The Old Days’ “Poor Man’s Food”: A Nostalgic Delicacy Revived by City Dwellers Seeking Unique Flavors

Pickled Spring Onions: A Tet Holiday Delicacy in Southern Vietnam

In Ho Chi Minh City and other southern provinces, it is customary to include pickled spring onions in the Tet holiday feast. Among the various dishes made with this ingredient, spring onion rolls are the most popular, offering a unique blend of sour, spicy, and sweet flavors.

Pickled spring onions are a specialty sought after by city dwellers in the final months of the year, especially during the Tet holiday season.

“Spring onion rolls go well with boiled pork knuckles, beef tendons, and three-layer pork belly,” shared Chi Hoa, a spring onion vendor on the online market. “During Tet, this dish is particularly popular as it helps balance the greasy dishes typically served during the festive season.”

Chi Hoa sells both fresh and pickled spring onions. The premium spring onions (larger in size and free of dirt) are priced at 70,000-75,000 VND per kg, while the second and third grades range from 45,000-60,000 VND per kg. The pickled spring onion rolls are sold at 90,000 – 110,000 VND per box (1 kg). Despite being a traditional dish, it remains in high demand every year.

The process of making spring onion rolls is quite simple. It is essential to select spring onions of moderate size and fresh, vibrant green leaves that are not too old. After cleaning, the leaves are dried slightly to make them softer and easier to roll. The spring onions are then soaked in a brine solution for 5-7 hours until they become tender.

The key to making delicious spring onion rolls lies in the brine solution. The ratio of sugar, salt, fish sauce, and vinegar must be precise to achieve the perfect flavor. These ingredients are mixed, boiled, and then tasted to ensure the desired balance of salty and sweet. Once the desired taste is achieved, the solution is allowed to cool.

Spring onions have become a source of income for many people in Quang Tri province, who sell fresh spring onions as well as pickled and rolled varieties online.

In recent years, spring onion farming has gained popularity in Quang Tri, offering stable and lucrative income. Each plot of intensively cultivated spring onions can yield 4-5 tons of bulbs. The growing period varies from 3-5 months, depending on whether the onions are intended for fresh consumption or mature bulbs.

A spring onion farmer from Trung Giang village in Gio Linh district, Quang Tri province, shared, “Achieving high yields of spring onions is not difficult. It simply requires following the right procedures, using appropriate fertilizers and care techniques, and having favorable weather conditions.”

Beyond their delicious taste, spring onions are valued in Traditional Oriental Medicine for their warm and spicy properties. They are believed to boost energy, relieve chest pain and irritability, address excessive phlegm and coughing, and soothe nausea.