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Au Tau Porridge | A Specialty Not to Be Missed When Visiting Ha Giang

08:04 - 01/11/2024

5/5 - (1 vote)

Rich in taste and history, Au Tau porridge is a must-try for everyone discovering Ha Giang’s gastronomic scene. But what exactly is it, and why should it be on your must-eat list? Let MOTOGO Tours dive into the warm and comforting world of this dish!

General Introduction to Au Tau Porridge in Ha Giang

Made from the tuber of Au Tau, a poison only found in the high alpine areas of northern Vietnam, au tau porridge is a classic Ha Giang meal. Eating this poison could cause extreme symptoms including blood clots, limb paralysis, and circulatory blockage. But because to the H’Mong people’s gastronomic expertise in Ha Giang, this meal has become a speciality bursting with mountain tastes.

Au Tau porridge in Ha Giang has long history and is traditionally utilised for its therapeutic qualities, particularly for colds relief. This unique meal has changed to fit the palates of guests as travel has grown.

What Are the Ingredients of Au Tau Porridge?

Classed as a Category A toxin, the Au Tau tuber, sometimes called “au tau,” is Still, it is also considered a useful medical herb, fourth among the “four great medicinal herbs” (ginseng, deer antler, cinnamon, and au tau). Only after thorough cooking should one safely eat it.

Various illnesses, including neuralgia and arthritis, are treated in traditional medicine using au tau tubers. Usually used is soaking the tubers in rice wine, then massaging them to help with discomfort. One finds it most usually in areas like Northeast Vietnam. Early July through October is the main time this therapeutic herb is harvested.

How to Prepare Au Tau Porridge in Ha Giang

Known by the name “o dau” (or “fuzi), the Au Tau tuber is distinguished by its fiery qualities and clear, unambiguous numbing spicity. Travellers in Ha Giang report that the H’Mong people regularly utilise this medicinal herb for massage to relieve leg aches following long days of trekking or colds.

One must first remove the toxins in the Au Tau tuber before savouring a great cup of porridge. Usually, the residents overnight soak the tubers in thick rice water. To have a rich and tasty meal, they next put the soaked tubers in a saucepan and cook them for five to six hours.

Once the Au Tau tubers have softened, the ethnic people carry on cooking by mixing ordinary rice with the already cooked Au Tau tubers and sticky rice—more especially, “cái hoa vàng”. They cook bones and add broth from them to make the porridge creamier, therefore improving the taste and richness.

Making Au Tau porridge at home requires careful avoidance of using a pressure cooker for too rapid boiling of the Au Tau Tubers. Incomplete detoxification and toxicity could follow from this. Cupping therapy can assist people get the toxins out of their bodies in case of poisoning.

>>> Explore: Thang Co Ha Giang: A Distinctive Specialty of the H’Mong Ethnic Minority Group

The Distinctive Flavor of Au Tau Porridge

Au Tau tubers make usually a bitter and fiery taste for dishes. But because to the residents’ meticulous and deft cooking, this meal has grown to be a famous speciality cherished by Ha Giang visitors. After cooking, the residents add minced pork, pepper, perilla leaves, and scallions to improve the tastes and thereby make the meal more visually appealing. Especially, raw chicken eggs have a rich and appealing taste when swirled into the oatmeal while it is still hot.

Because of its unique taste, this porridge in Ha Giang leaves a memorable effect on guests. Taste reveals initially on the tongue the light bitterness and minor spiciness, then a sweet aftertaste remaining in the throat. Moreover, the long simmering of pork bones adds to the rich and silky texture of Au Tau porridge, thereby facilitating consumption. Adding a little homemade chilli sauce created from locally grown products will improve the taste character of a dish for individuals who appreciate spicy cuisine.

Usually, Ha Giang’s specialty is served late. Many times after savouring this delicious meal, customers feel drowsy. Therefore, visitors can stop by a local restaurant to enjoy this unique cuisine of the rocky plateau after investigating the sites in Ha Giang.

What to Do in Case of Au Tau Poisoning

A tingling sensation in the mouth and tongue, numbness in the extremities, drooling, digestive problems, dyspnoea, and convulsions define Au Tau poisoning symptoms. Suspected of being poisoned, someone should seek medical assistance right once and refrain from self-monitoring or self-treating with traditional remedies.

Taste a tiny bit of Au Tau porridge on the tip of your tongue to see whether is free of toxins. You should simmer for more time if you still feel numb. On the other hand, should numbness not exist, you can enjoy the porridge free from toxins’ concern.

Recommended Places to Enjoy Delicious Au Tau Porridge in Ha Giang

If you want to experience the authentic flavors, you can find amazing Au Tau porridge at local eateries in Ha Giang. Furthermore, you could take guided tours such as Ha Giang Loop to improve your experience. Here they will suggest locations to savour scrumptious this porridge.

Hoa The Restaurant

At Hoa The Restaurant, a well-known dining establishment in Meo Vac Town, Ha Giang, au tau porridge is a trademark meal. Apart from Au Tau porridge, the restaurant offers several other cuisine such sour pho and grilled pig noodles, thus it’s a perfect place for visitors discovering Ha Giang’s gastronomic map.

Renowned for their traditional taste of this dish, Hoa The is among the classic restaurants in Ha Giang. The eatery has drawn many foodies travelling the area with its unique spicy and bitter flavours from the au tau root. Apart from the delicious Au Tau porridge, the restaurant is praised for its kind and inviting service. From 25,000 VND to 40,000 VND every bowl, prices are really affordable.

Address: National Highway 4, Meo Vac Town, Ha Giang Province
Price Range: 25,000 VND – 40,000 VND per bowl
Opening Hours: 6 AM – 10 PM

Hương Restaurant

Another well-known restaurant offering Au Tau porridge is Hương Restaurant, which stands on National Highway 2 in Ha Giang City. The original recipe of the restaurant gives the Au Tau porridge here a distinctive and mouthwatering taste. Carefully done preparation guarantees the food is safe and healthful for consumers.

Usually served with a raw egg to accentuate its unique taste, the meal is cooked for hours using bone marrow. Furthermore, Hương Restaurant has kept constant prices over the years; bowls run between 30,000 VND and 50,000 VND. Operating from 7 AM to 10 PM, the restaurant is rather handy for guests to have their meal during the day.

Address: National Highway 2, Ha Giang City, Ha Giang Province
Price Range: 30,000 VND – 50,000 VND
Opening Hours: 7 AM – 10 PM

Thùy Linh Restaurant

MOTOGO Tours would like to introduce Thùy Linh, a unique Au Tau porridge restaurant in Ha Giang. Only this location, 10 Nguyen Viet Xuan, Tran Phu Ward, Ha Giang City, serves this speciality. Both residents and visitors have given the cuisine great compliments for its mouthwatering taste.

Combining minced beef, black pepper, Vietnamese perilla with the aromatic taste of sticky rice, the Au Tau porridge at Thùy Linh is particularly delicious. The especially made chilli is another unusual feature that adds a different taste not found elsewhere. Depending on the toppings, this well-known restaurant sells Au Tau porridge for 25,000 VND to 50,000 VND each bowl.

Address: 10 Nguyen Viet Xuan, Tran Phu Ward, Ha Giang City
Price Range: 25,000 VND – 50,000 VND per bowl
Opening Hours: 6 AM – 11 AM

Precautions When Eating Au Tau Porridge

Though a well-known speciality meal, Au Tau porridge from Ha Giang has several possible risks that tourists should be advised. To guarantee their safety, visitors should consider the following before enjoying this porridge:

Those who want to have a safe experience while savouring Au Tau porridge in Ha Giang can go for well-known or respectable restaurants that specialise in cooking this meal.
Pregnant women and small children should limit their intake of Au Tau porridge in order to prevent any negative consequences.
Pears should not be eaten right after Au Tau porridge for health reasons since they can have negative effects. Visitors can eat pears generally, though, after roughly one night.

This article aims to provide valuable information about Au Tau porridge to travelers from all over. We hope that visitors to Ha Giang will not miss this unique dish and will have wonderful experiences in this mountainous region. Whether you find it at where, this dish is sure to warm your heart and fill your stomach.

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