Ancient vegetable that was only fed to pigs is now in high demand for its delicious taste and health benefits.

This type of vegetable is called banana blossom. Nowadays, banana blossom is highly sought after for its benefits and its ability to enhance delicious dishes that are hard to resist. In traditional medicine, banana blossom has been used in many medicinal recipes, but in the past, they were usually prepared for pigs to eat, and only the very poor would eat them.

Modern medicine has also proven the benefits of banana blossoms, including supporting diabetes treatment, digestive disorders, and anti-depressant effects, among many other benefits.

Experts say that banana blossoms are rich in fiber, protein, and unsaturated fatty acids. At the same time, it also has a high content of vitamin E and flavonoids.

Thanks to this, banana blossoms bring special health values for women such as being good for the uterus, regulating menstrual cycles, and helping with postpartum milk production.

With banana blossoms, you can make many delicious dishes. You can refer to the following recipes.

Banana Blossom Salad

Ingredients

– Banana blossom: 1 small

– Pig ears: 1 piece

– Carrots: 1 piece

– Herbs: kinh gioi, hung

Instructions

– Dilute 1 cup of salt water with a little lime juice. Thinly slice the banana blossom and soak it for 15 minutes to whiten the banana blossom and make it less bitter.

– Then, take it out and let it drain. Mix the sweet and sour fish sauce in a ratio of 4:1:1:1 (4 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon lime juice).

– Put the banana blossom into a bowl of the prepared fish sauce, add some shredded carrots for color and a crispy salad, soak the banana blossom for about 10 minutes to absorb the flavors. When ready to eat, add thinly sliced pig ears, shredded sausage, and herbs to the bowl and mix well.

– Serve on a plate and sprinkle with roasted peanuts for a super delicious salad dish.

Some Delicious Dishes with Banana Blossom

Stir-Fried Banana Blossom with Garlic

On busy days, when there is not much time for cooking, stir-fried banana blossom with garlic is the “savior” for your family meal. You can also make this dish on vegetarian days.

Thinly shred the banana blossom and stir-fry it with fragrant garlic, creating an attractive dish. Each strand of banana blossom is crispy, fragrant, and well-seasoned. When you pick up a chopstick of banana blossom, you will feel the sweet and refreshing taste of banana blossom combined with a light spiciness from garlic. Eating with hot steamed rice will be very satisfying.

Stewed Banana Blossom with Pork Knuckles

A meal will not be complete without a hot, delicious soup on the table. The banana blossom and pork knuckle stew will make your home menu more diverse.

A hot and fragrant soup spreads throughout the kitchen. The pork knuckle with its crispy skin and tender, fatty meat combined with the fresh and sweet banana blossom will surely impress anyone who eats it. If you have a bowl of spicy, salty chili fish sauce to dip the pork knuckle, it will be fantastic.

Stir-Fried Banana Blossom with Fermented Anchovy Paste

This dish has a very attractive golden-brown color. Each strand of banana blossom is stir-fried until cooked, preserving its characteristic crunchiness. The highlight of this dish is the sour taste of fermented anchovy paste blending with other spices, creating a dish with a rich, sour, salty, and sweet flavor.

Although simple, this dish is extremely delicious and even more so when served with hot rice.