Ninh Binh mountain goat is a well-known specialty that tourists can enjoy in many big cuisine centers like Hanoi, Sai Gon, Ha Long, Vung Tau, etc. However, it can be sure that you will be served with the most delicious one in Ninh Binh, the origin of such goat meat.
Different from goats in other regions, Ninh Binh goats grow on rock mountains so goat meat there is much more delicious than goat raised on hills in other provinces. Moreover, Ninh Binh people have their own secret in processing goat meet with many special dishes.
If you have chance to visit this area, take a menu and you will see long list of strange and unique dishes, each of which has its own unforgettable flavor. This kind of goat meat is prepared in many attractive ways such as: rare goat meat mixed with lemon (dê tái chanh), stir-fried goat meat (dê tái lăn), lemongrass and coconut goat, steam goat meat, grilled goat brisket, goat hotpot, goat gruel and roasted goat..
Among the dishes made from goat meat, the rare-goat meat can be considered the most delicious one.
Goat is deplumed prior to being burned. The next step is to disembowel the goat, which is then mixed with huong nhu (holy basil) leaves or duckweed leaves for more than ten minutes. Afterwards, dipping unboned goat meat in boiling water until rare, then slicing it into thin pieces, which are then mixed with roasted sesame, citronella, lemon leaves, ginger, chilli, lemon juice and glutamate.
You can feel the sweet soft flavor combined with the crispy goatskin when enjoying this dish. The rare-goat meat is eaten with several kinds of fines herbs like coriander, basil, fig leaves, etc.
Stir-fried goat meat (tái lăn) is another way of preparation in which sliced goat meat is stir-fried on a span with vegetable oil at very high temperature. This kind of preparation alternatively gives meaty and delicious taste.
