Sour chicken soup with La giang (Aganonerion) is a traditional food for people in Central Vietnam. The dish, with a light sour and sweet taste, is very delicious and rich in calcium, and very suitable for meals in summer.
La giang is a variety of liana which grows wild in forests. Its leaves are sour and used in cooking many dishes with chicken and fresh fish. However, the sour chicken soup with this kind of leaf is considered the most delicious one.
To cook this tasty dish, it is necessary to select a garden or forest chicken which has firm, crisp and sweet meat. La giang leaves should be fresh and young because the old leaves make the soup quite acrid. Before cooking, fresh leaves should be slightly crumpled to help reduce the sour taste. When the soup is done, prepared leaves are added.
The dish is best served with hot rice or noodles or vermicelli. It has become a favourite dish of people in the Central region during summer.
Seeing the economic value of this kind of leaf, many households in the region have grown and multiplied this variety of plant to provide leaves for restaurants.
To cook this tasty dish, it is necessary to select a garden or forest chicken which has firm, crisp and sweet meat. La giang leaves should be fresh and young because the old leaves make the soup quite acrid. Before cooking, fresh leaves should be slightly crumpled to help reduce the sour taste. When the soup is done, prepared leaves are added.
The dish is best served with hot rice or noodles or vermicelli. It has become a favourite dish of people in the Central region during summer.
Seeing the economic value of this kind of leaf, many households in the region have grown and multiplied this variety of plant to provide leaves for restaurants.
 La giang is a variety of liana which grows wild in forests in Central Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Luan/VNP  It is necessary to select a garden or forest chicken which has firm, crisp and sweet meat.  La giang leaves should be fresh and young because the old leaves make the soup quite acrid.  The dish is best served with hot rice or noodles or vermicelli.  Some fresh vegetables are served with the dish. |
Một lưu ý quan trọng khi nấu canh là nhớ phải vò hơi nát lá giang trước khi nấu, như vậy sẽ giúp lá giang ra bớt chất chua. Khi nồi canh vừa chín tới mới nêm nếm, tránh tình trạng nêm sớm quá chất chua của lá giang sẽ ra thêm, việc nêm nếm sẽ không còn chuẩn, canh sẽ dễ bị chua gắt, ảnh hưởng đến chất lượng món ăn.
Canh gà nấu lá giang ngon nhất khi ăn nóng cùng với cơm gạo tẻ, ngoài ra cũng có thể ăn kèm với mỳ hoặc bún tươi. Ở miền Trung vào những ngày trưa hè nóng nực, bữa ăn trưa có tô canh gà nấu lá giang chan ăn với cơm đã trở thành một món ăn quen thuộc, rất được ưa chuộng.
Nhận thấy giá trị đặc biệt của cây lá giang, những năm gần dây nhiều hộ dân đã tìm cách trồng và nhân giống loại cây này, cung cấp cho các nhà hàng, quán ăn có nhu cầu sử dụng, là một mô hình kinh tế khá hiệu quả./.
Story: Son Nghia - Photos: Nguyen Luan
