA