Thai people in Dien Bien keep the culinary soul with OCOP products

Kitchen smoke holds the taste of the mountains and forests

One summer afternoon, in the kitchen of Ms. Deo Thi Thoai's family, Dien Bien Phu ward, strips of buffalo meat were neatly hung on the drying rack. The smell of macadamia mixed with the smell of longan wood smoke spreads throughout the space, evoking a sense of familiarity of Thai kitchens in highland villages.

The Thai people in Dien Bien have long been famous for the art of preparing smoked dishes and guarding the kitchen. Pieces of buffalo meat, beef, and pork after being elaborately marinated with typical spices such as mackerel, doi seeds, ginger, garlic, and wild peppers will be simmered on a wood stove for many hours to create their own unique flavor that cannot be found anywhere else. It is not just a way of preserving food in mountainous conditions before, but gradually becoming a unique culinary culture associated with community life.

Stemming from her love for these traditional dishes, in 2018, Ms. Deo Thi Thoai started making dried buffalo meat to sell to the market. "The first day of work is only based on the experience of the family. After that, I had to learn a lot more, try the spice recipe over and over again, the drying time to find my own flavor," Ms. Thoai said.

According to her, the secret lies right from the selection of ingredients. The meat should be the corn or buttocks of healthy, long-grained, low-ribbed buffaloes. When slicing, it must be cut along the grain so that the meat after drying is both beautiful and easy to tear.

However, the decisive factor in the soul of the dish lies in the familiar spices of the mountains and forests of the Northwest. Fragrant macadamia seeds, small but rich flavor seeds, ginger, garlic, and dried chili peppers are finely pounded and then evenly moistened on each fiber of the meat. After a sufficient marinating time, the meat is put on a drying rig with longan wood.

Many years of working in the profession helped Ms. Thoai realize that longan wood generates stable heat, less smoke but still retains its natural fragrance. That's what makes the product different.

After 5 years of perseverance in the profession, the product "Kim Thoai Buffalo Meat" was recognized as 3-star OCOP.

"Kim Thoai Kitchen-Smoked Buffalo Meat" is a 3-star OCOP product of Điện Biên Phủ Ward.

From a familiar dish in every Thai family, buffalo meat in the kitchen is now present in many provinces and cities across the country. Many tourists when coming to Dien Bien have come to the production facility after watching introductory videos on social networks to buy as gifts to take home.

Currently, among the 125 3-star OCOP products of Dien Bien province, there are up to 20 products in the group of dried buffalo meat, dried beef, kitchen pork and smoked ribs. This shows the strong vitality of Thai national culinary culture in modern life.

Traditional flavors find their way through the village

In the Northwest provinces, kitchen meat is considered a gift of the mountains and forests, while the occipital is the soul of Thai meals. In any rice tray of the Thai people, from daily meals to solemn occasions, people can see a diagonal occipital bowl placed in the middle of the tray.

That seemingly simple spice contains a treasure trove of folk knowledge that has been passed down from generation to generation. From salt, chili peppers, garlic, macadamia, doi seeds to lemon leaves, each ingredient is mixed in its own proportions to create a characteristic spicy, aromatic and rich taste.

Realizing that more and more people love this spice, Ms. Dieu Thi Sam, Tua Chua commune has boldly researched to make diagonal occipitals a commodity product. The early days were a series of non-stop experimental times. Some batches are too spicy, some batches are not prominent enough. Every failure is an adjustment to the formula.

After many months of research, Ms. Sam created the product "Wet Diep Dieu Ginseng" with its own flavor and was well received by consumers. At the end of 2023, the product will officially be recognized as a 3-star OCOP.

The product "Sam Đieu Wet Chili Dip" was awarded 3-star OCOP status in 2023.

What makes Ms. Sam happiest is not the increase in sales, but the fact that more and more people know about the culinary culture of the Thai people. Through promoting communication on social networks, cross occipital jars from the highlands of Dien Bien have been present in many provinces and cities, especially popular with customers in the South.

Not stopping at online sales, Ms. Sam also brings products to participate in trade promotion fairs in Hanoi, Hai Phong, Hung Yen, Thai Nguyen and international trade programs.

The OCOP product "Sam Đieu Wet Chili Dip" was displayed at the Tua Chua Commune booth at the Đien Bien Province Trade Promotion Fair in 2026.

Taking identity away

Nowadays, the dishes that used to be attached to the kitchen of Thai people are no longer only present on holidays, Tet or family meals. Thanks to the OCOP program, buffalo meat in the kitchen, smoked ribs or diagonal pork has gradually become commodity products imbued with local culture, contributing to creating livelihoods for people in the highlands.

Moreover, in the process of commercialization, many production facilities still persist in preserving the traditional processing know-how passed down through generations. From the selection of ingredients, the blending of spices to the drying method, all carry their own imprint of Thai culture.

Ms. Đieu Thi Sam introduced various types of chili dips and kitchen-smoked dried meats to customers at the First Spring Fair held in Hanoi.

Each OCOP product of Dien Bien is increasingly improved in both quality and quantity. They not only have economic value but also contain a story about culture, a land, a community and customs that have been cultivated over time.

When reaching consumers, these specialties contribute to promoting the image of Dien Bien, and at the same time create more motivation for people to continue to preserve and promote traditional cultural values in modern life.