Brian Jeffrey
Season for Field Mice
The period between the ninth and eleventh lunar month marks the field mice season according to locals. During this time, mice search for rice to store energy for winter, leading to optimal quality meat.
Hunting and Culinary Practices
This season also signifies the hunting of field mice, allowing farmers to safeguard their crops while earning additional income and creating unique recipes.
Preparation of Field Mice
Pham Quyen from TienLang district shares that once the mice are caught, they are brought home to be cleaned and roasted over open flames, which gives them a desirable golden color and enhances their flavor.
Cleaning and Cooking Techniques
Following roasting, cooks remove the internal organs, heads, and any spoiled parts before rinsing the meat with salt water. In some areas, the liver is retained due to its rich taste.
To eliminate any unpleasant odor, chefs often soak the meat in ginger or lemon juice for a brief period before preparing it.
Popular Dishes
Rat meat can be prepared in various ways, but a common method is boiling, which is straightforward and helps maintain the meat’s original flavors. After thorough cleaning, the meat is tightly rolled and boiled for about 7-10 minutes. Aromatics like ginger, salt, and condiments such as onions, fish sauce, and pepper can enhance the broth’s flavor.
Enhancing Boiled Rat Meat
Rather than consuming the boiled meat immediately, it’s typically processed further, such as drying it overnight or pressing it with ‘re leaves’, known as wild ginger, which naturally grows in many rural areas.
Serving Suggestions
According to Quyen, the traditional process involves laying down banana leaves, placing ‘re leaves’ inside, and then centering the rat meat. To enhance the flavor, other herbs like ginger, galangal, lemon leaves, and lemongrass can also be added.
The mixture is rolled tightly and weighed down with a stone mortar or a heavy item, which helps firm the meat while infusing it with the aromatic leaves.
Boiled rat meat is typically enjoyed with a dipping sauce made from fish sauce combined with ginger and chili or simply a blend of salt, chili, and lemon.
