Home Explore From Country Fence to City Feast: The Wild Hibiscus Flower’s Gourmet Transformation

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From Country Fence to City Feast: The Wild Hibiscus Flower’s Gourmet Transformation

19 May, 2025

A Taste of Home in the City

For those who grew up in the Vietnamese countryside, the hibiscus plant is an integral part of their childhood memories. The vibrant red petals were used by children as earrings and skirts for their clay dolls, while the hedges of these plants flourished in the evening sun along village roads and gates.

However, few could have imagined that this once-overlooked plant would become a delicacy in the eyes of city dwellers. Dâm bụt vegetables, consisting of young leaves and shoots, are now sold in online markets for up to 50,000 VND per kilogram, rivaling the prices of premium vegetables.

“I was surprised to see people selling dâm bụt vegetables as a specialty. In the countryside, this plant used to grow wild along fences and was sometimes even weeded out. Now, when I visit my hometown, I make sure to ask my mother to pick some shoots for me, or I’ll miss out,” shared Ms. Ngọc Diệp from District 3, Ho Chi Minh City.

Hibiscus – a plant intertwined with the childhood memories of many generations in the Vietnamese countryside.

Crab Soup with Dâm Bụt Vegetables – A Dish of Nostalgia

In many northern villages, especially in Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, and Nghe An, crab soup with dâm bụt vegetables is a familiar summer dish. The cooking method is similar to preparing crab soup with spinach or corchorus, but it offers a distinct sensory experience.

Ms. Lan Anh, a native of Ninh Binh, shared, “Since I was little, my mother often cooked this dish. You have to pick the dâm bụt leaves when they are at their tender best and cook them with fatty field crabs. The soup has a slightly thick consistency, a clear and mild taste, and a slippery texture similar to spinach, but with a sweeter and more fragrant flavor.”

After extracting the crab juice by pounding and filtering, it is boiled and then mixed with finely chopped dâm bụt vegetables. The crab fat is fried separately and poured over the soup before serving. Adding a few slices of young melon to the soup makes it even more appealing and refreshing.

This crab soup, served with crispy pickled eggplant and hot white rice, evokes a sense of nostalgia for those who grew up in the city, reminding them of their rural roots.

Crab soup with dâm bụt vegetables – a rustic dish now gracing the city’s dining tables.

From Family Tables to Restaurant Menus

This dish is not limited to home-cooked meals anymore; it has made its way into the menus of several restaurants in Ninh Binh, Hanoi, and even Ho Chi Minh City as a form of “nostalgic cuisine.”

The rustic dish has been reinvented with additions like large shrimp and pork ribs, while some restaurants stick to the original recipe using field crabs to retain the authentic flavor.

“This is a typical example of the trend towards traditional cuisine. People are beginning to appreciate what was once considered rustic, as it represents our true cultural identity,” shared culinary expert Phan Tôn Tịnh Hải in VnExpress.

Not Just Delicious but Also Nutritious

According to medical expert Bùi Đắc Sáng from the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, as quoted in Dân Trí newspaper, dâm bụt leaves have various benefits in traditional medicine, including heat reduction, detoxification, calming effects, treating itching, and aiding digestion.

Besides being cooked in soups, the leaves can be boiled or used to make tea. In some places, dried hibiscus flowers are used to make a reddish drink with a mild sour taste, similar to hibiscus tea in Western countries.

The Revival of Simplicity

The elevation of dâm bụt vegetables goes beyond culinary trends. It represents a journey back to simplicity and familiarity amidst the hustle and bustle of modern life.

As intricate and expensive dishes no longer solely define “delicious” cuisine, people are rediscovering the allure of dâm bụt leaves, the subtle sweetness of field crabs, and the childhood memories intertwined with the vibrant red hedges.

Conclusion

While many seek exotic and expensive ingredients, there is a quiet movement towards valuing the old—from roadside plants to home-cooked meals. Dâm bụt, once forgotten, is now part of the “culinary memory map,” reminding us that sometimes, the simplest things can move us the most.