Salad with Rau Nhot

Rau nhot looks like moss-roses which mainly grows on salt fields, near swamps and shrimp raising ponds. The vegetable has a unique taste and is very good for one’s health.

The plant mainly grows in salt fields in Quynh Luu district, Nghe An province. Photo: Nguyen Oanh/VNP

Cleaning Rau nhot wtih water before making the salad...

The popular salad of locals in Quynh Luu district is made from rau nhot and other ingredients like sliced carrots, roasted peanuts, lemon juice and leaves. Photo: Nguyen Oanh/VNP.

The salad can be served with cripsy rice cakes.

The salad has a salty and nutty taste. Photo: Nguyen Oanh/VNP

It is rather simple to prepare a salad from rau nhot. Besides the main ingredient, it needs roasted peanuts, sliced carrots and lemon leaves, a dash of lemon juice, chili, sugar and salt. Soak the vegetable in clean water for one hour and boil until well done. Take the vegetables out and drain before mixing with the prepared ingredients. Top the dish with roasted peanuts.

Besides salad, the locals in Nghe An also enjoy fresh rau nhot with rice, rice vermicelli and banh muot - a type of rolled rice cake.

By Nguyen Oanh/ VNP