The Ancient Vegetable: A Quick Harvest for a Full Basket

Ancient vegetables, plucked fresh from the garden or the field, offer an abundance that fills a basket. Their unforgettable taste leaves a lasting impression on the palate. Even in this modern age, the wealthy and privileged yearn for the flavors of these treasured crops.

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The term ‘tap tang’ collectively refers to a variety of vegetables, including rau má, dền gai, sam, ma de, mồng tơi, bồ ngót, lá lốt, trai, ngò tau, ngổ, and éo. These vegetables used to be readily available in gardens and fields, but now even the wealthy crave them.

The flavor of the tap tang vegetable soup remains unforgettable.

Simply wander into your backyard or along the edges of rice paddies and cornfields, and you’ll quickly gather a basketful of wild vegetables like dền, sam, vòi voi, and chay for your mother or grandmother. All these assorted vegetables are then washed, thrown into a pot, and cooked together to create a delicious and memorable soup, seasoned simply with a bit of salt, MSG, dried shrimp or small river shrimp, some scallions, and pepper. The addition of river crab elevates this tap tang soup to another level of deliciousness.

To qualify as tap tang soup, the pot must contain at least three to four different types of wild vegetables. Sometimes, tap tang soup is a combination of these vegetables with young squash and gourd leaves, rau má, bồ ngót, or a few blossoms of squash or chrysanthemum flowers. The more diverse the vegetables, the sweeter and more delicious the soup becomes.

Preparing tap tang soup may seem straightforward, but it requires a bit of a “secret” technique to get it just right; otherwise, it might turn out too salty or bland, or the vegetables could be overly pungent. To make delicious tap tang soup, you must carefully season it to taste, without adding any oil or fat. When the water boils, add the vegetables and cook over high heat to retain their vibrant green color.

Analyzing the nutritional content of these tap tang vegetables reveals a wealth of vitamins, including A, C, and E, as well as calcium and fiber. These vegetables help the body eliminate excess fat, limit fat accumulation, and maintain a balanced weight.

Consuming tap tang vegetables inadvertently provides a fourth essential food group—carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and minerals, fiber, and vitamins—in a balanced way.


The authentic way to cook delicious tap tang soup

Tap tang is a collection of various vegetables, and the cook must know which ones cook quickly and which ones take longer to determine the right time to add them to the pot, ensuring that the water and vegetables are perfectly cooked and blended.

The cooking process is not complicated. Wash the vegetables and let them air dry. Clean the freshly caught shrimp, river shrimp, and river crab, removing their shells and marinating them with fish sauce, scallions, and pepper.

Sauté some scallions with a bit of chili for color, then add the marinated shrimp and stir-fry. Next, add a small amount of ruốc (a type of fermented shrimp paste) diluted with water, stirring for about two to three minutes before pouring in cold water according to the amount of vegetables. Simmer over medium heat to prevent the water from boiling too vigorously and becoming cloudy.

When the water boils, add the vegetables in order of their tenderness: first bồ ngót, then perhaps rau lang, rau má, mồng tơi, and ma de. Once these vegetables are just cooked, add la lot, rau sam, and ngò tau, gently mixing to ensure they are all perfectly al dente.

Tap tang soup can be enjoyed hot or cold with rice, braised meat, or mắm kho quẹt (a traditional Vietnamese dipping sauce). A little spice makes it even better.

Frequently asked questions

The term ‘tap tang’ collectively refers to a variety of wild vegetables, easily found in gardens and fields, that are used to make a delicious and nutritious soup.

The vegetables include rau má, dền gai, sam, ma de, mồng tơi, bồ ngót, lá lốt, trai, ngò tau, ngổ, éo, dền, vòi voi, chay, squash and gourd leaves, and blossoms of squash or chrysanthemum flowers.

To make ‘tap tang’ soup, wash and air-dry the vegetables. Clean and marinate freshly caught shrimp, river shrimp, and river crab with fish sauce, scallions, and pepper. Sauté scallions with chili, add the marinated seafood, and stir-fry. Dilute ruốc (fermented shrimp paste) with water and add to the pot, stirring for 2-3 minutes. Pour in cold water according to the amount of vegetables and simmer over medium heat. Add the vegetables in order of their tenderness, starting with bồ ngót, then rau lang, rau má, mồng tơi, and ma de. Once they are cooked, add lá lốt, rau sam, and ngò tau, gently mixing for al dente texture. Season with salt, MSG, dried shrimp, scallions, and pepper to taste.

The secret to making delicious ‘tap tap’ soup is in the seasoning and cooking technique. Carefully season the soup to taste without adding any oil or fat. When the water boils, add the vegetables and cook over high heat to retain their vibrant green color. The cook must know the cooking times of each vegetable to ensure they are perfectly blended.

These vegetables are a great source of vitamins A, C, and E, calcium, and fiber. They help the body eliminate excess fat, limit fat accumulation, and maintain a balanced weight. They provide a balanced intake of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, fiber, and vitamins.
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